Trista Sutter Quits Split Rumors, Reveals ‘Special Forces’ Cast

Breathe a sigh of relief Bachelor Nation: Trista and Ryan Sutter are still together.

The first-ever “Bachelorette” revealed on Instagram Friday that she was filming “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” in May when her husband’s cryptic messages sent fans into a tizzy.

“Was it a divorce/nervous breakdown/mid-life crisis/death/separation trial in May?! Not unless it’s what you call Special Forces: The World’s Toughest Ordeal, season 3!” Sutter wrote in the caption alongside a trailer for the series, which premieres in January. With his addition to the cast, Sutter follows in the footsteps of other “Bachelor” alumni like Nick Viall and Tyler Cameron.

In May, Ryan Sutter sent fans speculating after a series of vague posts about his wife’s disappearance. The first, published on May 11, began with: “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” and ended its caption with “I already miss her.” The next day, Ryan posted a Mother’s Day tribute in which he lamented that his wife wasn’t there — and the cryptic messages continued.

On May 18, he clarified that the couple was doing well, but didn’t add much additional context. “Trista is fine. We are fine. We are fine,” he wrote on Instagram. “Trista is at a point in her life where she is somewhat searching. An opportunity presented itself that could help her in this quest. With her supportive family, she accepted it. Part of that process means she is temporarily inaccessible to us.

On May 25, Trista Sutter took to Instagram to add her two cents. “Damn it, people. Can’t a girl have a nervous breakdown/separation trial/midlife crisis/death/divorce in peace around here?!” she joked in a caption alongside a photo of herself with Ryan and their two children. “Seriously, for those concerned, I am safe and sound, happy and healthy, in love and grateful,” she wrote, specifying that her husband’s messages were messages of love intended to find her during his travels.

But, with no stories yet from those trips, fans were still wondering if the couple was okay. The reality TV star’s latest announcement puts those fears to bed.

The couple, married for nearly two decades, represents something rare for Bachelor Nation — a romance with longevity. The longest-running couple in the franchise’s history, they are often cited as an example of how the series can work, even if most of its couples eventually break up.

Trista Sutter headlined the first season of “The Bachelorette” in 2003, giving her final rose to firefighter Ryan Sutter and marrying him in a televised ceremony later that year. Twenty “Bachelorettes” later, she has become a true godmother in the universe of the series. Her love story is the gold standard against which countless broken engagements (and marriages) are measured.

The franchise recently added another “first” bachelorette – Joan Vassos – whose season of “The Golden Bachelorette” concluded last week. Vassos and her new fiancé Chock Chapple will have big shoes to fill if they hope to keep the Bachelor streak alive.

Gerry Turner, the first “Golden Bachelor”, and his latest selection, Theresa Nist, have already divorced.

Contributor: Brendan Morrow