Melissa Rycroft breaks silence on second DWI arrest: ‘I need help’

Melissa Rycroft is speaking out and taking steps to get help following her second drunk driving arrest in a year.

THE Bachelor old and ancient Dancing with the stars The candidate addressed the incident in an Instagram post on Tuesday, two days after she was arrested for drunk driving in Texas.

“First of all, please know how deeply ashamed and embarrassed I am, especially knowing how this has affected my friends and family,” the married mother of three began. “I want to share something personal and, to be honest, I’m very ashamed to share it, but I can’t hide it anymore. I’ve been struggling with my mental health for a while now. It’s completely overwhelmed me. I’ve tried to hide what I’ve been through by smiling, but behind the scenes things have been much harder than anyone imagined or than I let on, even to my family.”

Now that her difficulties are revealed, Rycroft has vowed that she will strive to overcome them.

“No excuses, but I’m finally admitting that I need help,” she continued. “I’ve been fighting this for a long time on my own and it’s time to admit that I can’t do this anymore. I’m getting professional care. It’s hard to say and the shame is still there, but I’m ready to feel like myself again, for myself and for my family. They’ve supported me through all of this and they deserve honesty, they deserve me at my best. That’s what I’m working towards for all of us.”

Files by prison consulted by Weekly Entertainmentthe former reality TV star was arrested Nov. 1 by the Southlake Police Department and held at the Tarrant County Correctional Center in Fort Worth.

Rycroft was charged with second-degree driving while intoxicated; driving with a prior conviction or suspension without financial responsibility and collision causing damage to a vehicle greater than or equal to $200.

Southlake police previously arrested her in September 2025 on suspicion of drunk driving. She was released on $1,000 bail and promised to appear in court.

Rycroft responded to a comment on Instagram after the arrest, saying she was “struggling.”

“Life really sucks right now and I’m struggling, but I’m trying to move forward,” she wrote at the time, while also thanking the follower who asked for her “kind words in what seems like a world of negativity.”

After his arrest in October 2025, Rycroft’s lawyer, Bret Martin, said Weekly Entertainment: “I want to remind the public of the fundamental principle of our justice system…every individual is presumed innocent until proven guilty. As a society, we have completely moved away from this fundamental concept. My client was arrested based on allegations of drunk driving. An arrest is no indication of guilt.”

Martin added: “It is imperative that we closely examine the circumstances of this case – including law enforcement conduct, toxicology results and the facts surrounding his arrest – before any conclusions are drawn. »

He concluded: “We respectfully request the media and public to allow the legal process to proceed and to withhold any judgment until all evidence has been properly analyzed and presented in court. »

By Us every weekShe pleaded guilty to the September 2025 charge in August and agreed to a 20-month probation sentence to avoid 280 days in jail. Rycroft also paid a $2,000 fine, as well as court costs and a “trauma fine,” which totaled $2,087.

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Rycroft appeared in the 13th season of The Bachelor and was proposed to by Jason Mesnick, but they eventually broke off the relationship. His other television credits include that of CMT Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team (as a former Dallas Cowboys cheerleader), with Dancing with the stars season 8 in 2009. Rycroft, with his partner Tony Dovolani, also won Dancing with the stars‘ inaugural All-Star season in 2012.

Rycroft has been married to insurance broker and former reality TV star Tye Strickland since 2009.

If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, please contact the SAMHSA Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP.