The Bachelorette star Katie Thurston has revealed which bachelor's exit was the hardest to deal with during her journey to find love on Season 17.
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"I think Michael's goodbye was probably the hardest, especially reliving it," Katie admitted.
"I don't know, he was just one of those relationships that I didn't really have a say in, you know?"
Michael received a rose as one of Katie's Final 4 bachelors ahead of hometown dates, but he ultimately decided to quit the show after FaceTiming with his four-year-old son James, who sadly voiced how it seemed like his father didn't want to see him.
Michael had already been away filming in New Mexico for over a month, and so he felt it was necessary to return home and be there for his child, especially since James' mother Laura Ritter-Allio had tragically passed away from breast cancer in 2019.
"He chose to leave and that kind of left it open for a little bit," Katie added, "but those wounds have healed and I kind of got that closure officially tonight."
Right after Michael left, Katie cried about how her "person" may have just left.
Katie could picture being Michael's wife and James' mother, and she shared in a confessional, "It's just hard to know the impact of him leaving right now. Michael is someone I saw myself walking away with. I know what my life would be if I chose Michael, and that's a life I wanted."
Michael acknowledged on The Men Tell All that he and Katie were "so close" to being in love, which made leaving even harder, but he had to put his family and responsibilities as a single parent first.
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When asked how hard it was to say goodbye, Michael said it was really difficult but he's so happy to have participated in Katie's journey because they had an instant connection and he developed strong feelings for her.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOW"Looking back on it now, nothing has changed," Michael admitted.
"So if Katie did say that she wanted to give this another shot, you still feel the same way? You would do it?" Kaitlyn asked.
"100 percent," Michael replied. "It feels as though we left so much unsaid... If love exists it will find a way. I know how beautiful marriage can be... and I wanted to let her know that's where we're headed."
When Katie and Michael got to talk face-to-face during the special, Michael told the Bachelorette that he never wanted to leave her and she'd essentially be a wonderful fit for his life.
But Katie, in a bit of a cold manner, announced, "I have nothing but love and respect for Michael, but ultimately, I could not dwell on the past. I had to continue to move forward, and my ending is ultimately how everything was supposed to happen."
Katie added, "I'm a big believer in everything happens for a reason, and that's something I still believe in to this day."
Katie's Final 3 bachelors are Greg Grippo, Blake Moynes and Justin Glaze, and all three men appear to be falling for The Bachelorette star with hometown dates right around the corner.
Click here to read spoilers on Katie's The Bachelorette season and find out her winner as well as if she's engaged.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
