Even before Connie appeared on MAFS, her mum Rina was being attacked online for being a "bad mother".
But Connie says it's Rina who helped her out when she put on 20kg, had bad acne and didn't want to leave the house.
"She was the one who was there to get me back on track," Connie, 27, tells TV WEEK.
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Promos have shown Rina laughing at Connie when she says she's getting married, then getting angry when she explains she's going on MAFS.
"I didn't actually realise that she was going to go off the way she did," Connie says. "It was quite deflating. It did cross my mind that maybe I should pull out."
However, Connie insists that her mother is just "fiercely protective", and has been "a little bit upset" about the backlash she's had.
"Half of Australia is calling her a bad mother and pointing the finger at her for me having low self-esteem, and the other half of Australia is applauding her for speaking her truth."
The aspiring marine biologist says her mum has always helped build up her self-esteem, especially when she returned to Melbourne after travelling overseas.
"I was dealing with some pretty bad depression and anxiety," she remembers.
"I was also quite on the larger side. I put on 20 kilos when I was overseas. I also came home with this awful acne. I was too embarrassed to leave my house, to see my friends, to do anything."
WATCH BELOW: Five natural ways to get rid of a pimple. Post continues after video...
She says Rina took her to a skincare clinic and then put her into bootcamp classes.
"She was the one there to get me back on track," Connie, 27, tells TV WEEK.
"She really is a good mum."
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