ABC/Craig Sjodin(LOS ANGELES) — Sarah Trott’s abrupt exit from The Bachelor on Monday was something nobody saw coming, and on Wednesday, the 24-year-old former journalist explained her decision.

Sarah, who appeared to be one of the frontrunners for Matt James’ heart, says several factors drove her decision, including her inability to stay in touch with her father, who suffers from ALS.

“A couple of people told me that I would be able to talk with family,” Trott tells Entertainment Tonight.  ”I thought I would be able to communicate with my parents and have access to a phone and talk with them, but some of those things turned out differently once I got there.”

Another factor was her rapidly deteriorating relationship with the other women, who saw her fainting spell at the rose ceremony, interrupting a group date to speak to Matt and isolating herself from the group as a ploy to get his attention.

Sarah told fellow contestant Katie that she was going to leave to be with her dad, but as fans discovered during her emotional goodbye to Matt, Trott cited the women as her reason for leaving, accusing them of being “cruel and malicious.”

As for her future plans, Sarah tells ET she’s currently focusing on “being a caregiver to her father, working as a freelance journalist and splitting her time between Los Angeles and San Diego.”

The Bachelor airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC.

By George Costantino
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