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Gabby Windey was notably absent from the special episode of The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose, which aired ahead of Taylor Frankie Paul’s new show, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives, set to premiere on March 22. The special, which followed the Oscars broadcast on March 15, gathered former Bachelorettes to offer Taylor advice and share some insider stories from their experiences on the show.
Among the 18 former Bachelorettes who appeared in person during the episode were early stars like Trista Rehn Sutter and Meredith Phillips, as well as more recent faces such as Rachel Lindsay and Katie Thurston. Notably, Joan Vassos, the first Golden Bachelorette, was also present. The list also included DeAnna Pappas, Ali Fedotowsky-Manno, Ashley Hebert-Rosenbaum, Emily Maynard-Johnson, Desiree Siegfried, Andi Dorfman-Hart, Kaitlyn Bristowe, JoJo Fletcher, Becca Kufrin, Hannah Brown-Woolard, Tayshia Adams, Rachel Recchia, and Charity Lawson.
While Jillian Harris and Jenn Tran contributed via video messages, Jen Schefft, Clare Crawley, Michelle Young, and Gabby Windey did not participate. Gabby, who made history with Rachel Recchia as the star of the first dual Bachelorette season in 2022, gained fame after both women reached the top three in Clayton Echard’s season of The Bachelor, alongside winner Susie Evans.
Gabby’s journey on season 19 concluded with an engagement to Eric Schwer, though the couple parted ways after seven months. In August 2023, Gabby publicly came out and revealed her relationship with comedian and TV writer Robby Hoffman. The couple tied the knot in January 2025.
Gabby got engaged to Eric Schwer at the end of The Bachelorette season 19, but they broke up seven months later. In August 2023, Gabby came out and announced her relationship with comedian and TV writer Robby Hoffman. They were married in January 2025.
Since The Bachelorette, Gabby placed second in Dancing With The Stars season 31 in 2022 and won The Traitors season 3 in 2025. Next, she’ll host Love Overboard, a new reality dating series.
Gabby Windey Reveals Why She Skipped The Bachelorette: Before The First Rose Ahead Of Taylor Frankie Paul’s Season
In an interview with ET, Gabby revealed the simple reason that she skipped The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose ahead of Taylor’s season. She explained, “I was out of town.” When asked if she had FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) about it, she replied, “Always … I’ve just been so busy. So it’s hard to make everything work. But that’s amazing. I’m so happy for them to get together again.”
Gabby Has High Hopes For Taylor’s Bachelorette Season
When asked how she thought Taylor will do as the Bachelorette, Gabby responded without hesitation, “I think she’ll crush.” Gabby added that choosing Taylor as the next Bachelorette was “genius.”
Taylor is breaking new ground on The Bachelorette as the first lead from outside of the franchise. She’s never appeared in a Bachelor season, but she’s no stranger to reality TV because she’s one of the stars of The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. The 31-year-old mother of three and influencer has been married before to Tate Paul, who is the father of two of her children. Her ex-boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen, is the father of her youngest child.
Although it was disappointing that Gabby couldn’t attend The Bachelorette: Before the First Rose reunion because she has such a great personality and would’ve been fun to watch, it’s wonderful to hear that she’s busy doing other things. Perhaps Gabby can offer some advice to Taylor in another capacity in the future. She had one of the most unique experiences on the show, and, although she didn’t find a lasting relationship on The Bachelorette, her own personal journey led to her finding the love of her life.
The Bachelorette season 22 starring Taylor Frankie Paul premieres Sunday, March 22 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.
Source: ET
- Release Date
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January 8, 2003
- Network
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ABC
- Showrunner
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Mike Fleiss
- Directors
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Mike Fleiss
- Writers
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Elan Gale