There’s so much I want to say about the Greg/Katie situation, but there’s also a part of me that thinks it’s not as much as what others are making it out to be. But because we live in this hot take world right now, where everything is black and white and there is no room for open discussion, this conversation really struck a nerve with a lot of people. And the fact that it happened on a show like this where people always have to take sides with their favorite contestants, and if you say anything negative about them, you feel the wrath of that particular fanbase. So with that said, I can fully expect to hear both sides on this. And I think there is absolutely arguments to be made for both sides, although I think one is stronger than the other.
I mean, we all watched the same exact episode last night. We all saw the same thing. Yet, so many are divided on what they saw. Here’s just a sampling of the responses I received on Twitter last night:
He won’t even let her talk/explain. What a jerk.
— IDK MYBE ?????? (@manneb2015) August 3, 2021
When a guy basically tells a girl “I need you to validate me“, run girl run!
— Lu Frew (@sweetlu1234) August 3, 2021
I get why he feels insecure because Katie gave him NOTHING but you’re right. That should easy problem to discuss & get over, but his need for validation seems to overwhelm his common sense. I feel bad for him in that way bc I’m like that sometimes but no excuse to treat her badly
— kate ? (@helloitskatniss) August 3, 2021
His behavior suggests it will always be drama with him. Lots of drama, lots of meeting his emotional needs that he is not really capable of handling. Sadly, he’s a self-saboteur.
— YafaChaya (@suehallie) August 3, 2021
Ugh. Hard agree. This happens to women ALL the time. She didn’t react EXACTLY how he wanted her to, so he’s out? Fuck you, dude.
— Rebecca O’Donnell (@rodickell) August 3, 2021
He’s making total sense and is genuine. She doesn’t know what to say only because he is not the man she wants. If it’s obvious to me it sure as hell is obvious to him.
— GoodHuman (@Susie92812896) August 3, 2021
Greg is that guy that women loved because he was so able to express his feelings about losing his dad, and then the one time those feelings didn’t manifest themselves well, you know, like trauma does sometimes, people shit on him and called it gaslighting. Nice.
— CRM?? (@CRMxox) August 3, 2021
Meeee too. Im seeing so many comments saying he is being manipulate but I totally see his side and how she froze up and turned into somebody else
— Kimber_ (@kimbernicole216) August 3, 2021
Greg just wanted confirmation from her that he was “the one” especially since he was feeling less confident about their relationship after production set him up to watch how happy and giddy she was during her one to one date with Blake. JMO
— Diane (@Diane46810505) August 3, 2021
I totally agree with Greg when he was Pouring his heart out to Catie she got stiff and awkward and totally put up a wall. It’s 100% what happened. And he could tell that he might not be her final choice and she couldn’t admit that.
— Phyl London (@PhylLondon) August 3, 2021
Half Katie, half Greg. That was pretty much how it was running last night. And people were so vehemently behind their position of one being the bad guy and the other doing nothing wrong. I don’t think it’s that simple. They both had some missteps last night. My opinion is Greg’s were worse. That doesn’t mean that I think Greg should be institutionalized. That doesn’t mean I think Greg Grippo is the worst human being ever. That doesn’t mean I think Greg is a psychopath. Doesn’t even mean I think he’s any sort of villain. What I do think though, is that Greg could’ve handled himself much better than he did. Not necessarily in the way he was thinking, but in the way he reacted. There was a lot there to take in. Some people are out to hate Greg, shit all over him, and tell him how horrible he is. I’m here to critique what he did. Major difference.
Even though I know this will fall on deaf ears because it always does and it’s already happening, regardless of which side you were on in this fight, it doesn’t mean you need to go on either of Katie or Greg’s social media platform and shit all over them with your opinion. No one’s telling you you can’t have an opinion on this. But what I am telling you is that if you take it out on the other person by posting on their page, you’re making matters worse. Quit being so mad and upset by two people you don’t even know. Even if something you saw last night triggered something maybe you experienced in a past relationship, it doesn’t mean you have to go attack that person. If you’re getting that worked up over Katie and Greg’s fight, I’m sorry, but you need to re-evaluate what’s important in your life. Because this show and it’s contestants shouldn’t be in your top 50. Have your opinion, talk about it with your friends, but lay off the social media slamming of either person. It’s disgusting. I know me saying that won’t change a damn thing for people, but hey, it still needs to be said.
jlal
August 3, 2021 at 10:49 AM
Katie made it clear she wasn’t saying the love word to anyone, but the guy at the end. That is what Greg was pushing her to say. On the flip side, if someone is just not that into you, you can sense it on some level. I think Greg sensed on some level that Katie was not where he was and he couldn’t deal. I do think Greg set her up to fail. I have known men and women who do the same thing – they have expectations the other person doesn’t even know exists and then are mad/sad/disappointed when those expectations are not met. The bottom line is she either couldn’t (because of shoe rules or lack of feelings) or she wouldn’t (because of her own code of waiting until the end) give him what he needed, so he left.
adelina
August 3, 2021 at 12:36 PM
Totally agree with what you stated @jlal.
Greg’s meltdown was a total turnoff and such an indication of future issues. His intensity is too much and has no appeal in a longtime partner.
I imagine he’s the guy that gives you the silent treatment or pouts at random times and with no warning. Also, to proclaim his love and then claim, “I gave you everything.” That’s some intense neediness. He reminded me of someone with an alcoholic personality that I once knew. A bottomless pit of neediness – no thanks.
