<ul class="summary-list"><li>On Thursday's episode of "Bachelor in Paradise," Katie Thurston's visit to ex Blake Moynes was teased.</li><li>Thurston told Insider in an interview that she and Moynes hadn't spoken for two years.</li></ul><p>While Katie Thurston and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/bachelor-in-paradise-cast-season-9-instagrams-2023-9">Blake Moynes</a> have long since gone their separate ways after getting engaged on Thurston's season of "The Bachelorette," the most recent episode of <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/bachelor-in-paradise-season-9-cast-premiere-date-trailer-2023-8">"Bachelor in Paradise"</a> teases Thurston visiting Moynes on the beach in Mexico.</p><p>In the interaction, shown briefly at the end of the new episode, Thurston walks onto the beach, generating confusion among the cast. Moynes himself even says in a confessional interview: "I was in love with this girl. I have not seen her in two years. What is she even doing here?"</p><p>"I am happy to see you. If I could go back and redo it all, I would," Thurston tells Moynes in a subsequent clip that appears to be taken from a private conversation between the two.</p><p>Moynes and his "Paradise" frontrunner Jess Girod are then shown expressing anxiety about Thurston's visit to the beach.</p><p>Thurston and Moynes officially called it quits in October 2021, just a few months after viewers watched them get engaged on the "Bachelorette" finale. Thurston went on to date John Hersey, another contestant from her season; she <a target="_blank" href="https://people.com/tv/katie-thurston-and-john-hersey-breakup/">confirmed</a> that they'd broken up in June 2022.</p><p>The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/katie-thurston-fboy-island-the-bachelorette-2023-10">"FBoy Island" star</a> told Insider in early October that she and Moynes hadn't spoken for two years after their not entirely amicable breakup.</p><p>"It was only a matter of time before we crossed paths again," she said. "I did not expect it to be on 'Bachelor in Paradise,' but I will say overall it was great."</p><p>Thurston added: "I'm very excited to invite others to watch that dialogue happen between two people who were in love at one point."</p><p>In their since-deleted joint breakup announcement on Instagram, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/bachelorette-blake-thought-engagement-made-him-and-katie-stronger-2021-10">Thurston and Moynes said</a> they'd "concluded that we are not compatible as life partners." And according to Thurston, Moynes was the one who set the parameters regarding contact (or lack thereof) post-breakup.</p><p>"He made his decision and I respected that and I wasn't going to push. I reached out obviously until I realized, 'Okay, this person wants space and I respect that,'" Thurston told Insider. "And so you have boundaries that are set and that's just the way it is."</p><p>The reality star went on to say that Moynes "didn't really have a choice" when it came to reuniting on "Bachelor in Paradise," but their meeting wasn't entirely a waste.</p><p>"I'll tease that Blake and I are on very good terms — what that means, you'll have to find out," Thurston said.</p><p>In addition to her reunion with Moynes on "Bachelor in Paradise," Thurston also shared a photo of the two of them to her Instagram stories on Monday, sparking rumors about their relationship status.</p><p>Moynes, who works as a wildlife conservationist, also posted a carousel of photos from a recent conservation event, which included a photo of him sitting with Thurston. She even commented "Proud of you" on the post, leading some to assume that the two are friends again (or more).</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzZ9GtyJ17q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="14" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzZ9GtyJ17q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewbox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631" /></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;">View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 24px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 224px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 144px;"></div></div></a><p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CzZ9GtyJ17q/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Blake Moynes (@blakemoynes)</a></p></div></blockquote> <p>Viewers are clearly going to have to wait until next week's episode to find out what really happens between Thurston and Moynes on the beach, and if the two are back together or not.</p><p>"Bachelor in Paradise" airs Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.</p>

