Love is love is love, and Bachelor Nation‘s Gabby Windey has received her final rose as she announced her new romance today, and we couldn’t be happier for her.
Fans first met Windey on Clayton Echard’s season of The Bachelor and saw her again as she co-starred on The Bachelorette alongside her bestie, Rachel Recchia, as they went on the ultimate journey to find love — together. In a season with dual bachelorettes, Gabby and Rachel attempted to find their forever match, but things didn’t work out the way they hoped in the months that followed.
Gabby has since discovered that everything happens for a reason, and as she’s embraced happily ever after with her new beau, it’s easier than ever to tell that her last rose has been given and received by the person who has her heart.
So just who is Windey dating, and why is that question popping up on social channels everywhere? As massive fans of romance, Bachelor Nation, and all things happily ever after, we’re thrilled to learn that her heart is being well taken care of, and she looks happier than ever.
Who is Gabby Windey’s partner?
In an Instagram post alongside her appearance on The View, Windey confirmed that her new relationship is with a girl, specifically with Robby Hoffman; and that they’ve been seeing each other for a few months. Windey noted that she’d been keeping this relationship a bit more private because of the “larger conversation” that would need to be had once she made the announcement.
Hoffman is a TV writer, comedian, and podcast host from Brooklyn who stole Windey’s heart early on in their relationship; as Windey shared with the hosts of The View, she feels a comfort with Hoffman that she’s not felt with anyone before.
Hoffman was raised by a single mother and is one of ten siblings, and has been open about her sexuality on several occasions, as shared by US Weekly. Hoffman was outed when she was 18 and was scared of the implications that would bring, specifically with her friends. One of them told her that she “didn’t support her lifestyle” as they were on a birthright trip together to Israel.
It goes without saying that the journey to her sexuality wasn’t easy on Hoffman, but she’s happy with who she is, with who she’s become, and in being honest about her journey. For Windey, a similar yet unique path would lead her to Hoffman, one that started with a quiet nudging.
Aware that fans saw her in one light, she noted that some people might initially not expect it; that she didn’t see it coming, but things changed after her whirlwind of a few years began to calm down, and she could take time to sit in quiet and really listen to her heart.
Windey continued by saying that she didn’t really “know to pay attention to it” at first and that she had to work through some sense of shame…or something like it, as she tried to understand what was taking place. She says she’s proud now, and knows her sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of, but it was something she had to navigate to get through.
Having realized that loving someone shouldn’t make her feel anything but proud, happy, and cared for; she is embracing finally being able to share her romance with her fans, friends, and followers; and the look of joy on her face says it all.
Life can be lonely, it can be hard to navigate, and sometimes we could all use a little more joy; we’re sending our congratulations and love to Windey and Hoffman as they embrace this exciting chapter together, and we look forward to more photo dumps on social media. Here’s to love, to bravery, and to embracing the desires of your heart.