The drama swirling around the Hometowns episode of The Bachelorette continues.
Katie Thurston shared a post to her Instagram story, which spoke of the term “gaslighting” after the series August 2 episode where she and Greg Grippo had a huge fight about the status of their relationship.
After a day where Katie and Greg shared a special date that honored his New Jersey roots and an evening with his family, the couple appeared to be closer than ever. They shared several passionate kisses, and Greg told Katie how he felt about her and even revealed to his family he was planning to propose.
Katie responded by telling Greg he was her “number one” and would certainly compete the following week.
This did not sit well with Greg, who was clearly agitated with Katie. The next day he went to her room and told her how she made him feel. “I haven’t been this vulnerable with anybody in my life. I don’t know what else to show you at this point or what else to tell you at this point. I know in my heart I’m not going to have any regrets after this. I’m not going to get down on one knee twice. It’s a one-deal thing for me.”
When he asked what she was thinking, Katie replied, “I just love looking at you.” This led to a heartbreaking fight between the two. Greg said, to Katie, “I expressed that I do love you. I felt like I was telling that to a stranger. I don’t know why. This whole entire time has felt like Katie to me, and that night, I was thinking that I was expressing my love to my future wife, and you didn’t even feel it,” he said. “You just completely dismissed it in my eyes.”
What led Katie Thurston to post about ‘gaslighting?’
One day after the fight that rocked Bachelor Nation, Katie shared a post on her Instagram story about gaslighting.
The repost came from an explainer about the term that the social media account soyouwanttotalkabout defined as “a form of emotional abuse or psychological manipulation involving distorting the truth to confuse or instill doubt in another person to the point they question their own sanity or reality.”
The post also explained the term’s origin and offered tips “to protect yourself from gaslighting.” It ended with the message, “You are not alone.
The Bachelorette viewers reacted to Katie’s and Greg’s fight
A Reddit board dedicated to the series posted hundreds of reactions to the fight. Some fans were Team Katie, and others supported Greg. Some fans believed both were in the wrong.
“Greg hasn’t completely healed from losing his dad. He tried to use Katie to fill the void his dad left, which is a lot to ask of a partner, and once he saw a tiny chance of losing her like he lost his dad, he freaked out. He needs therapy and healing before attempting to start a new relationship. I hope people take it easy on both of them, no one is perfect, and we are all learning as we go,” wrote one fan.
“I think you called it. Katie was insensitive to his declaration of love, but she explained the next day. Unfortunately, that rejection triggered his fear of loss on top of probably being devastating under normal circumstances,” penned a second viewer.
“I agree he never loved Katie. He loved who he thought she was. He loved how she made him feel until she no longer made him feel that way. I think Katie screwed up her response and needed to stop being the Bachelorette. Still, I think that Greg is emotionally unable to be in a relationship until he seeks therapy for his father’s passing. He’s not ready. I don’t think he’s gaslighting like some are saying. I think he was in true disbelief and unable to communicate. I hope he finds help, so this doesn’t happen in the future,” explained a third Reddit user.
The Bachelorette airs Mondays at 8/7c on ABC.