Blinsided. Blake Moynes’ response to Katie Thurston and John Hersey dating after The Bachelorette season 17 shows that he has no plans to win back his ex-fiancée.
Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes fell in love on The Bachelorette season 17 after they were introduced to each other by co-host Tayshia Adams, who dated Blake on The Bachelorette season 16 but eliminated him in ninth place. Blake joined Katie’s Bachelorette season after the fourth week and made it to the Final Rose Ceremony, where Katie gave him her Final Rose and Blake proposed to her. “I can’t give you what you came here for because you deserve a lot more than that,” Blake told Katie during his proposal, which she accepted. “You deserve the world, and I’m excited to support you and be there for you every day moving forward.”
Two months after their engagement aired, Katie and Blake announced that they had split and ended their engagement. “It is with mutual love and respect that we have decided to go our separate ways,” they wrote in a joint statement in October 2021. “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.”
A month after their breakup, Katie confirmed in a post on her Instagram Story on November 23, 2021, that she was dating John Hersey, a contestant from her Bachelorette season who was eliminated in the second week. The announcement was a part of Katie’s “12 Days of Messy,” in which she assigned songs from Taylor Swift’s 2021 album, Red (Taylor’s Version), to contestants from her season. In the post, Katie included videos and photos of her time with John, including the first time they met on The Bachelorette, where she said, “Yeah, that’s my type. I think that’s my type.” John’s song was “Begin Again,” which is about dating again after a hard breakup. “I’ve been spending the last eight months / Thinking all love ever does is break and burn and end / But on a Wednesday in a café, I watched it begin again,” Swift sings in the song. (Blake’s song was “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.”)
So how does Blake feel about Katie and John’s relationship? Well, it looks like he’s ready to cut ties with his ex-fiancee for good. After news broke that Katie and John are dating, Blake unfollowed Katie on Instagram. As of November 23, 2021, Katie still follows Blake. Blake also still follows John. A source also told Us Weekly at the time that Blake was “blindsided by the news of Katie and John’s relationship. “Blake is blindsided by the news,” the insider said.
However, the drama between Blake and Katie didn’t end there. After Katie announced her relationship with John, Blake’s mom, Emily Moynes, “liked” a comment on a @Bachelornation.Scoop’s Instagram post about Katie and John’s romance. The comment, which Blake’s mom seemed to agree with, hinted that there was “dishonesty” and “deception” on Katie’s part.
“Nah this is terrible on Katie’s part. I feel truly sorry for Blake. In any relationship, you put a sense of ‘trust’ in one another, especially long-distance relationships. There’s no denying the dishonesty and deception for months upon months,” read the comment that Blake’s mom liked.
Who is Katie from The Bachelorette?
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Katie, a bank marketing manager from Renton, Washington, was a contestant on The Bachelor season 25 with Matt James. She was eliminated in 10th place and became the season 17 Bachelorette. In her Bachelor bio, Katie described herself as a “witty storyteller” who is looking for a “loving and committed partner.” She also called herself “daring and adventurous.” “Katie knows exactly what she wants in a man and is done wasting her time on boys who won’t live up to her expectations,” her bio read. “She is a witty storyteller who says when she finds someone worth committing to, she is the most loving and committed partner anyone could ask for. Katie is daring and adventurous.”
Her bio continues, “While Katie is serious about finding her person, she needs a man who can laugh along with her but is okay with him laughing at her too when the moment calls for it. Katie is looking for a mature man who has ambitions to succeed in everything he does, both personally and professionally. Her dream man will be passionate about building a long-term life with her and will treat Katie as his equal in the relationship. Nothing turns her off more than someone who sits around playing video games all day or a man who tries to kiss her at the inopportune moment … it’s all about creating the right vibe with Katie! Will Matt be able to live up to Katie’s standards?”
For her fun facts, Katie listed the following:
– Katie’s idea of a fun date is going skinny-dipping.
– Katie would love to host her own talk show one day.
– Katie once planned a dog flash mob that got a huge turnout.
Who is John from The Bachelorette?
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
John Hersey, a bartender from Pacific Beach, California, was a contestant on The Bachelorette season 17 with Katie Thurston. He was eliminated in week 2, but continued to be friends with Katie (and eventually date her) after the show ended. Both John and Katie live near San Diego, California.
“John is a thrill-seeker and here at The Bachelorette, thrill he will find. Between studying to get his pilot’s license, surfing the San Diego breaks, going to EDM shows and jumping out of planes, John is always finding ways to get his adrenaline pumping,” John’s Bachelorette bio reads. “But John is also a romantic and would love to find a woman to share a burrito with while watching the daily sunset over the San Diego coastline. He is looking for someone genuine, honest and willing to challenge him to be a better version of himself. John loves when a woman is confident in her natural beauty and says that nothing turns him on more than a woman who pursues her passions every day. He has very little tolerance for anyone being unfaithful or dishonest and says that his one major dealbreaker is when someone treats another disrespectfully. Sounds like he and the Bachelorette may have a lot in common.”
For his fun facts, John listed the following:
- John is a vegetarian.
- John loves the smell of fireplaces.
- If you’ve never heard of a kiwiberry, John wants you to google them and eat one immediately!
- John thinks swing dancing is so much fun.
Who is Blake from The Bachelorette?
Image: Courtesy of ABC.
Blake, a wildlife manager from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, was a contestant on The Bachelorette season 16 with Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams. He was eliminated in ninth place. He was then a contestant on The Bachelorette season 17 with Katie Thurston, which he won. In his Bachelorette bio for season 16, Blake described his “dream woman” as “outdoorsy, beautiful and fun.”
“Blake Moynes is no stranger to putting in the hard work to get what he wants in life. At university, he studied every kind of wildlife management program he could get his hands on and now spends his days happily working outdoors,” his bio read. “Professionally, Blake Moynes says he has it all, but personally, he is at a crossroad. In the past, Blake spent his Saturday nights hanging with his best friends, but now all of those friends are married and he’s the last single man remaining. Not one to like being left out, Blake Moynes now feels the pressure to settle down and wife up!”
His bio continues, “His dream woman is outdoorsy, beautiful and fun. She has to have a goofy side and be okay with his self-described ‘potty mouth.’ He says he has no problems talking about his emotions and wants a partner who will appreciate that he wears his heart on his sleeve.”
The Bachelorette is available to stream on Hulu. Here’s how to watch it for free.
Image: Courtesy of Penguin Books.
To get more of an inside scoop, check out Los Angeles Times writer Amy Kaufman’s book, Bachelor Nation: Inside the World of America’s Favorite Guilty Pleasure, for a deep dive into the Bachelor franchise. The book uncovers the secrets of Bachelor Nation, from how much the Bachelor and the Bachelorette are paid to the rules contestants have to follow, that producers don’t want fans to know. It’s a must-read for any Bachelor Nation member.
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