This Is How Hunter Really Feels About Thomas On The Bachelorette

Katie Thurston has reminded her suitors time and time again on Season 17 of "The Bachelorette" that if they're on the show for the wrong reasons, they should leave. On the June 21 episode, viewers saw the men subsequently step up to the plate when they felt someone was being untrue.

Fans watched Hunter Montgomery specifically ask fellow contestant Thomas Jacobs about his motives after he admitted in the week's group date that he joined the cast because he knew it would grow his platform, per TV Insider. The men — and viewers — were even more blown away when Thomas admitted that he did indeed think about the possibility of being the next Bachelor before going on "The Bachelorette." Now, Hunter is reflecting on their conversation and revealing how he really feels about Thomas.

"We had a lot of conversations early on that were real ... I looked at Thomas as a friend," Hunter explained on the June 24 episode of "Click Bait." "During the episode, you see us sit down and I try to talk with him one-on-one and tell him as a friend, 'Hey man, like I see this trajectory, and it's not looking good and I think you gotta change some stuff here.' And I wanted to do that because I care about him," he said. "Thomas is not a bad person," he added.

However, Hunter then revealed he ended up telling Thomas they couldn't have a close relationship on the show. Keep scrolling to find out why.

Although Hunter Montgomery admitted on "Click Bait" that he thinks Thomas Jacobs is a good person, he knew he had to look out for his own reputation while on "The Bachelorette."

"Once he kind of told me all these things in that one-on-one conversation and I put myself out there and I stood up for him with the other guys, well then I think what happened is he went and told a completely different story," Hunter hypothesized on the podcast. "I had to tell Thomas, 'Look, now I've stood up for you, and you've mistaken my kindness for weakness, and now I look [bad], and at that point I've gotta separate myself from you.'"

However, that does not mean it's the end of the road for Hunter and Thomas. He said he feels the two can be friends after the show once they talk things out. In fact, Hunter thinks he and many of his fellow contestants will be great friends for life. "[They are] some of the best people I know that I'll ever meet," he said of Katie Thurston's other suitors. "We're going to be in each other's weddings. Our kids are going to know each other. I love these guys," he continued. While only one man could capture Katie's heart, it looks like they have a spot in each other's!