“All I wanted was to be loved by my father” — Katherine opens up about abandonment issues in Too Hot To Handle finale

Too Hot To Handle aired three new episodes on Friday, August 2, 2024, and wrapped up season 6. At the end of the episode, Bri and Demari were crowned the winners of the show but before that, the cast participated in an emotional final workshop during which they reflected on their respective journeys.

As part of the Colors of Change workshop led by intimacy coach, Brenden Durell, the cast picked a word and color they would choose to represent their time on the Netflix show.

Katherine LaPrell, who entered the show on Day 1, talked about being a "people pleaser" and opened up about the time her father abandoned her family when she was younger.

In a confessional, she elaborated on the same:

"All I wanted was to be loved by my father, but, you know, he kind of abandoned my family and I, when I was a kid. And it kind of hurt because it felt like he was choosing himself over loving me."

---

"You make me really happy" — Katherine praises Charlie in Too Hot To Handle season 6 finale

In Too Hot To Handle season 6 episode 10, the cast took part in their final workshop, which aimed to help them reflect on their time on the Netflix dating show. Lana stated that it was the couples' last chance to show one another the "emotional maturity" that was required to make their relationships work outside the retreat.

As Brenden Durell explained, the Too Hot To Handle workshop was about the guests' growth and about acknowledging their past. When the intimacy coach told the cast that they had to "speak from their hearts, one by one," Katherine responded by saying that she hated public speaking.

"I don't like public speaking, especially if I have to talk about my emotions, because I've never been good at it. So, having to do that in front of people makes it so much harder for me," Katherine added in a confessional.

As soon as she stepped up on the stage, she noted she was "really bad" at talking and Brenden told her not to overthink it. He asked Katherine to "just flow with it" and assured her that she couldn't do anything wrong.

The Too Hot To Handle season 6 star Katherine said that she felt that she was a "people pleaser" in the past and told others what they wanted to hear. She added that she was afraid that if she was honest about her "real emotions," people would leave her. She added that her "struggle with abandonment" was rooted in her past when her father left her family.

"In here, I've been able to just, like, be honest and show people how I feel. And then, I met you. And we connected on a way deeper level than I thought that I ever could with someone like so fast in my life. And you make me really happy," Katherine told Charlie.

In a confessional, Katherine mentioned that she's struggled with being "vulnerable" for a long time. She said being able to do so was a "freeing and amazing moment." The Too Hot To Handle season 6 participant added that she was "really proud" of herself for being able to do so.

---

Katherine's Too Hot To Handle season 6 journey explored

Katherine entered the Netflix show on Day 1 and liked Charlie initially. However, the latter expressed interest in two other women, kissed all three on the very first day, and was sent to the banishment quarters.

By the time Charlie returned, Katherine had already paired up with Louis Russell, the season 5 alum who returned to the show. Katherine and Louis faced a lot of heat from the other cast members for breaking the rules and costing the group a lot of money, a sum total of $64,000. However, later in the season, Katherine broke up with Louis to couple up with Charlie.

Together, Charlie and Katherine became one of the final couples alongside Bri and Demari. The latter couple won the show as a majority of the season 6 cast voted for them in episode 10.

---

Episodes of Too Hot To Handle season 6 are available to stream on Netflix.