In May 2024, Ryan Sutter, known for his role on “Bachelorette,” unintentionally stirred up a media frenzy with ambiguous Instagram posts expressing worry about his wife, Trista. One particular post included the heartfelt message, “I’d really like to hear your voice — just for a minute.”

Fans of the show were thrown into a panic, mistakenly believing this couple, who’ve been together for 20 years, were on the verge of separation. However, Trista, 52, clarified the situation, revealing she was in Wales participating in Fox’s reality competition “Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test” alongside a group of other celebrities, including Cam Newton, Stephen Baldwin, and Denise Richards.

Sutter shared her thoughts with YSL News regarding the hype, saying, “People crave the juicy details. It’s surprising how much attention this got. It’s strange, ‘Why do you all care so much?'” She reassured everyone that she wasn’t going through a divorce or experiencing a breakdown — just a tough time overcoming challenges amidst the demanding competition. “I was dealing with my breakdown on a 300-foot bridge in Wales,” she added.

Trista, who left “Special Forces” during the latest episode, reflects on her experience which was full of highs and lows, harsh realities, and completely erroneous stories.

Ryan Sutter’s Instagram messages were a way of expressing his love

While filming, Sutter was completely unaware of the buzz surrounding her husband’s posts, as “Special Forces” leaders, including former U.S. Marine Rodolfo “Rudy” Reyes and ex-Royal Marine Jayson “Foxy” Fox, had taken away the contestants’ phones.

Her husband’s last encouraging message before the phone confiscation included advice like, “Don’t give up until you get hurt.”

“But I had to focus and not think about my family too much, or I’d want to go home,” explained Sutter, who shares two children, Maxwell, 16, and Blakesley, 15, with Ryan. “For me, Instagram was his way of expressing his love loudly. To others, it may seem cryptic, but for me, it meant the world.”

The experience was filled with challenges like intense physical tests, demanding instructors, sleeping in damp clothes, and using makeshift toilets. “Special Forces” kicks off with the contestants being hurled into freezing water by Billy Billingham, the former SAS host, who then instructs them to swim to shore. Despite her profound fear of open water, Sutter’s concern wasn’t about sharks — it was simply about making it to the shore alive. “I didn’t want to drown,” she recounted.

Why Trista Sutter chose to leave ‘Special Forces: World’s Toughest Test’

Sutter explained that she performed well in certain tasks, like leaping off a 30-story aqueduct with a harness. She also attempted to jump to a hovering helicopter from a speeding boat, but didn’t succeed. Ultimately, her breaking point came during a task that repeatedly submerged the contestants in icy waters. While running from the beach with a heavy 30-pound rucksack, she reached her limit.

“I was out of shape. I have asthma. But there are no excuses; it was genuinely tough,” noted Sutter, her health deteriorating. “My body was screaming hypothermia at me, saying, ‘It’s time to go home.'”

On the van ride back to base, Sutter recalled shaking uncontrollably while her fellow competitors, including Newton and actress Christy Carlson Romano, provided warmth with jackets and blankets. “Even the producers, who are usually hands-off, stepped in to help me,” she recalls gratefully. “I knew I needed to see a medic.”

On her third day in Wales, still before dawn and shaken from a fake-attack drill, Sutter decided it was best to leave. “I think it’s time,” she announced, voluntarily surrendering her armband as the fourth contestant to exit. Although she has reconsidered her decision, she felt relieved when she saw the increasingly risky challenges that remained for others. “I’m grateful I left,” Sutter stated, “because at least I didn’t come away with any broken bones.”

She regarded her brief time on the rigorous show as the toughest experience she’s ever faced. “I’ve had incredibly difficult labor. I faced a seizure years ago. But this was a different level of challenge — emotionally, physically, and spiritually. It pushed me to limits I didn’t know I had.”

Now celebrating 21 years of marriage as of December 6, Sutter welcomed the fact that viewers had seen her raw, vulnerable side. “I’m not as concerned about how I appear as I was in the past. I still have insecurities. I don’t want to see myself looking defeated or weak, but I signed up for this. It’s not my first time in reality TV.”

Once she left, Sutter enjoyed a hot shower in a warm hotel room and was allowed to read her husband’s affectionate Instagram posts, along with the social media uproar. “I called Ryan and my kids first thing. Being able to reconnect with them meant the world to me. I told them I made it through, even if I didn’t last as long as I aspired. But I did it. I felt proud and at ease with my choice.”

“And honestly, the best part after catching up with my family? That shower — it was the best shower I’ve ever experienced,” she concluded.