Here's Why Katie & Greg’s Body Language At “ATFR” Was So Hard To Watch

Katie Thurston and Greg Grippo had a very messy breakup. Their split involved a lot of tears, miscommunication, and, at the very end, Grippo left Thurston without saying goodbye. It was a gut-wrenching moment. So it wasn’t exactly a shock that these exes were uncomfortable seeing each other again during the “After the Final Rose” special, which aired on Monday, Aug. 9. (Who could blame them?)

There were a few moments that made Thurston and Grippo’s reunion so awkward. First, when she entered the stage, Thurston passed by Grippo without as much of a pat on the back (a stark contrast from the friendly hug she gave her runner-up Justin Glaze). Not giving your ex a hug is not considered an insult under most circumstances, but in the world of The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, it’s essentially the equivalent of declaring war. And it definitely set the tone for Thurston and Grippo’s conversation.

All in all, Thurston and Grippo’s “After The Final Rose” convo was hard to watch — and their uncomfortable body language only made it more painful. According to Traci Brown, body language expert and author of Persuasion Point: Body Language and Speech for Influence, this duo appears to carry some serious tension around each other, a sign that there may still be some hurt there. “It doesn't look like a reunion is coming,” she tells Elite Daily. Yeah, definitely not.

Thurston’s “ATFR” Body Language Was Defensive

It doesn’t take an expert to see that Thurston was unhappy to see Grippo. I mean, if looks could kill... But, according to Brown, there’s a lot more to dissect in the way that they sat together. “Her legs are crossed away from him, so her energy is away from him,” Brown explains. “And her hands are clasped around her knees, so she's guarding [herself] a bit.”

It also appears that she didn’t appreciate what Grippo was saying. “Her chin is up a little bit so she's kind of looking down on what he's saying,” Brown adds, but based on Grippo’s body language, her frustration makes sense. Brown continues, “He's pointing, so that's a little threatening.” Eek.

Grippo Wanted To Hear Her Out

When Thurston spoke, Brown says, she wanted to speak her mind. “She's got her palm up which says that she's speaking her truth,” Brown explains. And Grippo appeared ready to listen. “He's accepting it with his hands folded between his legs,” Brown adds. “He may be learning something he didn't know.”

Hopefully, both of them have a little more clarity and closure following this conversation — even if it was beyond awkward in the moment... and Twitter took notice.

Despite the verbal jabs and uncomfy body language, Thurston and Grippo ended things on good terms. They both said that they wished each other “nothing but the best,” even if a friendly hug (or sharing a couch) was off the table.