A 2021 reimagining of the psychological classic Gaslight occurred on The Bachelorette’s Monday finale, where Katie Thurston and Greg Grippo took on the roles originated by Ingrid Bergman and Charles Boyer, respectively, to tell each other just how much they were manipulated into an abyss of reality-show insanity. As boiled over from last week’s penultimate episode, Grippo, the show’s strong front-runner prior to his dramatic self-elimination, found himself having to defend his past on “After the Final Rose” from a nugget of intel that has since emerged about his personal life: He studied from 2017 to 2019 at the renowned William Esper Studio in New York City, which specializes in acting and the performing arts. During their “After the Final Rose” sit-down, Thurston angrily vocalized how she now believed Grippo’s breakup monologue was something right out of the Royal Tampa Academy of Dramatic Tricks’ curriculum. Or, perhaps more accurately to her, Tobias’s fire sale audition.
“I am very happy, but that doesn’t take away the anger that I had watching this back and seeing the way you treated me, using me to get the experience and the exposure. Dare I say, the acting practice, at my expense,” Thurston explained. “It was pretty good, until the end when you kind of fucked it up and ran away. You can be an actor and want to be on the show, that’s not the problem. The problem is if you’re acting with me. What I’ve been hearing is that Greg’s not this ‘shy guy’ act that he was doing on the show. He’s actually this very confident, cocky boy from Jersey who knows that he’s hot shit. And, like, this is an act. So paired with those rumors and acting school, I really don’t know if I actually know who Greg is. You’re a liar. You did not love me.”
Grippo didn’t deny training as an actor (hell, there’s Instagram evidence that remains on his own page) and even joked that “as much as I wish I was, I’m no Meryl Streep.” (Don’t we all.) However, he took umbrage with Thurston’s repeated claims that he “gaslit” her and never intended to become engaged on the show. “I’m sorry, honestly, if you feel like I was talking down to you,” he offered. “I got scared that you were using this terminology with me and I felt like you were playing the Bachelorette role with me instead of just being Katie. A relationship is a two-way street. And, yes, I know you’re the Bachelorette, but still that doesn’t put you any higher on this relationship or me any lower. I emptied it all out to you on that couch and all I got was a pat on the back.” Grippo added, “I’m sorry for making you feel like that. I wish I could go back and change how I communicated my feelings.”
After she and Grippo wished each other an unenthusiastic “nothing but the best,” Thurston confirmed that she and her Bachelorette winner, franchise three-peat and reality-show addict Blake Moynes, were still happily engaged. They offered no perspective about what the future holds for them. Congrats, we suppose?
