Two months after their breakup, Katie Thurston admits that John Hersey was the one who dumped her.
“Technically, we broke up twice,” the former “Bachelorette” clarified on Tuesday’s episode of Kaitlyn Bristowe’s “Off the Vine” podcast. “The first time no one knew.
“Like a week or two [later]we kind of worked through it and decided to get back together, so I thought we were golden,” she continued.
Thurston, 31, called her latest split from Hersey, 28, in June “inevitable”, explaining that she knew “more reasons why” he didn’t like her than quite the opposite.
“That’s a very s-tty feeling,” said the Bachelor’s alum.
As for the “turning point” of their relationship, Thurston told Bristowe, 37, that she was “pissed”[ed] off” by Hersey and wanted her to take surf lessons after learning to skydive.
“I knew nothing I did would ever be good enough,” she explained. “It really was a blessing in disguise” [because] I think I would have lasted much longer than I should have.”
While the former bank marketing manager was initially the “saddest” [she’s] ever been” when they called it quits, she said she’s now “in a really good place” — after a trip to Mexico and a secret rendezvous.
When Thurston started to joke about the “best way to get over someone,” Bristowe finished her sentence: “[It’s] get under someone.”
Thurston and Hersey debuted their relationship in November 2021, a month after she called off her engagement to Blake Moynes.
While Thurston doesn’t “regret” leaving the 32-year-old wildlife manager “so quickly”, she called her time with Hersey “six months [of] crash and burn.”
She commented, “I just put all my eggs in one basket with this guy.”
Thurston called “every relationship … a lesson”, adding that she and the bartender are “on good terms” at the moment.
“We’re good enough,” she corrected. “He would like to remain friends. Friends is a strong word I think I would use for him right now. … The more time apart, the more things that were cute, quirky and fun… [are] annoying the fk out of me.”