Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes. Shutterstock (2)
Coping with heartbreak. Katie Thurston shed some light on how she is dealing with her split from ex-fiancé Blake Moynes.
The former Bachelorette, 30, posted an Instagram Story photo of a dog at the beach on Wednesday, October 27. “Dexter forcing me out [of] the house this morning,” she wrote, adding a heart emoji.
The reality star subsequently thanked fans for rallying around her. “Thank you to everyone who has shown their love and support,” she captioned an Instagram Story video of her cat. “You can either spend every day convincing yourself things are fine. Or you can accept what is and learn and grow from it. And remember. You don’t [owe] anyone anything. Life is too short. Surround your personal universe with joy.”
Katie Thurston’s dog, Dexter. Courtesy of Katie Thurston/Instagram
Thurston and Moynes, 31, announced their breakup by sharing the same statement via Instagram on Monday, October 25. “It is with mutual love and respect that we have decided to go our separate ways,” they revealed. “We are so grateful for the moments we shared together and the entire journey that has unfolded this year, but we ultimately have concluded that we are not compatible as life partners, and it is the most caring choice for both of us to move forward independently.”
They continued: “We ask for kindness and privacy as we both navigate this transition. Both of us will forever want the best for one another and ask you to please support us in our decision.”
Moynes showed up late to Thurston’s season 17 of The Bachelorette earlier this year after previously competing on season 16 of the show. They got engaged during the August finale but explained at the time that they had no plans to move in together, despite living in different countries.
“We need to see each other’s lifestyles and our passions, our interests, and then try to see where our anchor spot will be, where all those things can kind of align and make sense for both of us,” the Canada native exclusively told Us Weekly in August. “We’re going to jump around for a bit and experience what works best for us.”
Days before confirming the split, Thurston hinted that she and Moynes were “winging” it when it came to their long-distance engagement. “The short version is we’re figuring it out,” she told Us on Friday, October 22. “We don’t know. This is very new to us still. I’m just focusing on myself. He’s focusing on him, and if we work doing that, great.”
Meanwhile, a source revealed that the space between them — she lives in San Diego, while he resides in Canada and frequently travels to Africa for work — took its toll.
“They just couldn’t make the long-distance [relationship] work,” the source told Us earlier this week. “Katie really missed Blake once he left and they would get into little arguments, but at the end of the day, Katie wished he would be with her more.”
Despite her failed engagement, an insider divulged that Thurston “won’t have trouble moving on,” adding that she “won’t give up on love and still hopes to get married one day.”
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