The 'Bachelor' told ET the rumors 'shakes things up a lot.'
Matt James told ET he was excited to "get to the bottom" of those escort rumors on The Bachelor. And that's exactly what he did on Monday night.
The top of this week's episode saw Matt addressing the group about rumors "that could potentially ruin someone's life," before pulling aside Brittany, whom the rumors were spread about, and then later Anna, who spread the rumors.
Anna claimed on last week's episode that she heard the rumor from friends in her and Brittany's shared city of Chicago before heading off for filming. Brittany tearfully denied the rumor when Anna brought it up on the group date, but that didn't prevent the rest of the women in the house from hearing it -- or word traveling to Matt.
"She is not a paid escort," the Bachelor told ET's Lauren Zima, but admitted the drama over the rumor "shakes things up a lot."
Anna quickly broke down when Matt asked her about the situation ahead of the rose ceremony.
"I am so sad and upset with myself. That's the first thing you should know. Before even coming here, I received messages about another girl who would also be here, Brittany, and then when she did show up, the worst thing I could say was said," she told Matt. "And immediately I felt horrible about it, and I was like, 'This is on me. This is me being a shallow person in the worst moment ever.'"
"I was just shocked when Brittany told me, because when I first met her a few days ago, she was spunky and super bold and confident. And when I pulled her aside to talk to her tonight, she just broke down," Matt replied.
Anna said she felt "immensely horrible" for her behavior. "I'm breaking out in a rash because I'm so sad," she said.
"Listen, you're not a horrible person. I don't think that at all, because I've been in your shoes. I've said things I wish I could take back, that I'm not proud of," Matt shared. "Ultimately, I've had to take responsibility for my words and my actions, and I've grown from it. But I have a responsibility to the women that are here, to Brittany, to myself, to follow my heart. And unfortunately, I can't see you being a part of that journey anymore."
With that, Matt walked Anna outside and said goodbye, eliminating her before the rose ceremony.
"Anna said something that was out of character, but the damage has been done. I've seen how words can affect people, and I owe it to these women to create a safe space for them, and that's what I'm going to do," he explained to the camera.
However, Anna wasn't the only one causing drama in the house. See more in the video below.
The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
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