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Here's Why Elyse Missed "Women Tell All" On 'The Bachelor'

The Bachelor ended on a major cliffhanger after Colton's infamous fence jump, but before fans can find out what happened, it's time for the Women Tell All special. One contestant was conspicuously missing from the group and it prompted viewers to wonder where Elyse was on "Women Tell All." As it turns out, she had a perfectly reasonable prior commitment which she took the time to explain on Instagram: Elyse was actually at a close friend's wedding.

"Women Tell All airs tonight!" she captioned a video of herself getting smacked in the face by the bride's bouquet after the toss. "I would have loved to reconnect with the cast, Colton, and the whole Bachelor team...But I was too busy getting slapped in the face by the potential for my own happily ever after."

From the looks of her outfit, it seemed like Elyse may have been bridesmaid and, for reasons that aren't exactly clear, she is the only one vying to catch the bouquet while onlookers laughed at her fumble. (Demi even commented, "omg elyse ur so cute.") But the 31-year-old makeup artist and proud cougar den mother explained in her Instagram Story that her friends were an extension of her family. So it was important to her to clear up any "pesky rumors" floating around after photos of the "Women Tell All" special revealed she wasn't in attendance.

Wrote Elyse in her story:

First off, I learned more about myself and what I want from a partner in weeks on this show than I have in quite some time...It afforded me the opportunity to take a long look in the mirror and see what I needed to work on, to be the type of person my future partner deserves. I left in a lot of tears, and a dress that while I loved may have looked a bit like a wedding gown... However I have no doubts that I was supposed to be on this season of The Bachelor... I am thankful for the lessons, I'm thankful for the tears, I'm thankful for the friendships, I'm thankful to Colton, and I am especially thankful to the [Bachelor] team who allowed me to be authentically myself...

Of course, this is a major 180 from what we watched her go through on the show.

Elyse, after a truly touching one-on-one date with Colton, seemed to be leading the pack early on. Their alone time together had convinced her that their age gap wasn't going to be an issue — a big hesitation for her earlier in the season. Unfortunately, the date went a little too well. Elyse wound up feeling more and more overwhelmed watching Colton go on other dates, and, in the end, she realized that the show's dating format wasn't really for her. Clad in a white dress, Elyse visited Colton's room one night and let him know she'd be sending herself home. He seemed genuinely sorry to see her go, but it's nice to see her doing so well post-show. Hopefully, the pair can have a moment of closure together at one of several zillion other Bachelor events.