Anyone keeping up with Bachelor In Paradise will know that ever since she left the show, Leah Costa has been flaunting a huge engagement ring in each and every interview she’s given.
Although she remained coy on whether or not she actually is engaged, Leah took delight in telling the world she has a new reality TV boyfriend (we have our suspicions that it’s this guy) and tried her best to deflect questions about her shiny rock (all the while waving it around).
Now, Leah has revealed it was all part of an elaborate ruse she planned to “educate” Australians about “the power of suggestion.”
In a now-deleted Instagram post (FYI, it looks like Leah might have just disabled her entire account), the Bachie star explained her engagement ring trick:
“Over the past few weeks I’ve been positioning you all to buy a particular truth, to try and raise the issue and get you talking about how often this occurs and how much emphasis everyone puts on their version of truth,” she wrote.
“You may have all seen a sparkly ring appear on my finger. Without having ever said I am engaged and without having ever confirmed or denied it, without even used the term myself and even despite clearly stating last night on The Project ‘you’re putting words in my mouth’ I have managed to show you all the power of suggestion. For you to then go and create our own version of the truth based upon the little information suggested.”
She continues: “I ask you all to understand the power of television and the integrity of the media. Educate yourselves about the things you are watching and the power of suggestion, but most of all take it with a grain of salt.”
You can see a screenshot of the post here. News.com.au reports she included hashtags along the lines of #truth #manipulation #lies #media and #fakenews.
This article originally appeared on marie claire.