The 'Bachelorette' alums called it quits in October after six months of dating.
Katie Thurston is getting emotional following her split from Blake Moynes. The 30-year-old former Bachelorette took to Instagram over the weekend to speak publicly about her breakup for the first time, just days after she and her former fiancé released a joint statement announcing their split.
"Obviously a public relationship ending is a really s**ty thing to have to navigate, but you guys have been very kind and supportive and I just wanted to say thank you for being that way to me and to Blake, and for being understanding," Katie began. "I think a lot of people hold too much weight to things that don't matter. I'm a big believer in your happiness. Your happiness is the most important thing, and that being said why would you not pursue that?"
"I think a lot of people stay in relationships because they put so much time and effort into it and they keep waiting for new results thinking, 'Once this happens it'll change. Once we get engaged, once we get married, once we have kids, things'll change, they'll get better,'" she continued. "Sometimes you don't have to wait for a big thing."
That was the case, Katie said, with her and Blake, as one big thing did not cause their split.
"I think a lot of people are like, 'Well, what really happened? What's the big thing that happened with Katie and Blake?'" she said. "We were together for six months. Blake and I are very levelheaded and mature and we communicate very well on our thoughts. We just both knew if this is how our first six months was as a couple, going forward it was not going to be in our best interest for our happiness to stay together, and so we, as mentioned, mutually decided to part our ways."
Katie noted that she and Blake "still stay in touch" and "support each other," adding that there's "nothing but love and respect" between them.
"It's a tough thing to navigate, because of course people question the authenticity of the love and the relationship," she said. "For those people passing judgment, I can only hope to be so lucky as you to find your forever love on the first try. Ending a relationship isn't something new, ending an engagement isn't something new, divorce is not something new."
Katie became emotional and started to cry as she continued speaking about her and Blake's split.
"I think Blake and I were very fortunate enough to recognize things early and [we] made the best decision for us," she said, as tears began to form. "That does come with its own challenges. We are still processing a lot of waves of emotion. I don't know. It's a lot. I didn't expect to [cry]... Obviously it's a lot."
Still, Katie said, she believes that "at the end of the day, your happiness is what's important."
"If something is taking that away from you -- and that's not even a dig at Blake, that's a dig at what him and I were as partners -- then we owe it to each other to step away, so that's what we're doing," she said, while still getting choked up. "
She concluded her video by expressing to her followers, "I hope to continue to just get to know you guys as a community of people, and show you more of who I am through my lens, not through the lens of a franchise, not through the lens of Blake's fiancée, but just me, as Katie."
"Hopefully, once I kind of get back in the swing of things, you'll see more about who I am and what I have to offer as a person... We'll get there," she said. "I'm still kind of figuring out my life here in San Diego."
Katie and Blake released a joint statement announcing their split on Oct. 25, two months after their engagement aired on The Bachelorette.
"It is with mutual love and respect that we have decided to go our separate ways," they both wrote on Instagram. "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."
"We ask for kindness and privacy as we both navigate this transition," the statement continued. "Both of us will forever want the best for one another and ask you to please support us in our decision."
Following Katie and Blake's breakup, Bachelorette co-host Tayshia Adams admitted that she was surprised that their relationship had come to an end.
"It actually made me really sad. No, I did not see it coming," Tayshia said on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. "I truthfully thought that they were meant for each other. I thought they complemented each other quite well, actually. It made me really sad."
When ET spoke to the former couple in August, they both said that they were in it for the long haul.
"These past couple months have been amazing," Katie said at the time. "We've grown so much since that proposal that you guys have seen. I think it just shows how far we are going to go together. This really isn't just a temporary relationship. I do feel very confident we are going to be together forever."
Amid news of Katie's breakup, Michelle Young's season of The Bachelorette has gotten underway. ET spoke to the new Bachelorette, along with co-hosts Tayshia and Kaitlyn Bristowe, about what to expect from the teacher's season of the show. Watch the video below to hear what they had to say.
The Bachelorette airs Tuesdays on ABC. ET has got you covered throughout the entirety of Michelle's season with all of our Bachelorette coverage.
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