The Reasons 71 Bachelor Nation Couples Gave for Ending Their Journeys
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Originally appeared on E! Online
As a great poet once said, every rose has its thorn. Okay, it was Poison frontman Bret Michaels. And he likely wasn't positing about the relationships formed and dismantled on the Bachelor franchise's collection of shows.
But he might as well have been.
A mere three months after viewers—and pretty much all of Bachelor Nation—were marveling at the fact that inaugural Golden Bachelor Gerry Turner and his bride Theresa Nist never stopped believing after losing their respective spouses, the newlyweds revealed April 12 that they've separated.
"Theresa and I have had a number of heart-to-heart conversations," Gerry explained on Good Morning America, "and we've looked closely at our situation, our living situation, so forth and we've kind of come to the conclusion mutually that it's probably time for us to dissolve our marriage."
At issue: The nearly 700 miles between their homes in New Jersey and Indiana. "We looked at homes in South Carolina, we considered New Jersey, and we just looked at home after home," explained Garden State resident Theresa, "but we never got to the point where we made that decision."
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And while that turn of events is, dare we say, one of the more dramatic in Bachelor history, the couple are hardly the first to admit the bloom has come off the proverbial rose.
Counting the most recent Bachelor Joey Graziadei and his bride-to-be Kelsey Anderson, only eight leads are currently with their final rose recipient. (Though, shout out to Jason Mesnick and Arie Luyendyk Jr., who each remain wed to their runner-up.) And while the inhabitants of Mexico's Playa Escondida Resort have certainly fared better, only 11 Bachelor in Paradise couples are still swearing that they can see forever in each other's eyes.
For everyone else, well, it was almost paradise. Bachelor Nation's fallen duos—all 71 of them—reveal the reasons their journeys ended.
Theresa Nist and Gerry Turner, The Golden Bachelor
Length of Relationship: Seven months
He and She Said: Turns out the Journey-loving pair weren't willing to take the midnight train going anywhere. After previously sharing their plan to move to South Carolina, Jersey girl Theresa and Indiana-based Gerry revealed in April 2024 that they simply couldn't agree on a home base.
"The thing that strikes me the most in our conversations, it's been how dedicated both of us are to our families," Gerry explained on Good Morning America. "So we look at these situations and I think we just feel like it's best for the happiness of each of us to, to live apart."
Agreed Theresa, "We looked at homes in South Carolina, we considered New Jersey, and we just looked at home after home, but we never got to the point where we made that decision."
Eliza Isichei and Aaron Bryant, Bachelor in Paradise Season 9
Length of Relationship: Six months
He Said: Mere days after their summer 2023 engagement aired on Bachelor in Paradise, the software salesman revealed on his Instagram Stories Dec. 11 that their "love story has come to an end." Acknowledging he felt "tricky emotions" watching everything play out on air, he added, "We're leading our amicable split with nothing but positivity and mutual respect for one another."
She Said: Though the marketing manager hasn't explicitly said anything about the breakup, she let her social media do the talking, posting a Jan. 2 video that included a snap of a mystery man kissing her on the cheek.
Aven Jones and Kylee Russell, Bachelor in Paradise Season 9
Length of Relationship: Six months
She Said: Basically that he was never in Mexico for the right reasons. Two days after they were shown leaving as a couple on the season nine Paradise finale, the North Carolina-based nurse revealed their relationship had come to a dramatic conclusion.
"Following our relationship announcement yesterday, I want to thank my God he did not allow me to live another day in the dark," she wrote on her Instagram Stories. "In the last 24 hours I have been grasping with the fact that one of the most important relationships in my life has dissolved due to multiple infidelities."
He Said: Apologizing to Kylee, his family and friends, the San Diego sales exec admitted, "I have made major mistakes in the relationship and hurt someone who was very close to me. At this time, I am in an extremely extremely low place trying to work on myself. I am doing my best to find healing, find myself and be a better person."
Kat Izzo and John Henry Spurlock, Bachelor in Paradise Season 9
Length of Relationship: Six months
He and She Said: Another one? The same day Eliza and Aaron announced their split, the nurse and the underwater welder revealed that they, too, could no longer see forever in each other's eyes. Calling off plans to move to San Diego together, the engaged pair explained in a joint statement that their paths were "taking different directions due to our career goals not aligning."
"While this decision wasn't easy," the East Coast-based duo added, "we believe it's the right step for both of us as individuals."
Danielle Maltby and Michael Allio, Bachelor in Paradise Season 8
Length of Relationship: One year
He Said: Confirming their long-rumored split on fellow Bachelorette alum Jason Tartick's Trading Secrets podcast in September 2023, the single dad said, "We both threw a lot into this relationship and it's really awful when it doesn't work out." They had done all of the things to build a life together, he continued, but "when you realize that love is there, but you're not necessarily compatible, you mourn the loss, not of just that person and that friend in your life, but also the future that you had envisioned."
She Said: Um, excuse me? Days later the nurse, who left her home in Nashville to join Michael in Ohio, posted a response to her Instagram Stories revealing she was "shocked to find out my breakup would be announced in this fashion." Their split "was not a mutual decision arriving at some perception of incompatibilities," she continued, "However, I do hope the best for Michael."
Johnny DePhillipo and Victoria Fuller, Bachelor in Paradise Season 8
Length of Relationship: Three weeks
He Said: By the time the betrothed pair returned to film the Paradise finale in November 2022, she'd already slipped off her Neil Lane diamond. “In that timeframe of stepping out from filming to that one month of being engaged, I started to feel not good enough for her," the realtor explained, before alluding to the "rumors" surrounding the start of Victoria's new romance with Bachelorette alum Greg Grippo. "I really wanted to trust her, but I don’t know.”
