Following a turbulent 2021 for Katie Thurston that included her introduction on Matt James' season of The Bachelor and leading role on The Bachelorette season 17, she is now opening up about the ups and downs that she experienced with the fans. There's no denying that Katie made waves on The Bachelor season 25 as she walked out of the limo with a big purple vibrator. Viewers praised Katie for being so sex-positive on a conservative show, and it ultimately led to her casting as the lead of The Bachelorette season 17.
On the other hand, Katie's season was definitely not as exciting as Bachelor Nation hoped it would be. On the contrary, it was deemed one of the weakest seasons in the history of The Bachelorette series. She ended up with a returning contestant, Blake Moynes, who was a fan-favorite in season 16 but didn't shine as bright in season 17. The grand finale featured an engagement between them. Alas, Katie and Blake broke up just two months after the season ended.
There was lots of negativity that Katie had to deal with while her season of The Bachelorette aired on TV and after it ended. It also didn't work in her favor when she did a series of Instagram posts calling out her exes from the show. Now, Katie has taken to social media to reminisce on the year she had in 2021. "Last year somehow feels like 3 years of highs and lows," she wrote. Katie then reflected on the challenging transformation she went through during that process. "I was drowning in my tears, unable to even recognize the girl in the mirror," she recalled, "I started taking antidepressants for the first time before my season aired." However, Katie realized that she could never have prepared for what she was about to face.
With time, though, Katie grew stronger and learned how to keep her space safe from so much hate. She explained, "Unfollow accounts that encouraged it. Limit my screen time usage with a password only John [Hersey] knew. Anything I could do to bring myself out of a dark place." She also took the time to thank the Bachelor Nation fans who reached out with positive messages and encouraged her throughout her journey. Katie also asked people to think twice before sending any mean messages to people as it might take a huge toll on them. Aside from the fact that Katie has been dating John Hersey for some time now, she appears to be in a much better headspace overall.
Katie has been put through the wringer during her journey on reality TV. Some of it came from choices that she made on and off-screen, but other things were completely beyond her own control. Thankfully, it seems like Katie is now leaving that negativity in the past.
The Bachelor season 26 airs Monday nights at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.
Source: Katie Thurston/Instagram