Kaitlyn Bristowe Is Not Ashamed She Had Sex On 'The Bachelorette,' Nor Should She Be

Kaitlyn Bristowe, who was named the new "Bachelorette" this week, is already getting flak for the season promos, which reveal that she had sex with a contestant. ABC shows Bristowe crying in interviews and being chastised by some of the men. But in an interview with "Entertainment Tonight," Bristowe says she's not ashamed of her actions, nor should she be.

"'I don't think that's a crazy thing to sleep with somebody when you're trying to be in a relationship with them," Bristowe said. "I'm a 30-year-old woman and I make my own decisions and intimacy to me is a part of every relationship. I don't know why everyone is so shocked by it. It's 2015."

When asked how she felt about it in terms of the show, she said, "I felt it could have jeopardized other relationships that I cared about, but at the same time, it is the show and that could have happened in the fantasy suite."

The franchise has always had "weird sex issues," but the previews and subsequent discussions taking place about Bristowe's actions became slut-shamey almost immediately after the show aired on Tuesday. (Here's a lesson on how not to do that.) Watch Bristowe's interview:

Also, check out HuffPost's new podcast on "The Bachelorette"! In the latest episode, the hosts break down the slut-shaming season preview:

You can check out past and future episodes of Here To Make Friends and other HuffPost Podcasts on The Huffington Post's iTunes page. Thanks to our producer, Katelyn Bogucki and our editor, Jorge Corona.