Bachelor Nation was left in shock on Monday after Thomas Jacobs admitted to having ulterior motives for coming on the show - and the house turned on Karl Smith.
As the third episode kicked off, the show returned the cocktail party Katie Thurston was hosting and where Karl had made his shocking claims that he felt many of the men in the house were not on the show for the "right reasons."
Katie was left in tears after Karl's allegations saw the men get angry and she chose to end the party and head straight to the rose ceremony.
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"We've come together, and what Karl said wasn't the truth," Mike Planeta, 31, quietly told Katie as she handed him a rose, "as a unit, that's what I think you need to hear."
The 30-year-old called out to the others: "Do you all feel the same way?" and they agreed, forcing Katie to decide to leave the room to get clarity from hosts, Tayshia Adams and Kaitlyn Bristowe.
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"Originally I planned to keep Karl tonight," Katie said, "ultimately I do trust and respect the men in the house so I am not sure what to do."
Karl was sent home
When Katie returned to the ceremony, she chose to send Karl home.
But the drama didn't end there, as later Thomas admitted he wasn't necessarily in the house for Katie, and had even gone on a date the week prior to arriving in New Mexico.
Thomas was invited on a group date hosted by former Bachelor Nick Viall in which the guys were asked to reveal intimate secrets from past relationships.
Mike told Katie the house did not agree with Karl
"I couldn't sit here and look you in the face and say, 'Yeah, when I showed up to this place I was here for the right reasons,' because I didn't know who you were," Thomas confessed during the group date.
"And worst-case scenario, I'd give it a shot and, yeah you can build a great platform, and that's just the honest to God truth, like my approach to this.
"I can sit here and tell you right now the best thing I ever did was lean into the potential of what could be here because the feelings that I have for you are real and I feel that it's reciprocated."
Katie was shocked but later they spoke, and Thomas told her: "I couldn't leave tonight without letting you know exactly how special I see you.
She clearly appreciated the extra time together and told her she was "happy" he was still there.
Katie and Thomas had bonded on their group date
The other men, however, were not happy.
"I told her that I was falling in love with her," Thomas told the group, to which Aaron replied: "I think you're full of s**t."
When confronted again by the men, Thomas backtracked on his claims he was falling in love - and Aaron boldly called him a "cancer".
"It feels fraudulent, it feels like, almost like a campaign, like, you want to be Bachelor. I don't know what it is," Hunter exclaimed, "I mean, is that something you've thought about?"
The house has turned on Thomas
"Yes, coming into this, one of the thoughts on my mind was potentially being the next Bachelor," Thomas finally admitted to which Hunter retorted: ""That explains a lot to me," Hunter retorted.
"Hunter is being a good friend. He is like 'don't be a douche' to Thomas," tweeted one fan. as another joked: "Thomas building the platform he’s about to be thrown off of."
Elsewhere, fans were left in tears after hopeful Michael Allio bravely shared the story of his wife's death. Michael, 36, shared the story with Mike P and Andrew Milcovich of how he met his wife in 2003 at college, and they were together for 16 years, getting wed in 2012.
They welcomed a son in 2016 but seven months later, Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer and passed away in 2019.
Michael and Katie had a connection from the first week
Later, Katie invited Michael on a one-on-one date, and he told her about his son and late wife.
"I felt like I was being selfish, but my son deserves the happiest dad so it’s more like I’m on pause so that I can invest a little in my myself," he said of his decision to go on the show.
During their dinner date, he emotionally added: "The following months to rebuild your life without a critical piece is difficult, but what I have acknowleged is I know what it's like to have loved and to give everything and I am at this place where I am ready to open my heart.
"What a gift to fall in love twice."
The Bachelorette airs Mondays on ABC at 8pm ET.
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