Laurina Reveals That Her Brother’s Death Triggered Shock ‘Bachie’ Walkout

Here, we are, episode seven of the first Aussie iteration of Bachelor in Paradise: the dating show for dating show rejects to date other dating show rejects on a tropical island, featuring, dates, dates, oh, more dates.

Tbh it seems like the Bachies – both Aussie and American outcasts – are mostly getting bevvied and just chillin’ on the sand, interspersed with the occasional heartfelt conversation/immediate connection/brutal dumping/moment of girl power.

In tonight’s episode, Laurina Fleure, someone who caused hearts to flutter when she first arrived on the island – but who rightly said buh-bye to her first date, Blake, and to ‘Douche Daniel‘ – totally melted down.

Throughout the episode, contestants had been commenting on Fleure’s lack of interest in the dating component of the show – she was more into napping and reading than getting to know some muscular bloke (#ItMe) – some such-blokes like Sam Cochrane even suggesting she just bail on the whole thing.

So she was given a date card by producers and told she had ten minutes to pick a date, get ready and head off on the course to true love. And she went to the producers to tell them she was feeling uncomfortable, was not interested in having a date right then and there at all, and didn’t appreciate it being sprung on her.

In a piece to camera: “I am not even thinking about going on a date. I’m literally like in the zen zone ready to sorta be getting into bed soon.”

Through tears, she spoke to a producer in her bungalow, saying “it’s not [okay], because I don’t like anybody here… I don’t need a date“.

Again, to camera, she spoke about how she wasn’t prepared for a date, hadn’t had a shower, and expected the show’s producers’ to be more considerate: “This is not cool. I’m gonna leave.”

And then the episode was over. And Bachelor in Paradise announced Laurina’s departure over Twitter.

But Laurina has since come forward on both Instagram, and in an interview with NW, to talk about what actually happened on the island that night, and the truth is absolutely gut-wrenching:

Tonight on @bachelorinparadiseau you see a very emotional reaction from me. The truth behind that reaction was that I had lost my big brother a month before. I thought I could escape to Paradise and run away.. but.., Like love- pain – is an emotion that needs to move through you, it craves expression and acknowledgement, and I couldn’t push it down longer, I needed to go home and allow myself to grieve the loss of my beautiful brother – Michael Shaun Fitzgerald – Thank you for having me Paradise you were a wonderful haven of love, friendship, light and laughter ..

In the interview with NW, which also plumbed the depths of her entire time on the island, Fleure expanded on where her head was at when she was handed the last-minute date card:

My brother had taken his life within a month of going on the show. And I hadn’t realised that I hadn’t properly grieved.

When the date got sprung on me, I didn’t have time to mentally or emotionally prepare myself for what my happy story would be. The thought of being on a date and not being able to truly say what I was thinking or feeling. I didn’t want to talk about my brother on any of my dates.

My emotional reaction was strange. It made me realise that I had to listen to what my body was saying. I had to go home. There was no rose ceremony. It wasn’t a healthy environment for me – I needed to go home and grieve.

Sending all our love and prayers to Laurina and her family.

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