Fans first met Crawley on Juan Pablo Galavis‘ season of The Bachelor, where she famously stood up to him after he picked fellow finalist Nikki Ferrell and had told Crawley something that, as she put it, “no woman wants to hear” when the cameras weren’t rolling.
While looking back at this time during Monday’s episode, Crawley acknowledged that this unforgettable moment changed her entire life.
“I kind of want to thank him,” she said, “and I know that sounds weird. But I want to thank him because, if it wasn’t for him, if it wasn’t for this opportunity, I wouldn’t be the woman I am today on some level … I don’t want to give him too much credit, but if it wasn’t for that—and honestly to forgiveness, to let go, to move on, and to move forward—it’s almost like carrying that brick around, that burden of something heavy and hateful, that I just don’t have in me anymore. And I’m using it to build a house and using it for growth. So, for me, I’m thankful to that—the situation, maybe. Let’s say that.”
The Bachelorette returns Tuesday, Oct. 13 on ABC.
