Melissa Rycroft addresses mental-health challenges after second DWI arrest
Reality-TV personality Melissa Rycroft posted an Instagram statement acknowledging her struggles with mental health and seeking professional help following a second DWI charge in Texas.
Melissa Rycroft, known for her appearances on "The Bachelor" and "Dancing With the Stars," posted on Instagram on Tuesday to acknowledge a second driving-while-intoxicated arrest within 13 months. She expressed shame about the incident and its impact on her family, and disclosed that she has been dealing with mental-health issues that she had previously tried to conceal.
"First, please know how deeply ashamed and embarrassed I am, especially knowing how much this has affected my friends and family," she wrote.
"I’ve been struggling with my mental health for quite some time now. It has completely overwhelmed me," Rycroft added.
She said she is now receiving professional care and asked for understanding as she works toward recovery.
"This is so hard to say and the shame is still very much there, but I’m ready to feel like myself again, for me and for my family. They have stood by me through all of this, and they deserve honesty. They deserve me at my best," she wrote.
Rycroft was first arrested in September 2025 after crashing her vehicle in Southlake, Texas, and was sentenced to 20 months of probation in August. The latest incident occurred on Halloween night when she allegedly fled the scene after colliding with a stopped ambulance, leading to charges of DWI, property damage exceeding $200, and driving with an invalid license. She and husband Tye Strickland have three children.