Katie Thurston Says 'Bachelor in Paradise' Was the 'First Time' She Spoke to Ex Blake Moynes After Split

The former Bachelorette also set the record straight about her 'Paradise' appearance, confirming that she was "not invited to get closure" with her ex-fiancé

Katie Thurston is providing more insight into her Bachelor in Paradise reunion with ex-fiancé Blake Moynes.

Thurston, who led the 17th season of The Bachelorette in 2021, departed the franchise as an engaged woman when she gave Moynes her final rose. The two spent three months publicly engaged before breaking up in October 2021.

While filming the upcoming ninth season of the franchise spinoff show, the exes came face-to-face with each other in what Thurston, 32, revealed was their first meeting since their breakup.

During an Instagram Q&A on Wednesday, she confirmed that seeing Moynes on the beach was their "first time seeing/speaking since we split 1.5 years ago."

"Can’t say much more for now," she added of their reunion, which Bachelor Nation first learned about last week when a first look at the new season dropped.

Upon arriving on the beach in the teaser, Thurston told host Jesse Palmer, "I don’t think Blake’s going to be happy that I’m here."

Moynes later said of his ex's surprise appearance: "I don’t think there’s a worse scenario."

In another post on her Instagram Story, Thurston — who dated another contestant from her season, John Hersey, for six months following her breakup with Moynes — offered some more clarification on her role in the upcoming season of Paradise.

“I was NOT invited to get closure 👀,” she shared in response to a follower who compared her arrival to that of Kendall Long, who arrived on the beach when her ex-boyfriend, Joe Amabile, had taken major steps in his budding relationship with his now-wife, Serena Pitt.

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Though Thurston’s arrival may be dramatic, she’s not the only former franchise lead that will make an appearance on the beach this season.

Hannah Brown, Rachel Recchia and the most recent Bachelorette, Charity Lawson, were also all featured in the first look of the upcoming season.

While Brown and Lawson only stopped by — Brown just got engaged to her boyfriend of two years, Adam Woolard, over the weekend, while Lawson closed out her season engaged to Dotun Olubeko — Recchia was there to stay.

The former Bachelorette, who co-led season 11 along with Gabby Windey, appeared in the season’s trailer and seemed to get along well with Brayden Bowers from Charity’s season.

“Toast to finding someone that can match my crazy,” the season’s bad boy — and the recipient of Charity’s first impression rose — told Recchia, 27, as they sipped champagne in the clip.

Though she left her season engaged to Tino Franco, Recchia was single by the time After the Final Rose aired, and she revealed that her fiancé had cheated on her. In the BiP trailer, she expressed her feelings about being back on the show. “Getting a second chance, I think things happen for a reason.”

Related: See Gabby Windey and Rachel Recchia's 'Bachelorette' Reunion — Including a Glimpse of 'Paradise'

The Paradise cast will also see Aaron Bryant, Peter Cappio, Sean McLaughlin and Aaron Schwartzman from Charity’s season try to find love on the beach, along with Will Urena from Michelle Young’s season.

The women include Eliza Isichei and Samantha “Sam” Jeffries from Clayton Echard’s season, as well as several contestants from Zach Shallcross’s season: Greer Blitzer, Jessica “Jess” Girod, Katherine “Kat” Izzo, Olivia Lewis, Mercedes Northup, Kylee Russell, Brooklyn Willie and Catherine “Cat” Wong.

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Bachelor in Paradise season 9 premieres Thursday, Sept. 28 at 9 p.m. ET on ABC.

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