Becca Kufrin's runner-up, Blake Horstmann, also shared what he thought of Garrett, as a survivor of a school shooting himself.
Garrett Yrigoyen says he's a changed man.
The 29-year-old medical sales rep has made more headlines this season for his Instagram scandal than winning The Bachelorette, but he's ready to start his next chapter.
Garrett, who drew criticism in May after it was revealed that he had liked Instagram posts that mock transgender people, feminists, immigrants and Parkland shooting survivors, has apologized for the behavior and vowed to be better in the future. But on a conference call with reporters on Tuesday, he clarified his opinions on those topics.
"I'm just open-minded to everybody," he said in response to the anti-transgender memes he liked, noting that he grew up in a very welcoming family. "I'm open and accepting to everybody."
He also opened up about the meme he liked that called David Hogg and other Parkland shooting survivors crisis actors. "I don't believe David Hogg is a crisis actor. No, I don't," he added.
The school shooting memes were especially poignant as Becca Kufrin's runner-up, Blake Horstmann, emotionally opened up about surviving a school shooting during his hometown date. "That's not the Garrett I knew in the house," Blake said on Tuesday's call. "I have not had a chance to talk to him."
"We haven't communicated since hometowns," Blake added, revealing that he didn't plan to confront Garrett over the scandal. "He's an engaged man with Becca, and I'll respect that."
Garrett admitted on Monday night's After the Final Rose that was worried he'd "lose" Becca over his Instagram scandal, as he'd liked things that "went against what she stands for." He opened up more about the aftermath of the controversy while speaking with ET on Tuesday morning.
"It was tough on my family because they know how I am as a person. They know that I don't stand for those things that I liked on social media," Yrigoyen shared. "It was hard because there are a lot of people reaching out to them, and calling them, and making it tough on their life because all they want to do is come out publicly and defend me."
"I know it was the same for [Becca] because she knows me and how I am," he noted. "[She] got to know me and then I was genuine in my apology. I still stand by that I am still trying to better myself and grow and not make those mistakes again. That is where we are at right now and it has made us stronger in our relationship."
As for Becca, who said on ATFR that there was never "any question" that she would break up with Garrett, she told ET that she's still sticking by her man. "[On the show], we don't have our phones. We don't have social media. So, I am getting to know the guys for who they really are, and it is interesting because I didn't let their social media define who these guys are," she said. "So, I got to know them for them, as opposed to just seeing a couple pictures for 28 men and making a snap judgment off of that."
See more in the video below, and join the conversation at ET's Bachelor Nation Facebook group here.
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