Twenty-eight-year-old T.V. personality Chris Bukowski has decided to retire from his television career. Many of you know Chris from watching him on many seasons of "The Bachelor," but according to a recent letter from Bukowski, we never saw the real him.
The first time we saw Chris, he was on Emily Maynard’s season of "The Bachelorette." He then aired on "Bachelor Pad 3," Andy’s season of "The Bachelorette" and finished with two seasons of "Bachelor in Paradise." In Chris’ letter, he apologizes for his behavior in "Bachelor Pad 3" and everything following.
Chris claims that prior to being introduced to “The Bachelorette,” his life was perfect. The only thing missing from his life was his significant other. It wasn’t until he was filming “Bachelor Pad 3” that things really started going wrong. His competitiveness and longing for the spotlight caught up with him.
He says, “[T]elevision became a disease, an obsession, a sickness.” Reality T.V. was slowly ruining relationships Chris had and changing who he was. He developed an addiction to alcohol and his anxiety medication. America and even his own father were disappointed in him.
What led Chris down this dark path? The fame, the pressure and the millions of viewers voicing their opinions. Popularity is very vulnerable, and anyone dealing with fame is placed under a microscope and everything they do is judged.
Some people can’t deal with the pressure that the cameras put on them and don’t know how to deal with the stress and anxiety it brings. With that said, viewers don’t realize that what they are posting on social media will be seen and adds to the pressure. For example, on last season of “The Bachelorette,” Kaitlyn Bristowe was receiving hate mail and death threats as a result of some of her actions. They were then read on live Television and by her reaction, you could tell that they were negatively impacting her.
Luckily, Chris was able to pull himself out of the situation he had put himself in. He is rebuilding the relationships that were ruined and is doing his best to move on. It’s unfortunate that he went through what he did, but he said he doesn’t regret anything he did, but he does apologize for it.
Unfortunately, reality T.V. has its way of taking someone's innocence, but Chris handled it well and is owning up to his actions. I wish Chris the best of luck in continuing to find that special someone.
