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Michael Allio’s late wife, Laura, died two years before he competed for Katie Thurston’s heart on ‘The Bachelorette’ — get the details
Another shot at love. Two years after losing his wife, Michael Allio is competing for Katie Thurston’s heart on season 17 of The Bachelorette.
The 37-year-old Ohio native revealed to Katie, 30, that he has a son during the June 7 premiere of the ABC series. He added that he’s allowed to FaceTime James daily while living at the New Mexico resort for the show.
Michael welcomed James with wife Laura Ritter-Allio in September 2016, four years after the twosome walked down the aisle. The couple met while attending Loyola University in Chicago. Laura was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2017 and died two years later. He referred to his late spouse as his and James’ “magnificent angel” in a tribute on their son’s 4th birthday last year.
“And trust me when I say this … your beautiful mother … is so incredibly proud of you. She tells me this all the time Watching you grow and being by your side through this crazy journey has been nothing short of perfect,” Michael wrote via Instagram in September 2020. “Your smile lifts me when I’m weak and your eyes give me the unique gift of being able to see this world for the first time. There is NOTHING in this life more important than YOU and I’ll dedicate my life to ensuring that you hear and feel that as much as humanly possible. And while I feel your hand slowly growing inside mine, please know, that you’ll always be my baby. Forever. 💛💛💛”
While Michael didn’t get a date with Katie during the June 14 episode, she reassured him that she was still interested in him.
“I was definitely hoping to get invited to a group date. It stings. I have no idea where I stand right now,” he said on the episode. “Hopefully there is enough of a connection with Katie and I to carry us through to the next rose ceremony.”
The episode ended on a cliffhanger and no rose ceremony, but according to the episode description, Michael will get his first one-on-one date with Katie during the Monday, June 21, episode of The Bachelorette. Scroll through for five things to know about him:
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This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Sarah Hearon
