After Greg Grippo abruptly pulled the plug on his Bachelorette journey this week, leaving Katie Thurston confused and heartbroken, Bachelor Nation immediately took to social media to pick a side. Greg, a loving uncle who gifted Katie a macaroni necklace on the first night, was a frontrunner throughout the entire season. Their connection grew week after week and Greg advanced to the final three men. However, the blossoming relationship quickly went south at the end of their hometown date. Now, fans are divided on who they feel was right in the situation.
Greg and Katie's hometown date started out smooth. His mom and brother hadn't seen Greg so happy since before his father passed away. In fact, Katie shared with his mom that he was definitely going to receive a rose. But things took a turn when Greg spilled his heart to Katie, who stared at him for a moment before saying, "I just love looking at you." It was in this moment that his entire demeanor changed. When Greg visited Katie's room the next morning for an explanation, the conversation went in endless circles. The more Katie tried to explain herself (she only wants to use the world "love" for her fiancé), the more upset Greg became. The stressful scene concluded with Greg leaving the show and Katie hysterically crying in the bathroom as co-host Kaitlyn Bristowe attempted to console her through the door.
On the heels of the episode, Bachelor Nation is now split between "Team Greg" and "Team Katie," but not necessarily down the middle. For those on "Team Greg," they feel Katie was "cold" toward Greg when he professed his love. While she couldn't say that specific word, they say she could've acknowledged his feelings better. Meanwhile, the majority of viewers are on "Team Katie" and feel that Greg transformed into a manipulative gaslighter before their eyes. They see his actions and inability to listen to what she was saying as emotionally abusive, and his quick switch from good guy to narcissist as a major red flag.
Based on Katie's latest Instagram Story, she's certainly in agreement with the latter group. She shared a post entitled "So you want to talk about gaslighting," which defines it as "a form of emotional abuse or psychological manipulation involving distorting the truth in order to confuse or instill doubt in another person to the point they question their own sanity or reality." The post goes on to explain how gaslighting works and provides advice for stopping it.
For some time, fans feared that Greg, who boasts a background in acting, wasn't there for the right reasons. Claims were previously made that he originally applied for Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette and only wanted to get on TV to promote his career. Based on Greg's dramatic exit, which was caused by Katie not responding how he wanted just one time, this is a possibility.
The episode concluded with Katie telling Kaitlyn she wanted someone to book her a flight home. It seems that she envisioned Greg as the last man standing, but he was unwilling to trust her and be patient with the process. Though watching Katie date other men is surely hard for Blake Moynes and Justin Glaze as well, they understand that's what they signed up for. Hopefully, Katie is able to get past Greg and find her happily ever after with one of these remaining Bachelorette suitors.
Source: Katie Thurston