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Twenty-three years. In "Bachelor" years, that is basically an eternity.
Honestly, if you looked at the odds back in 2003, nobody expected a pediatric physical therapist and a Colorado firefighter to actually make it. The franchise was a neonatal experiment. The cameras were bulkier, the rose ceremonies were raw, and social media didn't exist to turn contestants into lifestyle influencers overnight.
Yet, here we are in 2026, and Trista and Ryan Sutter are still very much a thing.
They aren't just "still together." They are the blueprint. But if you think their journey has been a smooth ride through the Rocky Mountains, you haven't been paying attention. They’ve dealt with cryptic social media scares, a grueling battle with a mystery illness, and the reality of raising two teenagers under a microscope.
The "Missing" Rumors and What Really Happened
Remember the collective internet meltdown in mid-2024?
Ryan started posting these moody, black-and-white photos of Trista. The captions sounded like a goodbye. "I miss her already," he wrote. People lost their minds. The tabloids started printing the "D" word—divorce—as if it were a foregone conclusion.
The truth was way less scandalous but a lot more intense. Trista hadn't walked out; she’d gone into the woods. Literally. She was filming Special Forces: World's Toughest Test.
"Was it a divorce/nervous breakdown/mid-life crisis/death/trial separation back in May?! Not unless that’s what you call Special Forces!" — Trista Sutter via Instagram.
She recently opened up about the experience, admitting she actually regretted leaving the show early. She was pushed to the point of turning blue and experiencing lockjaw. It wasn't a marriage crisis; it was a physical limit. It’s a reminder that even the "perfect" couple deals with the pressure of wanting to prove they've still got that grit, even in their 50s.
Ryan Sutter’s Health: The Battle with "Invisible" Illness
For a long time, Ryan—the guy who was literally a professional athlete and a firefighter—could barely get off the couch.
It took two years of "maybe it’s this" and "maybe it’s that" before they got a real answer. He was eventually diagnosed with Lyme disease, complicated by mold toxicity and Epstein-Barr. It’s the kind of health crisis that breaks most people.
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Ryan has been pretty vocal about his "hippie-cowboy" approach to healing. He’s used bee venom therapy—meaning he literally stings himself with bees multiple times a week—and cut out gluten, dairy, and sugar.
As of early 2026, he’s doing significantly better. He’s back to the outdoors, but he’s also honest about the fact that he isn't the 28-year-old guy from the show anymore. He’s focused on recovery, breath work, and "filling the bucket," a phrase the Sutters use constantly to talk about mental health.
Why They Lasted When Everyone Else Failed
So, why did they work?
- Geography: They didn't stay in L.A. They went back to Colorado.
- Jobs: Ryan stayed a firefighter for years. Trista kept her feet on the ground.
- Privacy: They share a lot, but they don't share everything.
They recently celebrated their 22nd wedding anniversary in December 2025. Trista posted 22 photos (actually 23, because she wanted the song to finish) marking every year since their 2003 televised wedding. That wedding cost ABC $1 million and drew 26 million viewers. It’s wild to think that a relationship born in a fishbowl survived the transition to real life.
Navigating the Teen Years and Grandma Rumors
Their kids, Maxwell and Blakesley, aren't little kids anymore. Max is 18, and Blakesley is 16.
Just last year, a bizarre rumor started circulating on Facebook that Max was making Trista a grandmother. Trista had to go on camera to shut it down, telling fans to be "discerning" about what they read. It’s a weird spot to be in—protecting your kids' privacy when your entire origin story is public property.
They’re basically living the same life as any other family in Eagle County, just with a few million extra eyes on them. They deal with the "unspontaneous" nature of marriage with teenagers in the house. They talk about it openly. They’re human.
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Actionable Takeaways from the Sutter Playbook
If you're looking for the "magic sauce" Trista mentions, it’s not actually magic. It’s work.
- Prioritize "Me Time": Trista is a huge advocate for filling your own bucket so you have something to give your partner.
- Adapt to Health Changes: Ryan’s Lyme journey showed that when one partner’s physical capacity changes, the relationship has to pivot, not break.
- Ignore the Noise: If they had listened to the 2024 divorce rumors, they would’ve been miserable. Instead, they waited until Trista could come home and explain the "Special Forces" situation herself.
- Keep a Foot in Reality: Don't let your public persona outgrow your actual life.
The Sutters prove that reality TV doesn't have to be a curse. It’s just a weird way to meet your spouse. Everything that happens after the final rose is what actually counts.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to support the Sutters' mission, check out Ryan's advocacy for Lyme disease awareness or listen to Trista’s perspective on the Better Etc. podcast, where she dives deeper into the mental health strategies that keep their family grounded.