Bachelorette Katie Thurston's 'Men Tell All': Recap, Drama

Bachelorette star Katie Thurston’s Men Tell All special on Monday, July 26, brought the drama. A recap of the most shocking moments involve contestants Thomas Jacobs, Karl Smith, Hunter Montgomery and more.

The Men Tell All special was filmed on Thursday, July 15, and there were a few notable faces missing, including Thomas, Mike Planeta and finalists Greg Grippo and Blake Moynes. Of course, there were plenty of fan favorites in attendance like Andrew Spencer, Michael Allio and Connor Brennan.

Season 17 has been getting more intense as the weeks go on, especially considering Katie, 30, admitted she “[fell] in love more than once” during an interview with Entertainment Tonight on June 7.

“Nothing’s off limits this season. Love is love, and I gotta do what I gotta do,” the Washington native admitted. While she stayed hush-hush about her current relationship status (see spoilers here), she was open about what goes down during fantasy suite dates.

“I have sex in the fantasy suites, so you heard it here first. We all know it happens, but no one’s talking about it!” Katie divulged.

“I’m embracing who I am, and if a guy can’t accept me being sex-positive or talking about sex, it’s just not gonna work out,” the TikTok star explained. “There are some people who are a little traditional and old school, but people around my age and younger, we’re here for it. It’s 2021, embrace your sexuality and be an empowered woman.”

A source previously told Us Weekly that Katie’s season wrapped a whole week early thanks to her decisiveness throughout the process, but that’s not to say it was an easy journey.

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In early June, an insider told Life & Style the leading lady “threatened to quit” at one point over the “drama-filled” season.

“It’s definitely an emotional roller coaster for Katie. She doesn’t hold back and will tell it like it is … It really got to her and she couldn’t take it anymore,” the insider said at the time. “She just walked away from cameras. She kept changing how she felt and her thoughts were all over the place. You will see later on this season how difficult it was for her.”

Keep scrolling to see the most shocking moments from Katie’s Men Tell All!

Thomas’ Surprise Visit

Thomas was notably missing at the beginning of the special, but that didn’t stop the other guys from calling him “shady” and “peacock-y” during the season.
The contestant eventually showed up virtually to speak with Katie. The leading lady explained that him being “unkind” to his castmates was the biggest red flag. He apologized, and they were able to move on.

Did Jason and Kaitlyn Get Married?

Jason Tartick played a major prank on fiancée Kaitlyn Bristowe. He came out as a surprise guest and said he would marry the podcast host on the spot. He revealed there was a minister present and brought out a flower arch. Kaitlyn looked freaked out, and the former Bachelorette contestant eventually let her in on the joke.
However, he divulged they were getting married in September 2022.

Connor B.’s Make-Out Session

Connor admitted he felt “hesitance” on Katie’s part when it came to their relationship but was still heartbroken when he was eliminated. Surprisingly, the contestant reached out to his exes about his kissing skills. One said he “wasn’t out of this world” but not bad while the other said he was a good kisser.
 
Then, a woman in the audience asked for permission to come down on stage and said she thought Connor would be an amazing kisser. They made out on the spot, and the former contestant asked for her phone number and gave her a rose.

Karl’s Drama Comes Back Around

Karl was unbothered by the negativity and even said he would make a great host for the reality dating show. Things come to a head when a few of the men stand up as if they’re going to come to blows, but most of the fighting happened between Karl and Brendan Scanzano.
Eventually, Karl apologized for stealing time with Katie away from the guys and throwing everyone under the bus.

Aaron and Cody’s Drama Explained

Very early in the season, Aaron Clancy and Cody Menk erupted into a fight for seemingly no reason. Their beef actually went back to knowing each other back home in San Diego. Aaron claimed Cody had “destructive behavior” and alleged he posted on Instagram about becoming “famous in six months.”
Cody eventually revealed he went to rehab after the show and is now three months sober. Learning that he’s committed to bettering himself, both men are ready to move forward.