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Inside Bachelorette’s Katie Thurston and John Hersey Split After 15 Months of Dating
It’s over. Former Bachelorette star Katie Thurston and boyfriend John Hersey split after more than one year of dating, the former couple confirmed during the late hours of Monday, June 20. Why did they break up? Keep reading for details.
“Statement: No, we aren’t together,” the former leading lady, 31, wrote via her Instagram Stories. Their uncoupling seemed so sudden that Katie’s cryptic post left many fans confused about if she was actually talking about John, 28. However, the bartender was much more direct when he released his own message shortly after.
“As Katie stated earlier, we are no longer dating. The decision was not made lightly and it was obviously not an easy one to make,” he wrote via his Instagram Stories. “I love being able to share special moments with you all — the funny ones. The happy ones. The outrageous, embarrassing, and heartfelt ones. But I don’t know if it will ever get easier to share the sad ones,” he also said. “I appreciate every one of you that has supported us throughout this journey. We could not (and would not) be here without you.”
The season 17 lead shed more light on her breakup a few days later, noting that it’s been “simple yet complicated” since they were “best friends before dating.”
“We’re on good terms so just finding a healthy balance of space in order for closure,” the former bank manager shared via her Instagram Story on Wednesday, June 29. “At the end of the day, you just want the person you love to be happy and you support whatever path they want to take to find that.”
In the next slide, she touched on her current love life. “I have a couple of adventures booked but no one to go through that with,” The Bachelor alum continued. “So, this is part of my healing and closure.”
The “Vent With Katie” podcast host made her romance with her former contestant from season 17 Instagram official in November 2021 by participating in a Taylor Swift “12 Days of Messy” challenge, where she assigned various guys from her season to a song from the singer’s Red album. On the final day, she attributed John to “Begin Again.”
Their love blossomed quickly, and in March 2022, Katie gushed that she was the “happiest” she’s been in a long time.
“It’s very easy to just enjoy and live my life — and that’s kind of what we’re doing. We’re not holding back for anybody,” the Washington native told Us Weekly while attending the People’s Choice Awards with John. “We’re in the honeymoon phase right now. He was my best friend before, so I think that’s what makes it, honestly, the best.”
That same month, John reflected on their “mind-boggling” journey together one year after they met on The Bachelorette. “I am so grateful to have been surrounded by such a supportive and positive community,” the California native reflected via Instagram. “With so many adventures on the horizon, I can’t wait to bring you all along.”
Katie and John’s romance became public shortly after her engagement to Blake Moynes ended in October 2021, two months after the Canadian reality star proposed during the season 17 finale.
Blake said he felt “stupid and foolish” after his ex moved on so quickly during an appearance on Bachelor Nation stars Mike Johnson and Bryan Abasolo‘s “Talking It Out” podcast.
“There was clearly emotional [cheating] for it to transition as quickly as it did,” Blake claimed on the November 2021 episode. “I don’t know if it was partially me, too. Like, was she in some sense emotionally cheating to some degree? Because I wasn’t able to provide something with words of affirmation — which I know I struggle with sometimes.”
For her part, Katie said the same month that she and the wildlife manager “mutually” decided to go their separate ways.
Blake and I are very levelheaded and mature and we communicate very well on our thoughts. We just both knew if this is how our first six months was as a couple, going forward it was not going to be in our best interest for our happiness to stay together,” she said during an Instagram Live at the time. “We, as mentioned, mutually decided to part our ways.”