Katie Thurston teases her reunion with ex Blake Moynes on 'Bachelor in Paradise': 'It was only a matter of time before we crossed paths again'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>"<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B096L7HV7B/ref=atv_dp_season_select_s17" rel="nofollow sponsored">Bachelorette</a>" star <keyword id="11910907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="katie-thurston" source="Orion">Katie Thurston</keyword> and <keyword id="11910909" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="blake-moynes" source="Orion">Blake Moynes</keyword> have split just three months after the finale.</li><li>Moynes told Insider in August that he believed getting engaged had made the couple stronger. </li></ul><p>Less than three months after their engagement aired on <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-happened-in-bachelorette-finale-surprising-moments-katie-thurston-2021-8">the season finale of "The Bachelorette,"</a> Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes have called it quits. </p><p>The couple announced their shocking split on Monday with identical statements posted to their Instagram accounts. </p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:800; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~800;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CVd4h-hPggr" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Katie Thurston (@thekatiethurston)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote><p>"It is with mutual love and respect that we have decided to go our separate ways," it read. "We ultimately have concluded that we are not compatible as life partners, and it is the most caring choice for both of us to move forward independently."</p><p>Shortly after Thurston's season came to an end in August, the 30-year-old told <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/news/katie-thurston-blake-and-i-may-have-not-lasted-without-engagement/">Us Weekly</a> that she believed she and Moynes wouldn't work as a couple if they hadn't gotten engaged, saying "I didn't come here to find a boyfriend." </p><p>And Moynes agreed, telling Insider at the time that he believed getting engaged made the couple stronger after the show. </p><div type="image" title="Blake Moynes proposes to Katie Thurston on &quot;The Bachelorette&quot;" height="1333" width="1777" msid="87291698" hostid="261"></div><p>"When you walk away with just a boyfriend, it's not as big of a commitment and promise that an engagement is," Moynes said. "It kind of holds you to all the craziness that comes with this, and I think an engagement kind of helped us battle through more things than just walking out being in a boyfriend-girlfriend relationship - which doesn't carry the same weight." </p><p>Moynes also revealed that, during his very first conversation with Thurston on "<a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/video/detail/B096L7HV7B/ref=atv_dp_season_select_s17" rel="nofollow sponsored">The Bachelorette</a>," she asked him if he would be ready to get engaged despite entering her season late. </p><p>"My response to her was, 'Yes, if I come on here and do this, I do see us getting engaged at the end of this,'" he recalled. </p><p><a href="https://www.insider.com/the-bachelorette-blake-picked-out-engagement-ring-with-ex-tayshia-2021-8">After looking at engagement rings during the season finale</a>, Moynes was struggling to decide if he should pop the question. But that first conversation with Thurston stuck with him. </p><p>"I think it speaks a lot to that loyalty and sticking to your word," Moynes told Insider. "When you're thinking about your forever person and partner you rely on, you take their word seriously. And that's something I came down to at the end. Like no, I'm not letting her down. This is something I also came here for, smarten up, don't overthink the situation." </p><div type="image" title="Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes hold hands while walking across a field in this still from the season finale of &quot;The Bachelorette.&quot;" height="2000" width="2666" msid="87291700" hostid="261"></div><p>While the couple temporarily got their fairytale ending, fans of the show couldn't stop talking about Thurston's <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-bachelorette-blake-speaks-out-about-katie-and-greg-fight-2021-8">explosive breakup with contestant Greg Grippo</a> during the season. Some even criticized Moynes and Thurston's engagement, insisting their relationship wouldn't last because her split with Grippo was such a big focus of the season.</p><p>Moynes told Insider at the time that he believed <a href="https://www.insider.com/bachelorette-blake-thinks-katie-greg-breakup-overshadowed-his-love-story-2021-8">his own love story with "The Bachelorette" star had been overshadowed</a> by the drama. </p><p>"I do think that the whole Greg thing did take away from the love story unfortunately," Moynes said. "It sucks that it was such a focal point for someone who didn't actually end up with her."</p><p>"Unfortunately, it just kind of is what it is for people who think it should've been Greg," he added. "I guess you gotta wait and see."</p>

'Bachelorette' winner Blake Moynes said he didn't want to let Katie Thurston down by not proposing to her in the finale months before their shocking split

