In May 2024, Ryan Sutter, a star from “The Bachelorette,” inadvertently stirred up a media frenzy with vague posts on Instagram expressing concern for his missing wife, Trista. One post conveyed a longing, stating, “I’d really like to hear your voice — just for a minute.”

Fans of Bachelor Nation reacted with alarm, fearing that this iconic couple, who have been married for twenty years, might be heading for a breakup. Fortunately, Trista, 52, quickly stepped in to clarify the situation and share her own reality. She had been taking part in Fox’s extreme reality competition, “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test,” alongside 15 other celebrities like Cam Newton, Stephen Baldwin, and Denise Richards.

“Everyone craves the dramatic details. It’s surprising that it gained so much attention. It’s like, ‘Why does it matter so much to you?'” Trista tells YSL News about the uproar. “I wasn’t going through a divorce or experiencing a breakdown, curled up alone at home. I was having a breakdown while standing atop a 300-foot bridge in Wales.”

Sutter, whose journey on “Special Forces” concluded with her exit in the latest episode, reflects on her experiences filled with happiness, anguish, stark realities, and totally inaccurate narratives.

Ryan Sutter’s Instagram Posts Were His Way of Saying He Loves Me

During her time on “Special Forces,” Trista was unaware of her husband’s posts and the uproar they caused because the production team, including former U.S. Marine Rodolfo “Rudy” Reyes and ex-Royal Marine Commando Jason “Foxy” Fox, seized the celebrities’ phones.

The last messages from Ryan shared motivational thoughts like, “Don’t quit until you get hurt.”

“However, I had to push thoughts of my family aside because it made me want to go home,” says Sutter, who shares two children, Maxwell, 16, and Blakesley, 15, with Ryan. “To the public, my Instagram was cryptic, but to me, it was him happily shouting from the rooftops that he loves me.”

Dealing with water challenges, harsh instructors, sleeping in wet clothes, and makeshift toilets were immediate concerns. The competition kicks off with a speedboat incident where former SAS host Billy Billingham shoves each celebrity into ice-cold water, telling them to swim ashore. Sutter has a significant fear of open water. “But strangely, I wasn’t anxious about sharks or anything else I usually fear,” she explains. “My only worry was reaching the beach. I didn’t want to drown.”

What Led Trista Sutter to Leave ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’?

Sutter states that she excelled in certain tasks, such as leaping off a 30-story aqueduct wearing a harness. She bravely tried (but failed) to leap onto a helicopter from a moving boat. However, her limits were pushed during an exercise that repeatedly submerged the participants in freezing water, especially while running on the beach with a 30-pound backpack.

“I’m out of shape and have asthma. But even with that, it was just really tough,” Sutter admits. “My body was telling me to stop. I was approaching hypothermia.”

On the way back to base camp, Sutter recalls shivering so violently that fellow contestants (including Newton and actress Christy Carlson Romano) wrapped her in jackets and blankets. “Even the producers, who typically stay uninvolved, jumped in to help,” she says. “I was grateful for the support around me. I realized I needed to see a medic.”

After a chaotic fake-attack wake-up on her third day in Wales, Sutter felt disoriented at 5:14 a.m. and declared, “I think it’s time,” signaling her decision to hand over her armband, marking her as the fourth contestant to leave. She reflected on her choice, noting that the risks for the remaining contestants were only escalating. “In retrospect, I’m glad I left because I didn’t end up breaking any bones or worse.”

She describes her brief participation in the challenging reality show as the most demanding experience of her life. “I’ve been through tough labor and faced a seizure several years ago. Those were difficult experiences,” says Sutter. “However, this was an all-consuming kind of hard — emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It pushed me to my limits.”

Having recently celebrated her 21st wedding anniversary on December 6, Sutter isn’t bothered by showing her vulnerable side on camera. “I’m less self-conscious than I used to be. I still have insecurities. I don’t enjoy seeing myself look defeated and pitiful, which is probably how I appeared on the show. But this is part of what I agreed to. It’s not my first experience with reality TV.”

After her exit, Sutter enjoyed the warmth of a hotel shower and was finally able to read her husband’s heartfelt Instagram messages amid the social media chaos. She called Ryan and their children almost immediately. “Just reconnecting with them was everything. I reassured them that I survived, despite not being there as long as I hoped. But I did it, and I felt proud and at peace with my decision to leave.”

“But the best part — after connecting with my family — was that shower,” she adds. “That truly was the best shower I’ve ever had.”