'The Bachelor' Alum Alayah Benavidez Announces Break From Social Media to Work on Her Mental Health

Alayah Benavidez is taking a break from social media. The Season 24 Bachelor contestant and former Miss Texas USA tweeted the announcement on Sunday, coming on the heels of what she alleged was backlash surrounding her public response to the death of George Floyd at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. 

“I’m going to take a break from social media for my own mental health. Not because of what’s happening in the news or because I don’t want to continue helping where I can but because being an ‘influencer’ in this time results in nothing but hate when all I’m trying to do is help,” she tweeted. “So just know—my temporary silence isn’t because I’m ignoring the issue. I will continue to donate, sign petitions, ask questions. But because of the amount of hate and backlash being received even when I’m on your side and simply trying to drive out the hate. It’s exhausting.” 

Her comments inspired a conversation among some Redditors about the privilege of being able to “take a break” from the issue of racism and police use of force in America. “PSA to white people,” one user wrote, “please don’t take up space in the discussion talking about your white guilt or your own exhaustion! Even if you have good intentions, you are still centering yourself and that’s not the move [right now].”

“If you can delete Twitter or go off social media and avoid these issues, then you have privilege,” another explained. “Privilege that makes it imperative that you are among those speaking, donating, advocating, and demonstrating. I hope she learns this in her time away…”

As of Sunday, Alayah’s Twitter page showed several retweets supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and denouncing police brutality. Her Instagram included one post advertising numbers to text if you want to demand justice for George Floyd and for Breonna Taylor, the EMT killed by police in her Louisville home in March of this year. The post also included numbers to text to demand the removal of District Attorneys George Barnhill and Jackie Johnson, both facing fierce criticism following the death of Ahmaud Arbery, the 25-year old black man who was pursued and killed by armed white residents in a South Georgia neighborhood while he was out jogging in February.

There are many ways to support justice for George Floyd. Some options include donating to local Minnesota justice organizations like North Star Health Collective and the Minnesota Freedom Fund, or to legal defense organizations like the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the ACLU. You can also contact County Attorney Michael Freeman at 612-348-5550 to demand additional action against the officers involved in Floyd’s death.