Kaitlyn Bristowe defends Chris 'Cupcake' for crying

Kaitlyn Bristowe still admires Chris "Cupcake" Strandburg.

The 30-year-old Bachelorette season 11 star defended the 28-year-old dentist on Instagram after he broke down crying following his elimination on Monday's episode. Strandburg was subsequently mocked on social media for the emotional scene.

"A lot of respect for Chris. One of a kind #TheBachelorette #cupcake," she captioned a photo of herself with the contestant on Instagram. Bristowe left the dentist sobbing into his scarf on a cliff after their one-on-one date in Dublin.

Strandburg himself joked about the incident, tweeting fellow contestant Tanner Tolbert, "Hey Tanner do you have any more of those tissues you brought out of the limo?" The dentist was nicknamed "Cupcake" after he showed up in a cupcake-shaped vehicle on the premiere.

Bristowe, too, shed tears on the episode after parting ways with JJ Lane. The reality star eliminated the 30-year-old entrepreneur after he admitted to cheating on his ex-wife, telling him, "I'm not gonna lie. That is my biggest fear in a relationship."

The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. Software salesman Ben Higgins, restaurant manager Jared Haibon, insurance agent Joe Bailey, personal trainer Shawn Booth and software sales exec Nick Viall, whom Bristowe slept with on last week's episode, remain in competition.