The Bachelorette 's Nayte Olukoya Denies Cheating on Ex Michelle Young

The Bachelorette's Nayte Olukoya is setting the record straight on his and Michelle Young's recent breakup.

Just over a week after the couple confirmed they had gone their separate ways, the sales executive announced that he was going to "address a few things" about their split in a June 25 Instagram Story post. In a numbered list, Nayte denied ever cheating on Michelle and reminded readers that "Not every breakup needs to have someone to blame."

"Yes, the pressures were insane for both of us," he wrote. "We tried. It didn't work. We're sad about it. We all grieve differently."

The 27-year-old, who proposed to Michelle at the end of Season 18 in 2021, said that he "truly believed Michelle was my person" and called the hate he's received online since their announcement "hurtful during a difficult time."

"Yes, many of you seem to paint me as a red flag/ f--k boy. Maybe it's the piercings and tattoos? Who knows," he shared. "But I'm actually a decent guy, and I only want to continue getting better. As we should all want for ourselves."

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While Nayte acknowledged that he was "inexperienced with love" prior to joining the show, he explained that he went on The Bachelorette with "no expectations. Just an open mind and an open heart (shoutout to Michelle for opening it a little more)."

The Bachelor Nation star also revealed that he was initially going to move to Michelle's home state of Minnesota earlier this year, but that "plans changed as we decided there was no need to rush anything."

He added that the pair wanted to "get to know each other on a deeper level before taking the leap of living together."

Nayte also shot down the idea that their breakup had anything to do with their friends, including his fellow Season 18 castmates.

"Yes, I like to hang out with my guys. As she likes to hang out with her girls. Nothing wrong with that. If anything, super healthy," he shared. "We are social people. Not everyone who goes to bars are cheaters."

"My name is Babatunde Olufemi Robert Nathaneil Olukoya, and I will never live my life based on how others think I should live it. Period," He concluded his post. "For kind people, sending kind things, and respecting both Michelle and I. THANK YOU."

In a June 17 statement, Nayte shared that "Hearts are heavy, emotions are high, and we are dealing with this the best way we can" since his and Michelle's split.

He added, "We genuinely fell in love, and we genuinely became each other's best friends. Michelle and I will always cheer each other on, but moving forward, we will be cheering from a distance."

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