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11910909" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="blake-moynes" source="Orion">Blake Moynes</keyword> proposed to <keyword id="11910907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="katie-thurston" source="Orion">Katie Thurston</keyword> on this season's finale of "<keyword id="11910908" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-bachelorette" source="Orion">The Bachelorette</keyword>." </li><li>He picked out Thurston's engagement ring with the help of his ex <keyword id="11984865" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tayshia-adams" source="Orion">Tayshia Adams</keyword>. </li><li>Moynes appeared on Adams' season of "The Bachelorette" last year and made her top five.</li></ul><p>Choosing an engagement ring on <a href="https://www.insider.com/tyler-cameron-got-stoned-after-final-bachelorette-audition-2021-7">"The Bachelorette"</a> usually involves a nervous man, a visit from Neil Lane, and lots of glittering diamonds. </p><p>But for <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-bachelorette-blake-speaks-out-about-katie-and-greg-fight-2021-8">Blake Moynes, who proposed to Katie Thurston</a> during <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-happened-in-bachelorette-finale-surprising-moments-katie-thurston-2021-8">this season's finale</a>, the experience also involved his ex. </p><p>Moynes selected Thurston's ring with <a href="https://www.insider.com/bachelorette-tayshia-adams-quarantine-helped-men-open-up-2020-12">the help of Tayshia Adams</a>, whose love he fought for during the previous season of "The Bachelorette." </p><p>Adams - who took over hosting duties for the franchise with <a href="https://www.insider.com/bachelorette-seasons-ranked-2021-6">fellow "Bachelorette" alum Kaitlyn Bristowe</a> after <a href="https://www.insider.com/bachelor-rachael-kirkconnell-matt-james-complete-timeline">Chris Harrison stepped down</a> - kept Moynes in her top five before cutting him just before the Hometown Dates. </p><p>But Moynes told Insider that choosing an engagement ring with his former flame didn't feel as strange as you might expect. </p><div type="image" title="Blake Moynes and Tayshia Adams on &quot;The Bachelorette&quot;" height="1333" width="2000" msid="85778970" hostid="261"></div><p>"Honestly, by that point it wasn't weird at all," he said. "We had a good relationship going into that season, obviously she vouched for me to Katie." </p><p>Adams introduced Thurston to Moynes, who entered her season a few weeks late and asked <a href="https://www.insider.com/bachelorette-tayshia-adams-biracial-clare-crawley-2020-12">the "Bachelorette" star</a> to give him a chance. </p><p>Moynes told Insider that he became good friends with Adams after her season and also has a "great relationship" with <a href="https://www.insider.com/bachelor-ben-higgins-praises-zac-clark-addiction-conversation-bachelorette-2021-4">Zac Clark</a>, who proposed to Adams after receiving her final rose. </p><p>And Moynes credits Adams with being his "support system" as he struggled to decide whether he was going to propose to Thurston. At one point while he was looking at <keyword id="11984867" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="rings" source="Orion">rings</keyword>, Moynes said he needed to take a moment because he was so overwhelmed. </p><div type="image" title="Blake Moynes proposes to Katie Thurston on &quot;The Bachelorette&quot;" height="1210" width="1614" msid="85778973" hostid="261"></div><p>"You could tell I was really in my head and really freaking out about everything because of the weight of that day," he said. "Tayshia really helped me get through that and, as a friend, just guided me." </p><p>Moynes said Adams also helped him reach the decision to get down on one knee. </p><p>"Katie expressed the importance of getting engaged and how serious she was taking this in the beginning, and that she wasn't necessarily there to just walk away with a boyfriend," he continued. "Tayshia put the pressure on me to really think about what we're doing here. She was hard on me and made me really think about things." </p><div type="image" title="Blake Moynes and Katie Thurston on &quot;The Bachelorette&quot;" height="1500" width="2000" msid="85778978" hostid="261"></div><p>"After that discussion, I went back to the room and really thought things through and decided the best thing to do was pull the trigger on this," Moynes added. "There's a reason why I came here, and that was getting engaged to the person I thought was going to be my forever person." </p><p>Maybe going ring shopping with your ex isn't such a bad idea after all.</p>

'Bachelorette' winner Blake Moynes reveals what it was like picking out Katie's engagement ring with his ex Tayshia Adams

