Belinda “Love” Rygier, who appeared on The Bachelor Australia in 2017, went viral after revealing she’d slept with over 700 men. The 38-year-old says the number reflects a past sex addiction that once drove her to seek partners up to six nights a week.
Rygier entered recovery after realizing her behavior stemmed from unhealed trauma and a pattern of toxic relationships. Now eight years into recovery and 15 months celibate, she says her past was more about seeking validation and love than the act itself.
“I’m not ashamed,” she said, adding that she’ll have sex again—but only with someone she shares a real connection with. She also believes society often uses sex for “quick validation” rather than intimacy.