Former Bachelor star Belinda ‘Love’ Rygier reveals sex addiction

An ex-reality TV contestant, who found fame on Matty J’s season of The Bachelor, has revealed she slept with more than 700 men while battling a sex addiction.

Former Bachelor contestant Belinda “Love” Rygier has opened up about her struggle with sex addiction, revealing she slept with more than 700 men before seeking help.

Rygier, who appeared on the 2017 season of the franchise with Matthew “Matty J” Johnson, told the Daily Mail that she was “hurting and seeking validation” through her sexual partners over a 15-year period.

“The next day [after sleeping with someone] was the absolute worst. Not that I have truly experienced drugs, but I would liken it to the comedown from that,” Rygier said.

“A huge hit of dopamine, serotonin and oxytocin during the experience. The next day, when they didn’t call as they promised, I would have a huge comedown. I would hit rock bottom, feel worthless and worse than if I didn’t have the experience. It would send me into a spiral and then I would need another ‘hit’.”

Belinda appeared on The Bachelor in 2017.

Rygier – who believes her addiction stemmed from being sexually assaulted at the age of 18 – added that she had avoided revealing to anyone that she’d slept with “well over 700” people, because she felt she’d be judged and “would never find love”.

“I still to this day hate that question because I feel it is filled with judgment from the wrong people,” she said.

She was eliminated by Matty J in episode 4.

The former reality star-turned-love coach explained that she hadn’t realised she’d been in the grips of a sex addiction until she begun doing “inner work”.

“I realised only a few years ago, but never told anyone until recently. I knew that I had, and still do have, a high sex drive, but I didn’t correlate that with sex addiction,” Rygier told the publication.

She also revealed that she healed her addiction through a range of resources, including self-development courses, neuro-linguistic programming and meditation, and has now been celibate for 10 months.

If you or someone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. To find about more about sex addiction, visit Sex Addicts Anonymous, Sexaholics Anonymous or Sex and Love Addicts Anonymous.