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11910907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="katie-thurston" source="Orion">Katie Thurston</keyword> and <keyword id="11910909" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="blake-moynes" source="Orion">Blake Moynes</keyword> got engaged on the season finale of "<keyword id="11910908" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-bachelorette" source="Orion">The Bachelorette</keyword>." </li><li>But Moynes told Insider he thinks their love story was overshadowed by her breakup with <keyword id="11910911" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="greg-grippo" source="Orion">Greg Grippo</keyword>.</li><li>Grippo left Thurston's season early, and many claimed he was "gaslighting" her during their split.</li></ul><p>At the <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-happened-in-bachelorette-finale-surprising-moments-katie-thurston-2021-8">end of her season of "The Bachelorette,"</a> Katie Thurston walked away with an engagement ring and a new fiancé. </p><p>But the man all of Bachelor Nation was talking about wasn't Blake Moynes, who received Thurston's final rose. It was Greg Grippo, the finalist who left the show after a dramatic breakup that aired just an episode before the finale. </p><p>As Twitter continued to debate <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-bachelorette-blake-speaks-out-about-katie-and-greg-fight-2021-8">whether Grippo was "gaslighting" Thurston during their split</a>, Moynes told Insider that he believes his own love story with "The Bachelorette" star had been overshadowed by the drama. <div type="image" title="Bachelorette Katie Thurston looks at a smiling Greg Grippo during a scene from ABC's &quot;After the Final Rose&quot; special." height="1998" width="2664" msid="85592608" hostid="261"></div></p><p>"I do think that the whole Greg thing did take away from the love story unfortunately," he said. "It sucks that it was such a focal point for someone who didn't actually end up with her."</p><p>"It just feels like I came in hot and then I ended hot, but it didn't show a ton of relationship in the middle there," Moynes added, referencing how the season was edited.</p><p>Some Bachelor Nation fans have even criticized Moynes and Thurston's engagement, insisting their relationship won't last because Thurston's split with Grippo was such a big focus of the season. <a href="https://www.insider.com/bachelorette-desiree-hartsock-not-supported-by-show-brooks-breakup-2021-7">Fellow "Bachelorette" stars Desiree Hartsock</a> and Rachel Lindsay faced similar criticism <a href="https://www.insider.com/bachelor-contestants-left-eliminated-themselves-2019-2">when their apparent front-runners decided to self-eliminate</a> shortly before the finale.</p><p>Both Hartsock and Lindsay <a href="https://www.insider.com/bachelor-couples-still-together-2018-7">still remain married to the men they gave their final rose</a> to, and Moynes said he isn't fazed by what the viewers think. </p><p>"Unfortunately, it just kind of is what it is for people who think it should've been Greg. I guess you gotta wait and see," he said. "But it's not about that, right? Who cares about the viewers. We know what we have and that's kind of what we're riding on, especially coming out of this and finally being able to live a real life now." </p><div type="image" title="Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes hold hands while walking across a field in this still from the season finale of &quot;The Bachelorette.&quot;" height="2000" width="2666" msid="85592609" hostid="261"></div><p>Moynes, who entered <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-bachelorette-highlights-katie-thurston-sex-positivity-nick-viall-interview-2021-6">Thurston's season</a> late, said the "Bachelorette" star told him everything about her split with Grippo before the episode aired. </p><p>"She was very upfront about the situation and prepared me for anything that she was going to say and really explained everything to me, so I was never surprised by anything," he said. </p><p>And Moynes credits his "ridiculous amount of confidence" for helping him stay calm amid the ongoing drama surrounding Thurston's season. </p><div type="image" title="Blake Moynes proposes to Katie Thurston on &quot;The Bachelorette&quot;" height="1333" width="1778" msid="85592610" hostid="261"></div><p>"I never for one second thought that I was number three, number four, number two," Moynes said. "From the same day that I walked in, I thought I was the number one guy and I left being the number one guy." </p><p>"When it comes down to it, if [Grippo] was her guy, she would've left with him and she didn't," he added. "So it doesn't really concern me as much as I think it would for the average person."</p>

'Bachelorette' star Blake Moynes believes Katie and Greg's dramatic breakup took away from his own love story with Katie

