'I knew that one of the reasons I was probably chosen was because I was Filipino.'
Catherine Lowe is reflecting on her experience on The Bachelor.
The now-mom of three won Sean Lowe's heart on his season of the ABC dating show in 2013. She was one of 26 women who made up the show's cast -- and one of the only women of color.
As ABC prepares to revisit Sean's season on The Bachelor: The Greatest Seasons -- Ever! on Monday at 8 p.m. ET/PT, Catherine took to Instagram to open up about feeling like she was cast on the series to "check a box." "But I ended up with so much more," she wrote.
"Tomorrow, our season of The Bachelor re-airs in a condensed three hour episode. When I was originally cast, I was very flattered but somewhat grounded by the fact that I would be one of the faces that represented people of color. I knew that one of the reasons I was probably chosen was because I was Filipino," Catherine explained.
"I counted myself out to be his fiancée because of what I assumed Sean liked. I thought I was there just to check a box, but I ended up with so much more," she continued. "I became present with the process and as he started noticing me for who I really was, I allowed this experience to open myself up to the possibility of being fully loved and appreciated for all that I was. I ended up getting to represent a mixed race community, I found Christ (I LOVE my testimony!) and marrying the most amazing man I’ve ever known. I’d say doing this show was one of the best things that ever happened to me. ❤️."
Catherine concluded, "Don’t count yourself out. You are destined to do bigger things than just check a box."
Sean and Catherine tied the knot in 2014, and now share three kids together: 3-year-old Samuel, 2-year-old Isaiah and 5-month-old Mia.
Catherine is the third woman of color to end up with the Bachelor in the show's 18-year history. In a 2019 interview with ET, she credited her success with Sean to his dating preferences pre-Bachelor.
"[Producers] bring the lead -- I hate to say this -- options that [he or she] are attracted to," she shared. "Sean Lowe has dated all different types of races before, so I think that's why it works really well in our season, that he chose somebody that wasn't white."
Catherine noted the franchise's recent strides with inclusion and praised efforts to continue to add diversity. "The Bachelor has a very diverse audience. So, being able to be seen and showcase a variety of different types of people, I think is really smart," Catherine said. She also said, however, that she doesn't give Bachelor production "a ton of flack" when seasons feature a majority-white cast, "because it's really up to [the lead's] attraction."
On Friday, former Bachelorette Rachel Lindsay -- who remains the franchise's only black lead to date -- told Afterbuzz that she can't be "affiliated" with The Bachelor if they don't make real progress.
"If we're going around talking about Black Lives Matter and what's important and how we need systemic change … well then let's talk about systemic change when it comes to The Bachelor. We got to change some things there, too," Lindsay insisted.
"I think that they have to, at this point, give us a black Bachelor for season 25. You have to. I don't know how you don't," she continued, calling the franchise "whitewashed." "And it's been asked of me, will I continue in this franchise if it continues in this way? I can't. I have to see some type of change. It's ridiculous. It's embarrassing. At this point, it's embarrassing to be affiliated with it."
See more on the franchise in the video below.
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