Former Bachelorette star Gabby Windey just came out in the most adorable way possible, sharing photos of her new partner on Instagram and writing, “Told you I’m a girls girl!!!”
Windey, a former ICU nurse and NFL cheerleader who co-headlined season 19 of The Bachelorette with pilot Rachel Recchia, acknowledged in an Instagram story that her fans had been “really curious about who I’m dating” but noted, “I did want to wait until I was ready because it is a larger conversation because I’m dating a girl!”
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The girl in question is Robby Hoffman, an openly gay comedian and writer who has written for the Baroness Von Sketch Show and The Chris Gethard Show, among other television series. In very gay fashion, Hoffman appears in Windey’s carousel photos wearing a wide array of eyewear: sunglasses, scuba goggles, round spectacles. Eagle-eyed social media viewers will also spot that, in one photo, Hoffman appears to be taking an “attachment style” quiz — a rite of passage for any new queer relationship.
For her part, Windey seems elated to be sharing the new relationship so openly. Although most fans first heard the news on social media, the official announcement came during a Wednesday morning interview on The View in which the ex-Bachelorette called Hoffman “the best” and revealed that they had been dating “for a couple months.” (And let’s remember that “a couple months” in relationships between women is often enough time for things to get very serious. It’s like dog years, basically.)
“I think it was always a whisper in me that got louder and louder,“ Windey said of her own sexuality. “I didn’t really know to pay attention to it.”
In the 20-year history of The Bachelor, over 1,000 people have appeared on the show and its assorted spinoffs. It’s inevitable that many of them would be queer, despite the heteronormativity baked into the premise of the reality competition. And indeed, several Bachelor Nation figures have come out over the years, including former lead Colton Underwood, who referred to his time on the show as a sort of “self conversion therapy.”
In 2019, openly bisexual contestant Demi Burnett dated a woman on Bachelor in Paradise and Bachelor contestant Elizabeth Corrigan came out as queer in 2022. That same year, two-time contestant Becca Tilley revealed she was in a relationship with none other than Lesbian Jesus herself, singer Hayley Kiyoko.
For the small (but incredibly vocal) group of LGBTQ+ Bachelor fans, Windey is an especially welcome addition to the family. Smart, funny, and overflowing with personality, she was a standout during her time on the show. In fact, many queer fans rooted for her and Recchia to end up together instead of with any of the men they had been tasked with dating.
Recchia expressed her support for the new couple on Instagram, writing in a comment, “love you with my entire heart and soul.” Tributes and celebrations poured in for Windey from Selling Sunset star Chrishell Stause, Tilley, Burnett, and more. But it was Hoffman who stole the show with her own Instagram story, writing, “Guys some news… I am gay.” She really is a comedian, everyone!
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