Ben Higgins Defends Girlfriend Jessica Clarke After Hater Compares Her to a High School Student

Ben Higgins is not here for your critical comments about his girlfriend.

The former Bachelor star, who went public with Jessica Clarke earlier this year, is defending the Ole Miss alum after reading a hateful comment on social media. Over the weekend, Clarke joined Higgins at the wedding of Bachelor Nation couple Jared Haibon and Ashley Iaconetti. Following the ceremony, both Clarke and Higgins posted photos on Instagram from the idyllic Rhode Island ceremony.

“@ashley_iaconetti and @jaredhaibon thank you for including me in your spectacular wedding weekend,” Clarke wrote alongside pics of her and Higgins. “You both are some of the kindest souls I have ever met and I am so grateful to have been able to see the amazing love you 2 share! You had a one-in-a-million celebration in a breathtaking spot.”

Higgins, 30, also posted a video holding hands with Clarke, 24, at the wedding venue.

“‘Come on @jessclarke_ let’s run got a wedding to get to!'” Higgins captioned the post. “That sure was something else.”

In the comments of Higgins’ Instagram post, one social media user wrote that Clarke “legit looks like she’s in high school.”

After seeing the comment, Higgins replied, “I think she looks like a beautifully spry, youthfully joy-filled, and optimistically wise 24 year old…but that’s just me. And I think she’s smoking hot.”

Despite the criticism online, it seems as though the couple had a great time at the wedding over the weekend. Higgins dished on the festivities during his Almost Famous podcast, admitting that he teared up during the ceremony.

“Ashley walked down and Jared saw her…and it hit me that this is the moment she has been waiting for and this is a miracle coming true,” Higgins recalled. “I started crying, I started crying pretty good and Jess looked up at me and she took my hand and just squeezed it and just sat and looked forward.”

“This is a girl that loves me,” Higgins shared. “This girl loves me. She’s in it with me no matter thick and thin so that was sweet.”