THE Bachelor alum Demi Burnett clapped back at trolls and called their words "damaging" after she revealed she has autism.
The reality star told online bullies to "shut up" in a heartfelt video.
Taking to her Instagram Stories, the 27-year-old spoke her mind after dealing with online abuse since she opened up about her autism.
“Stop making people feel stupid if they think that they might be autistic, okay?” she told her followers while sitting on her sofa in a pink hoodie.
The reality star continued: “Stop making them feel like that’s an absurd thought, because you probably don’t know anything about autism.
“So you probably should shut up, and let people explore whatever their body is telling them to explore.
“I don’t see what benefit there is in telling someone, ‘no you’re not autistic,’ as if you would have any idea.
“Don’t tell people that, it’s very damaging.”
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DIAGNOSIS REVEAL
This comes after she revealed she has been diagnosed with autism, and asked fans to be "open-minded and accepting."
Demi opened up about some of her "pain and struggles" in an
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She began with an advisory warning: "MAYBE A TRIGGER WARNING. I DON'T KNOW BUT HEADS UP."
The Bachelor icon then wrote: "I did a psychological evaluation and I'm autistic. There is a huge stigma when it comes to autism.
"I encourage you to be open-minded and accepting."
She then continued: "All I want is to have a better quality of life. I will share more of the story of my evaluation and how I got to this point, and all of my pain and struggles along the way.
"I want to make sure that anyone who is/was feeling like me, can know you really aren't alone. It can get better! And most importantly, it isn't your fault."
On the cover image of her post, she included an unfiltered snap of her wearing sunglasses inside a living room.
BACHELOR HISTORY
Demi was a contestant on the 23rd season of The Bachelor, only to be eliminated in week six.
She returned for the sixth season of Bachelor in Paradise, and came back again for the seventh season of the spinoff, although she was eliminated in week three.
While on the sixth season of Bachelor in Paradise, Demi revealed she had been dating Kristian Haggerty back home.
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Her on-and-off girlfriend came to Mexico to work out their relationship on-screen and they were engaged by the end of the show.
However, they split in October 2019.
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