Bachelorette Alum Gabby Windey Reveals How Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause Supported Her Coming Out (Exclusive)

After Bachelor alum Gabby Windey came out this summer, there’s been a lot of support for the reality star, s Selling Sunset’s Chrishell Stause among those fans.

In an exclusive interview with PEOPLE to promote her new 47-piece holiday collection with Cupshe, Windey opens up about who entered her direct messages after a big personal moment.

“Chrishell sent me a DM,” explains Windey, 32. “She was so nice [and] invited me to [her partner] The G Flip album release, but unfortunately we couldn’t go, and we have the same hairdresser… I know she’s really great, and it was really great.”

G Flip and Chrisshell Stause.

Araya Doheny/Getty Images

Shortly after her revealing talk on View in August, Windey announced that she is dating Robby Hoffman. The seasoned writer and comedian won a 2019 Daytime Emmy Award for the PBS children’s show A strange composition.

“I told you I was a girl!!” Windey then wrote on her Instagram alongside a photo of her and Hoffman.

Ex-Bachelor Gabby Windey Reveals She’s Dating A Woman: ‘I Told You I’m A Girl!’

Windey tells PEOPLE that her sexuality and relationship initially came as a shock to her family and friends, who thought she might be going through “another phase.” After all, ex Bachelor star was previously engaged to season 19 contestant Erich Schwer, but the couple eventually broke up.

“I got my whole family to get into reality TV,” she admits to PEOPLE. “I’ve always been, not doing crazy things, but a bit spontaneous, unpredictable. That being said, I don’t think it’s necessarily about sexuality.”

“I think it was still kind of coming from left for them, but now, almost six months later, people and all, my good girls have met Robby,” she adds. “My family comes over for Thanksgiving, so I think now they realize it’s more permanent.”

Gabby Windey.

@france.and.jesse

Gabby Windey and Erich Schwer pursue ‘individual interests and support each other from afar’

When it comes to Hoffman, Windey credits her partner as a sort of “sherpa” or “experienced lesbian” who helps guide her as she learns more about her sexual identity.

“She just lets me have my space to grow,” Windey explains. “There’s no taboo subject. So initially, I think coming from such a straight, heteronormative world in my thirties, I obviously have a lot of questions. And even though maybe some other people who have been in queer relationships, they wouldn’t have these questions. She is really patient with me and we just talk about it in a very unfiltered, non-judgmental way.”

Now, Windey says the couple is in a good place — one where they want to “take time and let things unfold.”

“Now I feel like I can finally appreciate the everyday little things in life, where we don’t live together, much to everyone’s surprise,” she says. “But I think we both want to really respect where we are now.”

Gabby Windey with Cupshe shows off a piece from her new exclusive holiday collection.

@france.and.jesse

While enjoying every moment with Hoffman, Windey also looks forward to the holidays — especially for working with Cupshe. Her new 47-piece holiday collection, “Take On The Starlit Night,” features dresses, blouses, skirts and other formal wear with sequins, faux fur, asymmetrical silhouettes and plunging necklines.

Although her style differs from Hoffman’s, Windey says she and her partner have found a mutual joy in dressing.

“I think we both have good style,” Windey tells PEOPLE. “We have different inspirations, but we both really, I think, think it’s important to have a kind of handmade look, like we want our pieces to come from somewhere and have some meaning. And honestly, she’s taught me a lot. She has a very capsule wardrobe, but the pieces that found along the way, which are somehow tailored for her, make her feel good.”

However, that doesn’t mean they won’t share clothes every now and then. “I would say that we wear each other’s sweatpants, t-shirts and the like. We laugh,” she says. “She says, ‘That’s the best part about dating a girl. We get to share clothes,’ but obviously we don’t, because we have two very different ways of dressing, but we can’t wait to match.”

“Just being in a relationship gives you an excuse to do stupid things like that, which is what I’m here for,” Windey adds.

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The Cupshe x Gabby Windey collection is now available at Cupshe.com.

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Source: HIS Education