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="11910909" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="blake-moynes" source="Orion">Blake Moynes</keyword> told Insider he agrees <keyword id="11910911" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="greg-grippo" source="Orion">Greg Grippo</keyword> did "gaslight" <keyword id="11910907" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="katie-thurston" source="Orion">Katie Thurston</keyword> during their breakup.</li><li>Thurston got engaged to Moynes on "<keyword id="11910908" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="the-bachelorette" source="Orion">The Bachelorette</keyword>" finale shortly after Grippo left the show.</li><li>Moynes said he believes his and Thurston's love story was overshadowed by the drama with Grippo.</li></ul><p>Another season of "The Bachelorette" has come and gone, but Bachelor Nation still can't stop talking about <a href="https://www.insider.com/the-bachelorette-highlights-katie-thurston-sex-positivity-nick-viall-interview-2021-6">Katie Thurston</a> and Greg Grippo's explosive breakup. </p><p>And <a href="https://www.insider.com/bachelor-contestants-who-crashed-other-seasons-2021-6">Blake Moynes</a>, who got engaged to Thurston <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-happened-in-bachelorette-finale-surprising-moments-katie-thurston-2021-8">on Monday's season finale</a>, told Insider that he agrees with fans who believe that Grippo was <a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-gaslighting">"gaslighting"</a> her during their split. </p><p>"I think there was some <keyword id="11910912" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="gaslighting" source="Orion">gaslighting</keyword> there," Moynes said. "Am I an expert on knowing exactly what gaslighting is, am I the one to make the statement that this is 100% gaslighting? Hard for me to say. I don't think he approached the situation the right way, and I think that was very clear." </p><p>Grippo was a clear frontrunner during Thurston's season until everything came crashing down when he said "I love you" after their hometown date. </p><div type="image" title="greg grippo katie thurston bachelorette date new mexico" height="1807" width="2409" msid="85500201" hostid="261"></div><p>Thurston's response, which Grippo found lacking, kicked off one of the biggest fights in the franchise's history. Grippo left the show early and Thurston threatened to quit before giving her final rose to Moynes. </p><p>"I expressed that I do love you. I felt like I was telling that to a stranger," Grippo told Thurston before leaving. "I was thinking that I was expressing my love to my future wife, and you didn't even feel it. You just completely dismissed it in my eyes." </p><p>Moynes told Insider that the fight reminded him of confrontations he saw as a child. </p><p>"I do think that growing up in a household where my mom was victim to a lot of the things that Greg came down on Katie for on a regular basis - I can see what that can do to somebody and how it can become a cycle, a crazy cycle that it's hard to break out of," he said. "I do think there was some gaslighting there." </p><p>Gaslighting was a term that many "Bachelor" fans tweeted after the fight aired, and Thurston used the word as well when she confronted Grippo on the "After the Final Rose" special. </p><div type="image" title="Tayshia Adams and Katilyn Bristowe watch as Katie Thurston and Greg Grippo have an intense conversation on &quot;After the Final Rose.&quot;" height="2000" width="3000" msid="85500202" hostid="261"></div><p>"The way you spoke to me, you think that's okay?" she said, claiming that Grippo had just been acting like he loved her for the cameras. "Gaslighting is when you try to make someone else feel like it's their fault. You came at me and tried to make it seem like I did something so horrible that you had to leave." </p><p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/gaslight">Gaslighting</a>, as defined by Merriam-Webster, is the "attempt to make (someone) believe that he or she is going insane (as by subjecting that person to a series of experiences that have no rational explanation)." </p><p>Bachelor Nation fans have continued to debate over and take sides in the fight. While Grippo, now a <a href="https://www.cosmopolitan.com/entertainment/celebs/a37356976/mike-fleiss-greg-grippo-bachelor-report/">rumored frontrunner to lead the next "Bachelor,"</a> initially defended his response during his "After the Final Rose" appearance, he later told former "Bachelor" Nick Viall on "The Viall Files" podcast that he was <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1298548/bachelorettes-greg-grippo-says-hes-ashamed-of-how-he-behaved-during-katie-thurston-breakup">"ashamed" of how he reacted</a> and said he'd "acted like an ass."</p><p>Overall, Moynes told Insider that he does believe the argument has overshadowed his <a href="https://www.insider.com/why-bachelorette-stars-are-better-at-finding-love-2020-10">own love story with Thurston</a>. </p><div type="image" title="blake moynes and katie thurston" height="1500" width="2000" msid="85500203" hostid="261"></div><p>"It sucks that it was such a focal point for someone who didn't actually end up with her, but I do feel like it took away from our story and our love," he said.</p><p>"But it's not about that right? Who cares about the viewers? We know what we have, and that's kind of what we're riding on, especially coming out of this and finally being able to live a real life now," Moynes added.</p>

