"It's harder to empathize" — The Bachelor alum Nick Viall reflects on supporting Natalie Joy through miscarriage

The Bachelor alum Nick Viall and his wife Natalie Joy recently shared a personal loss on The Viall Files podcast. In the January 29, 2025 episode, Joy revealed that she was going through a miscarriage.

During the conversation, The Bachelor alum Nick Viall admitted that he did not fully understand the emotional impact of miscarriage before facing it with Joy.

"Every experience you have until you experience something, it's harder to empathize. And once you can, you sometimes feel a bit of guilt for not empathizing the way you feel like you should have now that it's happened to you," he said.

Joy talked about the emotional and physical impact, saying she felt empty and exhausted. She shared her story to help others going through similar pain. The couple discussed coping with grief while managing their daily responsibilities.

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The Bachelor star Nick Viall on understanding miscarriage

During the podcast, The Bachelor star spoke about how miscarriage is difficult to fully understand until it happens personally. He admitted that before this experience, he did not realize the emotional impact it could have.

“It’s harder to empathize,” Viall said, explaining that he now understands why many people struggle with pregnancy loss in silence. He shared that, as a father, connecting with an unborn child is a process, and he did not immediately know how to react to the news.

“And once you can, you sometimes feel a bit of guilt for not empathizing the way you feel like you should have now that it’s happened to you,” he stated.

The Bachelor alum Viall also reflected on how miscarriage affects both parents differently. He said that while Joy had a direct physical experience with the pregnancy, his role as a partner was to support her while also processing his own emotions.

“Especially for all the women out there, and all the moms, and all the women who desire to be a mom, especially those who have had a challenge conceiving,” he said.

He said that Joy wanted to share her experience to help others who may be going through something similar. He explained why she felt it was important to speak publicly about their loss.

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Natalie Joy on coping with the loss

Natalie Joy spoke about the toll of the miscarriage on her mental health. She shared that while she wanted to stay strong for her daughter, River, she was struggling to process what had happened.

“And currently, as I sit here today, I’m actively miscarrying our second child, and it has been the biggest heartbreak, I think, of my life,” she said.

She described feeling empty and exhausted, explaining that the experience was unlike anything she had gone through before.

“I just feel dead inside. And it sucks because I have to be so alive for River. You know? I have to be silly and goofy and funny and play with her,” she said.

Joy also shared the moment she realized the miscarriage was happening. She said she had been experiencing bleeding for a while and reached out to her sister, who had gone through multiple miscarriages, for advice.

She explained that speaking with her doctor gave her some reassurance. The doctor told her the pregnancy was “unviable” and that it “wasn’t going to live outside” of her body. She said hearing that helped her process what had happened and gave her a way to begin healing. Joy added that focusing on the “scientific part” of the situation made it easier to cope.

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The Bachelor season 29 episodes air every Monday at 8 pm ET on ABC.