The Bachelorette bachelor Greg Grippo says he now regrets his behavior and feels he acted like an immature "ass" and "petulant child" during his breakup conversation with Katie Thurston after his hometown date.
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However, during a subsequent appearance on former The Bachelor star Nick Viall's The Viall Files podcast this week, Greg admitted there has "definitely been some change" in his perspective since he filmed After the Final Rose in late July.
"The first time I watched it, I watched it [backstage]... from a place of hurt. I sadly wasn't looking at it through Katie's lens in that exact moment. Looking back on it and watching it back for the second time with all the viewers, yeah, I came off like an ass. I came off like a petulant child," Greg confessed.
"And I regret it, because at the end of the day, she didn't deserve that."
Greg dumped Katie on The Bachelorette because he was frustrated she wouldn't acknowledge or validate his declaration of love. He scolded the Bachelorette for treating him like "a number" and being more focused on the show and giving out roses than on their "real" relationship.
Many fans and members of Bachelor Nation accused Greg of emotionally manipulating Katie and making her feel like she was in the wrong because his ego had been bruised.
Greg told Nick that he was still feeling "a lot of anger and sadness" over his father's death while filming the show and he projected that, as well as his "insecurities," onto Katie.
Greg also said that after his hometown date, his intuition was "screaming" at him that he wasn't Katie's person and she was about to crush him, and so he seemed to suggest his cold demeanor was a defense mechanism.
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"I was rattled and so shooken up because of how badly I wanted it to be real. I know I signed up for it... but after the second one-on-one, I was just looking at her as Katie at this point and it shifted for me," Greg explained.
"It got very real for me very quickly, especially when my family got involved. It wasn't a show to me anymore, and it was hard for me to wrap my head around that."
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Greg went on to admit, "I was obviously way too harsh on her in those moments in that room, but it was just the way that we were talking to each other in those moments. I wasn't communicating well at all."
Greg reiterated how his head was wrapped up in it not being on a show, although he and Katie were in fact filming a reality show.
"It's really hard to pinpoint it for me. I just felt like I couldn't read her in that moment, and it just didn't feel like we were on the same page," Greg said.
Although Greg insisted he was "scared to leave" the show and really "didn't want to," he stormed out on Katie from the hotel room and went outside. When Katie attempted to hug Greg outside, he just wasn't having it -- and the Bachelorette was left crying on her knees.
"I was just so eager to try and get on the same page as her," Greg said, "and it didn't come off that way at all."
"I came off angry," he added. "It was very immature for me and I never want people to try to justify how I acted, because you can't normalize that behavior, especially talking to a woman like that."
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Greg said "it was hard to watch back" and he was "pretty ashamed of it all."
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Greg is now trying to recover from the "humbling and painful" situation with Katie. He said he's been doing "a lot of reflecting" and "soul searching" about the experience.
"Maybe it wasn't the healthiest relationship in the world because I was depending on Katie for happiness at the time," Greg reasoned.
"That wasn't fair to her at all, and I want to be in the position where I'm completely happy with myself before I get into another relationship."
Greg suggested being with Katie brought him a sense of comfort regarding his father's passing because they had both been through the same tragedy. Greg apparently hadn't spoken to many people about his dad's death before and so he felt very bonded and connected to Katie.
"It wasn't healthy and you shouldn't rely on anybody for your own happiness. That, sadly, you know, [is] what I feel like I did at the end there, and I want to get into a place where I am truly happy [and] I don't need to depend on anyone else to be in a healthy relationship," Greg acknowledged.
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Katie definitely gave Greg a piece of her mind on After the Final Rose by calling him "a liar," a gaslighter and an actor on The Bachelorette. She believed that Greg never truly loved her and was never ready for an engagement.
"You spoke down to me, you didn't even bother to say goodbye. You say you loved me but I don't think you know what love is! Because that was a time that I needed you the most, and you ran away!" Katie yelled at Greg.
Greg explained to 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 in this relationship and me any lower."
He added, "I emptied my heart out to you on that couch, and all I got was just a pat on the back after it."
Despite the animosity between them, Greg ultimately apologized to Katie on After the Final Rose and they wished each other "nothing but the best."
And now, Greg told Nick on his podcast that he is "extremely happy" for Katie and her new fiance, Blake Moynes.
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Katie has since gushed in post-show press that she is madly in love with Blake and their relationship has never been better or stronger.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski