“It is with mutual love and respect that we have decided to go our separate ways," the 30-year-old Katie wrote on Instagram. “We are so grateful for the moments we shared together and the entire journey that has unfolded this year, but 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. We ask for kindness and privacy as we both navigate this transition. Both of us will forever want the best for one another and ask you to please support us in our decision.” The news was especially shocking considering that just two days earlier, Katie had talked to Us Weekly about what it took to make their long-distance romance work. (While Katie’s in the U.S., Blake has been based in Africa working with endangered rhinos.) “We’re figuring it out,” Katie told the outlet. “This is very new to us still. I’m just focusing on myself, he’s focusing on him, and if we work doing that, great.” So, what happened to the once-happy couple? Continue reading for a refresher on what happened with Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes following The Bachelorette Season 17.
Who did Katie Thurston give her final rose to on Season 17 of The Bachelorette?
The third time appeared to be the charm for Blake after the wildlife manager from Canada, who first appeared as a contestant on Season 16 of The Bachelorette with Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams, was the recipient of Thurston’s final rose—and her declaration of love after she dropped an L-bomb on the show. In fact, Thurston admitted to Kaitlyn Bristowe after declaring her feelings for Blake, “For me, saying ‘I love you’ to Blake is a huge deal. That’s not something I said to anybody here. That was something I think I was very clear from the beginning I was saving it for the one and the fact that I feel that for Blake and I truly, I’ve given myself all to him, my heart officially belongs to Blake.”
Did Katie Thurston get engaged during The Bachelorette finale?
Yes! Katie’s journey ended with an engagement when Blake popped the question with, of course, a Neil Lane ring. Before dropping to one knee, the Canadian psyched out Bachelor Nation when he told Katie, “I can’t give you what you came here for… ‘cause you deserve a lot more than that. You deserve the world and I’m excited to support you and be there for you every day moving forward.” “This was the piece that I’ve been missing that was gonna make life better, so that’s what I’m just so excited about,” Blake said after the proposal. Katie added, “This is the start of forever, honey.” Katie also said of Blake, “You showed up exactly when you were meant to show up. I’ll forever be thankful that you fought to be here.”
Did Katie Thurston’s family know she was engaged?
Katie sure knows how to keep a secret! On After the Final Rose, she admitted that her family did not know she had gotten engaged to Blake until the finale. “They are finding out as Bachelor Nation found out,” she said. “I didn’t trust them to keep a secret.”
Are Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes still engaged?
They’re not, but again, it seemed like they were committed to finding a way to make things work right up until the very end. Just 10 days before their breakup, Katie shot down online rumors that she and Blake had ended their engagement. After an Instagram follower asked “Is all ok?"—because the couple “are not liking each other’s posts”—Katie commented on Twitter, “Imagine your fiancé has been on his stories for weeks in Kenya working his a** off and yet this is what some people notice.” Next, Meet the Men Possibly Vying for Michelle Young’s Final Rose on Season 18 The Bachelorette
