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Laurina exits Bachelor to grieve for brother

Real reason on Bachelor departure may raise questions about duty of care.

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Bachelor in Paradise contestant Laurina Fleure has revealed in an interview the real reason she quit the TEN series was to head home and grieve for her brother.

Last night on the show she was depicted as lacking interest in the men and having a meltdown after producers wanted to send her on a date at short notice. Footage showed other contestants scoffing at her refusal and questioning her reasons for being there. It has been described as a “spectacular tantrum.”

But Fleure has told MammaMia she realised her emotional reaction was a sign she needed to go home and grieve for her brother, 36, Michael.

“I lost my brother to suicide a month before going on the show and at that point, I realised I really just needed to go. I initially thought going on the show would be a good form of escapism; if I fell in love there, then maybe I wouldn’t feel all the pain that I was suppressing,” she told Mamamia.

Her brother, 36-year-old Michael Shaun Fitzgerald, had been struggling with anxiety and depression for many years and last year she lost him to his battle.

However, she said in the moment of her leaving the show, she had no intention of explaining the cast and crew, at least on camera, the very reasons she needed to leave.

What is less clear whether producers were aware Fleure was grieving for a family member, and if so, whether her participation was appropriate or not.

Fleure has also noted she doesn’t regret going on the show and she has since found love with someone not connected to the show.

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6 Responses

  2. I feel for Laurens, such a difficult time. The question is whether the producers were told about this before she entered paradise. If it was only a month ago, then she may have agreed to go on show before this tragic event. Laurina seems not to be negative about her experience in paradise, just came to the realisation she needed time out to grieve. Hope all goes well for her!

  3. That explains why she hasn’t been getting much screen time , poor girl is probably upset most days in her room and not feeling very interactive. This is not spoiler so I hope no one comments down that road . They way they made her look last night , with them knowing this information, feels kinda wrong . Love u girl .

  4. The producers should have known. That’s part of their job and their duty of care. Contestants should be psych tested prior to being accepted and assessed again by psychs prior to filming. I can’t believe that grief as fresh and as raw as that would not have been spotted by the production company or their staff. You’re right that their duty of care obligations should not have allowed Laurina on to the set if those processes had been followed.

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