The Bachelorette star Katie Thurston is dealing with lots of negative fallout regarding her "Twelve Days of Messy" Instagram posts in which she pairs several of her exes from the show with songs from Taylor Swift's Red album. The series of posts, which ranged from lighthearted to shady, drew serious backlash from some fans of the show. Many who watched the series play out were incensed by her decision to deprive former fiancé Blake Moynes of a heads-up regarding her new romance with John Hersey (prior to announcing it in the final post of the series!). Fans were further angered by the swiftness with which she had moved on from Moynes.
Bachelor Nation was first introduced to Blake on Clare Crawley's season. Following Clare's early departure, he stayed on to woo replacement bachelorette Tayshia Adams, who ultimately eliminated him. With Tayshia's help however, he appeared unexpectedly in episode four of Katie's turn as The Bachelorette with the intention of furthering his smoldering on-line connection with her. Despite protestations of the other suitors who had been there since the beginning of Katie's journey, Blake forged ahead and was eventually presented with the final rose. The two were engaged on the finale in August but had already called it quits by late October.
In a follow-up post with Hersey at her side, Katie addressed her decision to keep Blake in the dark. "We're just normal people trying to live normal lives. And when have you ever had to tell an ex that you're seeing someone new?" She expressed regret over "Twelve Days of Messy" and attempted to soften the blow by explaining that going public with her new romance was a fairly last-minute decision. On People, she described the final post in the series as a "grand gesture" she wanted to make to Hersey who she calls, "my world."
The video clip commences with the words "12 Days of Oops" hovering over the couple — undoubtedly meant to signify her regret at having made the series of posts. In it she implies that her heartfelt tribute to John was the natural outcome of her growing feelings for him and her desire to share her excitement about their relationship. She also says that the negative response wasn't worth it, and if she could go back in time, she wouldn't make the videos.
Though John was eliminated by Katie in week two of her season, they maintained a friendship that has since blossomed into love. Fans of the franchise have strong opinions, with some expressing disdain for her actions and others showing whole-hearted support. Viewers know that participants on The Bachelorette live in a bubble during the entire production and beyond. The unusual circumstances of this environment can cause relationships to intensify quickly or flame-out spectacularly (sometimes both!) in the course of a single episode. Viewers are often treated to a happy ending, replete with a sparkly Neil Lane engagement ring, but things often go awry when the show ends and real life begins. Like so many couples before them, Katie and Blake tried to make it work and were unsuccessful. Hopefully, both will find their happily ever afters and remember their experiences on the show fondly.
Source: People