The Bachelor's Katie Thurston Reveals The Reason John Hersey Broke Up With Her

Katie Thurston and John Hershey's love story was eventful — to say the least. Thurston was named the Season 17 "Bachelorette" after appearing on the 25th season of "The Bachelor." And like all renditions of the popular dating show, Thurston was tasked with selecting a potential lover from a diverse pool of suitors. Of the men competing for Thurston's heart, was John Hershey, a bartender from California. However, Hershey was sent home during the second round of eliminations, and Thurston ultimately gifted her final rose to Blake Moynes.

The couple got engaged during the season finale, and appeared to be enjoying their new-found love. Unfortunately, their union failed to stand the test of time, and the pair announced their separation in October 2021. A month later, Thurston's rep confirmed to Us Weekly that the former bank manager and Hershey were dating. And while it seemed as if Thurston and Hershey's romance would go the distance, the pair announced their separation in June after less than a year together. Now, Thurston is opening up about the reason for the split and her claims about her ex are pretty shocking.

Katie Thurston is not holding back her feelings about her ex-boyfriend John Hershey following the end of their brief relationship. During an appearance on Kaitlyn Bristowe's "Off The Vine" podcast, Thurston revealed that they had privately broken up before. "We actually broke up twice, the first time no one knew about," Thurston said. "And maybe a week or two we worked through it and decided to get back together."

The Bachelor Nation star then went on to detail the final straw that led to the pair's separation. "To this day will always piss me off, he said, 'I just need someone who can enjoy my passions and who wants to watch me surf and maybe learn surfing with me,'" Thurston recounted. The Washington native continued by refuting her exes' alleged remarks, by insisting that she made every attempt to please her ex, and even participating in activities like skydiving – which she did three times. "All these things to partake in his passions. And somehow that was completely ignored. I knew at that point nothing I did was ever going to be good enough," she added.

And while it seems as if Thurston and Hershey's romantic venture has ended, the pair appears to still have a platonic relationship. Days after announcing their separation, (per Page Six), the couple were spotted together at the San Diego County Fair, smiling in a number of photos shared to Instagram.