'Bachelorette' star Blake Moynes believes Greg was 'gaslighting' Katie Thurston during their explosive breakup

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Katie Thurston returns to reality TV as one of the three leads on "FBoy Island" season 3.</li><li>She told Insider that not "chasing an engagement" made for a better experience.</li></ul><p>Armed with a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.insider.com/the-bachelorette-highlights-katie-thurston-sex-positivity-nick-viall-interview-2021-6">large vibrator</a>, a winning smile, and an unapologetic sense of humor, Katie Thurston joined the ranks of Bachelor nation favorites when she jokingly presented Matt James with her favorite sex toy during her limo exit on James' season of "The Bachelor."</p><p>Thurston was no less cheeky when she took on the mantle of the Bachelorette for season 17 — promotional material even featured her holding a rose overlaid with the words, "See what all the buzz is about." But for all of Thurston's mischievous sex-positivity, "The Bachelorette" still needed its traditional fairy tale ending, and she ultimately got engaged to her winner, Blake Moynes.</p><p>Now, two years after her split from Moynes, the 32-year-old former Bachelorette back to dating on reality TV — and this time, it's on a show that she says is a bit more her speed.</p><p>Enter FBoy Island, the CW dating show that tasks three single women with finding a romantic connection within a group of men — — a mix of "nice guys" and self-proclaimed "FBoys." (The term is ostensibly a censored version of "fuck boys," although the explicit phrase isn't used on the show. ) The women don't know who is who, and there's also a cash prize on the line that's sure to be enticing to many an FBoy.</p><p>Thurston told Insider that the show's lighthearted tone, sense of humor, and lower stakes were all pluses when she decided to sign on.</p><p>"What I loved about this experience is that people are there as who they are — whether you're a nice guy or an FBoy — and there's no heightened version of you to chase this engagement at the end," Thurston said.</p><p>"And that just feels very similar with real life dating on your first date," she continued. "You're not talking about: 'Do you want to have kids and get married?' It was just very toned down compared to my previous experience. This felt like a better, more accurate feeling of dating."</p><p>But the Bachelor Nation alum says the jury's still out on whether "FBoy Island" or the "Bachelor" franchise is better at helping participants find love.</p><p>"It's tough because 'FBoy Island' is newer, and so it's hard to be like, 'It works,' because up to this point it hasn't long term," Thurston explained, referring to the previous two seasons of "FBoy Island," which saw most of the women choose FBoys. "And we've seen a lot of happy couples come out of the 'Bachelor' franchise. So I really think at the end of the day, love happens when it's supposed to," she said. </p><p>"I know that's so cliche. I just think it doesn't really matter what environment you're in — whether it's chaotic reality TV, whether it's speed dating, blind dates — love's going to happen when it's supposed to."</p><p>Season 3 of "FBoy Island" starring Thurston, influencer Daniella Grace, and model Hali Okeowo, premieres Monday. Watch the trailer below.</p><iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wP8ysKYfnNs?si=SdpEk_hG9Ec3zAnT" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0"></iframe>

You Searched For "blake moynes" and got 6 results

Katie Thurston teases her reunion with ex Blake Moynes on 'Bachelor in Paradise': 'It was only a matter of time before we crossed paths again'

Libby Torres

'Bachelorette' winner Blake Moynes said he didn't want to let Katie Thurston down by not proposing to her in the finale months before their shocking split

Anneta Konstantinides

'Bachelorette' winner Blake Moynes reveals what it was like picking out Katie's engagement ring with his ex Tayshia Adams

Anneta Konstantinides

'Bachelorette' star Blake Moynes believes Katie and Greg's dramatic breakup took away from his own love story with Katie

Anneta Konstantinides

'Bachelorette' star Blake Moynes believes Greg was 'gaslighting' Katie Thurston during their explosive breakup

Anneta Konstantinides

Katie Thurston says being on 'FBoy Island' was 'a better, more accurate feeling of dating' than 'The Bachelor'

Libby Torres