Former "Bachelor" star Melissa Rycroft has publicly addressed her recent driving while intoxicated arrest, citing ongoing mental health struggles as a contributing factor. Rycroft was arrested Sunday in Texas in connection with a hit-and-run incident involving an ambulance.
"First, please know how deeply ashamed and embarrassed I am, especially knowing how much this has affected my friends and family," Rycroft, 43, said in a statement. "I want to share something personal, and to be honest, I am very ashamed to share it, but I can't hide it anymore. I've been struggling with my mental health for quite some time now."
This is not Rycroft's first DWI-related legal issue. She entered a guilty plea in August to driving while intoxicated stemming from a September 2025 incident and was placed on 20 months of probation. The terms of that plea deal included fines, community service, and a DWI education course, as well as requirements to abstain from alcohol and drugs and to use an ignition interlock device.
Authorities reported that officers responded to a call about a hit-and-run collision where a driver struck a stopped ambulance. Rycroft was identified as the driver and subsequently taken into custody. She faces charges including second-degree driving while intoxicated, driving with a prior conviction or suspension without financial responsibility, and collision involving damage to a vehicle.
Rycroft, who rose to fame on season 13 of "The Bachelor" in 2009 and later appeared on "Dancing with the Stars," stated that she has felt "completely overwhelmed" and has attempted to conceal her struggles from loved ones. "I've tried to hide what I've been going through by putting on a smile," she said, "but behind the scenes, things have been much harder than anyone realized or that I have let on, even to my family."
She emphasized that she is not making excuses for her actions but is admitting that she needs and is seeking professional care. "I have fought this for a long time on my own and it's time to admit that I can't do it anymore," Rycroft stated, adding that she is "ready to feel like myself again, for me and for my family."
Rycroft asked for grace as she focuses on her health and requested privacy for her family as they support her through this period.