ABC Katie Thurston likely won't be able to keep her engagement ring.
Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes have split after just a few short months together. The couple, who got engaged on the finale of “The Bachelorette,” made the announcement on social media on October 25, 2021.
“It is with mutual love and respect that we have decided to go our separate ways. We are so grateful for the moments we shared together and the entire journey that has unfolded this year, but we ultimately have concluded that we are not compatible as life partners, and it is the most caring choice for both of us to move forward independently. We ask for kindness and privacy as we both navigate this transition. Both of us will forever want the best for one another and ask you to please support us in our decision,” their mutual statement read (via Instagram).
According to People magazine, Blake picked out a stunning 3-carat engagement ring when he proposed to Katie. “The platinum ring features an oval-shaped diamond set within a crown motif with a hidden halo of 90 smaller diamonds,” the outlet previously reported.
However, not that Katie and Blake have broken off their engagement, many are wondering what will happen to the engagement ring. Will Katie have to give it back?
Here’s what you need to know:
Chris Harrison Previously Explained What Happens to Engagement Rings on ‘The Bachelor’ Franchise When the Couple Doesn’t Work Out
If you get engaged on one of “The Bachelor” franchise shows, you won’t have to worry about dishing out cash for a pricey engagement ring. The producers linked up with jeweler Neil Lane many moons ago, and he supplies the stunning rings, which are presumably bought and paid for by production.
However, when things don’t work out between two people, the ring must be returned — it’s in the contract.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly back in 2016, Chris Harrison said that the engagement rings go back to Neil Lane. “Neil probably does get the rings back, he just doesn’t even know it. I think there’s some rule, I don’t even know what it is, honestly, what the contract is, but after a certain number of years, whatever, you get to keep it anyway. But if it’s, like, months, then you know…it comes back,” Chris told the outlet.
Because it’s been less than a year since Katie and Blake got engaged, she will more than likely have to return her engagement ring to production. It’s unknown how long she has to return the ring.
As many fans may have noticed, Clare Crawley and Dale Moss reconnected shortly after they split, and it did look like Clare was wearing her engagement ring in the months that followed, so it’s possible that she didn’t give the ring back right away. Now that the two have split a second time, however, the ring could be going back.
Several Women Have Been Forced to Return Their Engagement Rings After Splitting Up Post-Season
All about ‘Bachelorette’ Clare Crawley’s engagement ring from Dale Moss t.co/1Yh2xrD4DF
Over the years, several “Bachelor” franchise couples have made it the distance, but many have split before making it down the aisle. Depending on the timing, many of the women in these relationships have been forced to give their engagement rings back.
In a 2019 interview with Entertainment Weekly, former “Bachelorette” DeAnna Pappas revealed that she gave her engagement ring back. “I had to give it back. It wasn’t painful for me because it had no meaning anymore,” she told the outlet.
Meanwhile, three “Bachelorette” stars still have their engagement rings, despite not marrying their season picks. Ali Fedotowsky-Manno, Kaitlyn Bristowe, and Jillian Harris all admitted to keeping their baubles.
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