Katie Thurston will make a surprise appearance on Bachelor in Paradise season 9 — where she’ll reunite with ex Blake Moynes for the first time since their split.
Katie, 32, teased their reunion on the upcoming season via an Instagram Story Q&A with fans on Wednesday, August 30.
“First time seeing/speaking [to Blake] since we split 1.5 years ago,” the season 17 Bachelorette told a follower alongside a black- and- white photo of Blake, 33, shirtless and cuddling a cat while looking at his phone. “Can’t say much more for now.”
Bachelor Nation — and Blake — were stunned to see Katie appear on the island in the BiP season 9 trailer, which dropped on August 22.
“I don’t think Blake’s going to be happy that I’m here,” Katie says in the teaser, while the camera cuts to an unhappy-looking Blake turning his face away from hs ex-fiancée.
Katie and Blake split in October 2021, three months after the season finale, during which they got engaged, aired.
After releasing a joint statement announcing their split, Katie elaborated on their breakup via Instagram Live, telling fans at the time: “We were together for six months [and] Blake and I are very level-headed and mature, and we communicate very well on our thoughts, and we just both knew if this was how our first six months was as a couple, going forward it was going to not be in our best interest for our happiness to stay together.”
One month after the couple called it quits, Us Weekly confirmed that Katie was dating John Hersey, whom she sent home during week two of her season. Blake, for his part, was “blindsided” by Katie and John’s romance, a source exclusively told Us.
He also accused her of emotional infidelity.
“I really don’t think there was any physical cheating there, but there [was] clearly emotional [cheating] for it to transition as quickly as it did. I feel stupid and foolish for allowing it to happen, to some degree,” Blake said on the “Talking It Out With Bachelor Nation” podcast in November 2021. “I know they spent a lot of time together and stuff but there’s just no way. I never had an inkling. I am just a very secure guy and I give my trust out 100 percent, especially to the person who I should be trusting the most.”
Katie and John, 29, split less than one year later.
Katie, for her part, sparked romance rumors with The Circle alum Nick Uhlenhuth, in January, though the two never commented on their relationship status. She is set to appear as one of the leads on FBoy Island this fall.
During her Q&A with fans on Wednesday, Katie revealed an “embarrassing” story where she and the guy she went out with had bonded over their cats. After sending him a cat toy, however, the man “thought it was from his ex,” she wrote. “Fail.”
