Bachelor in Paradise’s Serene Russell Gives Dating Update After Ending Brandon Jones Engagement

Serene Russell is getting back in the dating game after ending her engagement to Brandon Jones in May 2023. The Bachelor in Paradise alum exclusively tells Life & Style that she’s “been going on a couple of dates” recently.

“I’m keeping my relationship stuff a little more private because I have shared so much of it in the past,” the reality star, who attended Courtney Bagby Lupilin and Little Red Management’s Little Red Retreat, in partnership with Beachbound, at UNICO 20°87° in Cancun, Mexico, says. “But, you know, as soon as there’s something to share, I will definitely let you know!”

One place you won’t find Serene, 28, scouring for dates is on a dating app. “I have not been on a dating app ever except for, like, one week, like, four years ago or something like that,” she admits. “I think it was, like, during the pandemic because I was like, ‘How am I going to meet someone?’ I had just graduated college and I was working as a teacher, but working online remotely.”

However, she says she “decided that that wasn’t the path for me within, like, a week” and prefers to meet people “organically.” When it comes to what she’s looking for, Serene adds, “Someone patient and kind and empathetic. I love a funny guy. I like to laugh a lot, so that’s really important. I think having fun together is the most important thing.”

The Bachelor alum is also on the lookout for red flags, including, “how somebody talks about other people or their friends or family [and] if it’s in a more negative light.” Another dealbreaker for her is someone “not having goals” and “just floating along” in life.

Serene dated Clayton Echard on season 26 of The Bachelor, which aired at the beginning of 2022. She was sent home after hometown dates and then returned to reality television on season 8 of Bachelor in Paradise that summer. The Oklahoma native got engaged to Brandon, 29, at the end of filming, but they split less than one year later.

“After many months, today we have ultimately decided to end our engagement,” the exes said in a joint statement. “We have tried to work privately on our relationship which has been incredibly challenging in the public eye. This has been immensely hard to accept and painful, as there is a lot of love between the two of us. We are deeply hurting and can only ask that there be no hate. The best path for us at this time is to try and move forward and heal from this as individuals.”

Serene discussed the split for the first time during an interview with Kaitlyn Bristowe in October 2023. She specifically referenced a video that had previously made the rounds on social media, which showed Brandon seemingly talking to another woman during a night out. Serene admitted that the footage caused “irreparable damage” in the pair’s relationship.

“I spent so much time ruminating and playing things back in my head,” she said. “Like, ‘Does this make sense? Did I not see things?’ I think the most painful thing is that we were still very much committed to each other.”

Meanwhile, Brandon denied that he was ever unfaithful to his fiancée. In an Instagram Story, Brandon said that he and Serene had privately separated before he went on the trip where the video was taken.

“Unfortunately, during this time of private separation, coming back from Austin a video came to light that while harmless made my ex partner upset,” he shared. “After speaking with her one on one and navigating our new normal, she felt that I had cheated and wanted to make this news known. For the record, in the early days of our official breakup, I shared one dance with a woman… Nothing else, just a single dance before leaving my friends.”

He continued, “Completely understanding where her valid feelings were coming from, I took ownership regarding her feelings and my actions. As we had made amends and agreed to put this behind us, I was surprised to learn, very publicly, that there are still lingering issues between us that need to be resolved. Out of profound respect and love for the time we shared together, I want to move forward peacefully, ultimately hoping to preserve our memories and former relationship.”