Katie Thurston and Madison Prewett. OConnor/AFF-USA.com / MEGA; Rob Latour/Shutterstock
Not here for hypocrites. Katie Thurston stood up for fellow Bachelor alum Madison Prewett after her whirlwind engagement to Grant Michael Troutt.
The Alabama native, 26, announced via Instagram on Monday, August 1, that her boyfriend had popped the question after nine months of dating, gushing that Troutt, 26, was “worth the wait.” Though some Bachelor Nation fans believed the milestone came too soon, Thurston, 31, was quick to shut down the negative comments.
“Contestants get engaged after 6-8 weeks which really translates to even less time when you consider the actual time spent together,” the former bank marketing manager tweeted on Monday. “You don’t get to cheer on leads but s–t on Madi. Happy for her! Congratulations to finding love your own way!”
Prewett made her Bachelor debut during Peter Weber‘s season 24, which aired in 2020. The basketball player ultimately walked away from the pilot, 30, after he revealed that he was “intimate” with other contestants during the fantasy suite dates, which she previously noted was a dealbreaker for her. Weber proposed to Hannah Ann Sluss, but he broke off the engagement after realizing he still had feelings for Prewett. The reality stars briefly rekindled their relationship, only to call it quits days after the March 2020 season finale aired.
The Made for This Moment author moved on with Troutt in December 2021, but the duo didn’t go public with their romance until the following May.
“So now y’all know, I got the realist G in town,” Prewett captioned her Instagram reveal. “Grant Michael Troutt, so full of passion and purpose and joy, I am proud I get to do life with someone who loves Jesus and people like you do. The past 5 months have been the best and wildest adventure. Full of highs and lows but there’s nobody else in the world I’d rather do life with.”
At the time, the “Built Different” podcast host gushed over Prewett’s “grace and beauty,” writing via social media, “I’m so glad I met you lil Madi rose🦁😋 Hand in hand. My ride or die. I’ve enjoyed every second of this ride.”
Thurston, for her part, got engaged to Blake Moynes during her season 17 Bachelorette journey. The former couple called it quits in October 2021 after six months together. She went on to date former contestant John Hersey but revealed the twosome split in June.
“We both knew our relationship was not working out,” Thurston explained during a November 2021 episode of the “Off the Vine” podcast, denying her ex-fiancé’s accusations that she “emotionally” cheated before their breakup. “My relationship with Blake was a very separate situation [from] my relationship with John. There was not overlap. There was nothing but respect. It’s just two different situations.”
The Washington native has since turned to the dating app Raya to find love.
“I was like, ‘I’ll apply now, and then six months from now I’ll start dating.’ Well, they approved me right away. Wasn’t ready, but that’s fine,” she said in a July 26 TikTok, teasing in the caption that she “can’t even make a friend” on the app. “I matched with someone and we’re talking. And then I get unmatched. Just for friends!”
