‘The Bachelorette’: Garrett Powell Supports Jed Wyatt After He Breaks Silence on Girlfriend Scandal

The Bachelorette‘s Garrett Powell is standing by fellow suitor Jed Wyatt after the season frontrunner broke his silence on accusations that he already had a girlfriend when he wooed Hannah Brown on her season of the ABC dating show.

The eliminated contestant, 27, took to the comments of Wyatt’s Instagram post addressing the accusations Monday, writing, “Love you Jed. Keep fighting my man. You know the boys are all here for you!”

Bachelor Nation did a 180 on the fan favorite contestant after former flame Haley Stevens came forward last month and revealed that just the night before he left for filming, Wyatt had spent the night with her, failing to call things off before pursuing Brown. Monday, ahead of the Hometown Dates episode, Wyatt took to Instagram to finally address the scandal.

“Hi y’all. Several of you have reached out with messages and questions. Please know I’m not able to answer right now, but as soon as I’m able to, I will,” he wrote under a photo of his family, who appeared on Monday’s episode. “Until then, I ask that you please understand how much the actions being taken towards myself, my family, the men on the show, and above all, Hannah, are affecting all of our mental and physical health. It goes beyond what is said online.”

“Threatening letters and phone calls have been sent to our homes,” he claimed. “My parents and sister are being verbally attacked in public.”

“I beg you to remember what seems like a harmless action is damaging to real people,” the musician added. “I want to thank all of you who have reached out or reserved judgement until I am able to speak openly and I can only ask for your patience and kindness until then.”

Stevens’ allegations were shocking, to say the least, when she came forward and provided proof of herself and her former beau on vacation together in the Bahamas just before he left for filming.

“We spent the night together the night before he headed to L.A,” she told PEOPLE. “He told me [the show] was just an obstacle, and we’d be stronger on the other side because of it.”

“He wanted a platform,” she continued of Wyatt’s musical aspirations. “He kept telling me, ‘I don’t want my dad to have to help me pay rent anymore.’ He said he only wanted to be top five … to be a major player so that it would be beneficial.”

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

Photo credit: ABC/Ed Herrera