It’s too bad she now is stuck with consolation prize Blake. She’ll be single again in no time.
unlisted
August 3, 2021 at 1:33 PM
The impression I got was that Greg didn’t really understand the rules of the “Bachelorette” game. And there were some other miscommunications, as well.
He kept saying that once he confessed his love for her, and he felt he got the message from Katie that he was El Numero Uno, they no longer needed to go through the motions of getting a rose, overnights, engagement, etc. That he expected she would have just declared her love right then and there (using the L Word) and told the other two guys to take a hike.
Instead, when he opened up to her, rather than melting into his arms as he expected and reciprocating in kind, she continued acting and speaking BacheloretteSpeak– as if from an ABC script– which he interpreted as b.s.
Also it sounded to me as if he felt he was getting mixed messages from her. On the one hand, she strongly hinted he was her choice. So why not say so and let him be the winner then and there, without leading the other two guys on? But then she not only insited on going through the rest of the process, she refused to reciprocate his level of feelings and vulnerability at the same level, which was confusing to him.
It was almost the reverse of what used to happen in the good ol’ days: when a woman was kissed by a man, she would assume that he loved her and wanted to marry her.
JMO!
p.s. I think they both have “issues” and are not good candidates for marriage.
switt610
August 3, 2021 at 5:39 PM
Steve… I really appreciate your commonsense response to what happened last night. Because of what I have learned from you, I like to remind people this is a producer driven TV show with REAL people that we know nothing about. Losing sleep or being angry over any of it is ridiculous. Neither Greg or Katie are bad people. Thank you for keeping us updated.
ctrealitygirl
August 4, 2021 at 11:40 AM
I’m really surprised at all the fans who are taking Katie’s side of the Greg/Katie debacle. Did anyone not take notice of her body language? Or her dismissive facial expressions? All season we’ve watched her lavish Greg with affection, then, out of nowhere, she changes her tune. I’m not saying she owed him an answer to whether he was her final pick. But everyone seems to forget that Peter basically gave Rachel the same ultimatum and everyone LOVED Peter. How is this different? I wasn’t crazy about Katie being picked as the Bachelorette but was willing to give her a chance. But she just leaves me cold. I noticed on the MTA episode that she treated all her so-called favorites- namely Andrew and Michael A – like that were yesterday’s news. In past seasons, both male and female leads at least act like they still have some fondness for the ones they let go toward the end. Katie was downright stone cold, especially how she responded to Michael A’s profession of still being in love with her. I think Blake is smarmy…didn’t like him on the Clare/Tayshia season, and like him less this season. He reminds me a lot of how smug Nick Viall acted when he came onto Laitlyn’s season…but even worse. I’m glad she picks him in the end. they deserve each other. I sure hope Michelle’s seaon is better than this one. I used to look forward to Monday nights..but no more. I have not finished watching one episode…fall asleep before the end and don’t even bother to watch what I missed. The producers made a huge mistake picking her and the ratings prove it. I’d really like to see Andrew named the next Bachelor. He’s another one she treated pretty badly. Her picker is WAY off.
megs
August 7, 2021 at 12:23 PM
Just wanted to point out that the scene with Katie and Greg where he’s crying and telling her he’s in love with her and she said she likes looking at his face… was edited LIKE CRAZY. In one second, he’s bawling, and the next time they cut to his face, supposedly immediately after, not crying at all, plus Katie had her hand on him in the crying scene and then not the next time they cut to him. There’s plenty we didn’t get to see from this conversation, so I don’t really think it’s fair to even have opinions on it since we didn’t get the whole scene.
xoxo00
August 9, 2021 at 1:36 PM
I surprised you can’t see what Greg was saying. He was pouring his heart out and very emotional. He talked about his Dad and cried and she was as cold as ice. Greg’s brother said he never talked about his Dad, not even to him, but he did let himself hurt in front of Katie. That was a big deal to him and she didn’t give him anything. She smiled weirdly and said she loved his face. Someone who is sincerely in the moment would say “I am so sorry your Dad isn’t here – I know how much he meant to you” or “It means a lot to me to me that I am able to help you see the sun after being in a dark hole after losing your Dad”. Instead she said oooohh heeeyyy I love your face and by the way you’re going to be getting the rose. He didn’t care about any of that. He was talking to his girlfriend and Katie was still playing the bachelorette. That is why he no longer saw her as “real”; he saw Katie as the Bachelorette and it was over for him.
It’s likely Katie was trying to do the right thing by the show by not giving away her final choice. It seems she really was in love with Greg and couldn’t tell him. It’s also possible that she was not able to fully feel due to the pressure of being the Bachelorette — Katie is a people pleaser and I think she worked hard to do it right. She was just caught up in the show, IMO, and lost Greg because of it. Greg wasn’t manipulating her. He told her over and over he wasn’t looking for the rose or to hear that she loved him too he was looking for Katie to be Katie instead of Katie the Bachelorette. It’s odd no one can see this. They’re both great people. They just didn’t communicate well and this is what couples sometimes do. I don’t think Katie has a chance of reconciling with Greg, if she wants to, because he has a wall up now. He stopped trusting her the second she couldn’t stop being Katie the Bachelorette.
And, finally something real from this series, sometimes poor communication can kill a relationship. If you’re in a relationship you better check yourself and make sure you’re clear with your mate and listening to them as well.