‘The Bachelorette’: Katie Thurston Speaks on Cody Menk and Aaron Clancy Feud

In last week’s episode of The Bachelorette, things came to a head between contestants Cody Menk and Aaron Clancy. After the premiere hinted that the two men had some kind of pre-established feud with one another, Clancy voiced his concerns to the lead, Katie Thurston. Following all of the drama that went down in episode two of The Bachelorette, Thurston shared her thoughts on the matter during her appearance on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast.

As a reminder, in episode two, Thurston ended up sending one of the men home early amid their feud. The whole matter started when Clancy brought the issue to the lead’s attention during the group date. He explained that he knows Menk from back in San Diego and that he doesn’t have the best view of him. Clancy explained why they’re not “cool” with one another by saying, per Cheat Sheet, “But there were just some social media posts or there’s things he did that kinda rubbed me the wrong way. So I know he really wants to become famous or get on the those for those reasons.” The contestant went on to say that he finds the way that Menk “handles situations” to be “disturbing” and “malicious.”

After speaking with Clancy, Thurston asked Menk what he had to say about the whole situation. Menk denied Clancy’s allegations, but the Bachelorette lead took matters into her own hands all the same. Thurston sent Menk home, telling him that they simply don’t have that “trust” with one another. She said that she didn’t want to waste his time or her own, so she was making the decision that was best for all parties. The reality star later said in her confessional, “My gut, my heart just ultimately tells me Cody’s not going to be my husband.” Of course, she also opened up about the situation to Bachelor Happy Hour hosts Tayshia Adams, a former Bachelorette who is co-hosting the current season, and Becca Kufrin, who was another previous Bachelorette.

“When [Aaron] did open up, I was thankful because he is looking out for me and our relationship. And if he has a problem, I want to know about it,” Thurston said. “I just love that he was very direct, which you’ll see with Karl, who was not very direct… I don’t have time to play games.” She added, “So I really did appreciate Aaron just being straightforward, not wasting any of my time, and just letting me know what’s up.” While Thurston shared her appreciation for Clancy’s straightforwardness, there’s no telling whether that will translate into a lasting connection between the two.