She Said: Yes, she and pal-turned-paramour Greg were the real deal, but, no, they didn't explore their connection until an October trip to Italy—after the end of their so-called "toxic" romance. “When we got out into the real world, there was a lot of concerns," she explained. "We had a lot of ups and downs and I expressed to him that I wasn’t happy and I was not going to be engaged if I wasn’t happy to be married."
Alleging that he'd called her a "f--king c--t" and complained she didn't cook or clean (a conversation he said was a joke), Victoria added of the cheating allegations, “I know you know that to not be true. I think it’s very easy to blame another situation and other people for us not working out."
Brandon Jones and Serene Russell, Bachelor in Paradise Season 8
Length of Relationship: Five months
He and She Said: Almost paradise. Months after Michelle Young's runner-up proposed in Mexico, promising to love the elementary school teacher "until my last breath," the couple announced the end of their engagement with a joint statement. "We have tried to work privately on our relationship which has been incredibly challenging in the public eye," they wrote on Instagram. "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."
Kira Mengistu and Romeo Alexander, Bachelor in Paradise Season 8
Length of Relationship: A few months
She Said: Leaving the beach together after a few false starts, the Paradise pair hardly proved to be star-crossed lovers. A month after they appeared on the November 2022 reunion together, the physician shared on her Instagram Stories, "Romeo and I have gone our separate ways. Sometimes you shouldn’t give people a second chance to disappoint you.”
He Said: Hardly thrilled with her assessment of the split, Romeo responded on his own Instagram page, writing, "Two sides to every story."
He told his version on a December 2022 episode of the Fearlessly Authentic podcast. "There was hope or possibility that something could happen, but honestly, I wasn't comfortable with the pressure, with the expectation," explained the mathematician. "This feeling of like, oh, we should try to make this work because if it works then we'll get more attention and we could say that Paradise was successful."
Tyler Norris and Brittany Galvin, Bachelor in Paradise Season 8
Length of Relationship: A month and a half
He Said: Appearing on the November 2022 reunion after leaving Paradise together, the New Jersey shop owner said Brittany broke up with him over FaceTime from her Italian vacation—the convo taking place the same day Bachelorette Rachel Recchia was shown dumping him on-air.
"She just felt like we were two different people living two different lives," he said, "and she just couldn't do it anymore."
She Said: Brittany insisted she actually asked for a break not a break up, posting on social media after the reunion "We ended on mutual terms. This came out of no where [sic]."
Responding to fan criticism that she seemed cold toward her ex, the Chicago-based model explained they only showed 60 seconds of a 20-minute convo.
"I had some serious conversations with him about where we saw ourselves in the next few years," she said on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, noting they had visited each other in their respective cities and met each other's families. "We had to figure out if we’d make the jump and move to the same city or try to keep doing long distance. After we had a few conversations, I expressed to him that I needed a break."
Gabby Windey and Erich Schwer, The Bachelorette Season 19
Length of Relationship: Six months
She Said: The Dancing With the Stars contestant didn't quickstep around the issue when news broke that she and her final rose recipient had ended their romance. "I did just go through a breakup," she admitted to partner Val Chmerkovskiy while discussing their waltz on a November 2022 episode. "The end of our relationship happened because we weren't completely in step and in sync with each other on our common goals or just the way we approach life. We weren't each other's best match."
He Said: Proving they were, however, on the same page about their split, he responded on his Instagram Stories the next day, writing, "The reality is that we were ultimately not each others people—it's hard when there isn't one thing to put your finger on. We met in a very unique situation and in a very unique way and I'm grateful we did. I would never take it back."
Rachel Recchia and Tino Franco, The Bachelorette Season 19
Length of Relationship: A few months
She Said: Appearing on After the Final Rose immediately following Tino's proposal, the pilot revealed she and the general contractor began experiencing turbulence when their season started airing in July 2022. "It really didn't work out, he cheated on me," Rachel told host Jesse Palmer, sharing that Tino kissed another woman. "It's just heartbreaking. This is the person I thought I was gonna spend the rest of my life with and start a family with."
He Said: Explaining how he struggled with fans' opinions when the show started airing, Tino stressed to Nick Viall on his Viall Files podcast that October, "I'm definitely not on Team Cheater." Though they experienced struggles, he continued, "I do not stand by what I did at all. It was not cool. It wasn't fair to Rachel, and it haunts me daily still. It's something I'm ashamed of and certainly wish I could have done it differently like a million times over."
Susie Evans and Clayton Echard, The Bachelor Season 26
Length of Relationship: Less than a year
He and She Said: Though she gave their romance an IRL shot after their breakup on the March 2022 finale, their journey came to a dramatic finish that September. "We understand that there will likely be a lot of questions about this decision—social media is definitely a highlight reel and much of our experiences together we have kept private as I'm sure most can understand," they explained in a joint statement, posted to Instagram. "But we will share this—although this last year together has brought us so much joy and so many laughs, there has also been a significant amount of pain."
And ultimately the bad outweighed the good, they continued, "We know no healthy relationship comes without its struggles, but we've realized that we were not prepared for the external forces that hindered our ability to not only heal as individuals but also as a couple."
In a November blog post, the videographer added that the split was for the right reasons. "The people around me could see that my sparkle had dulled and I was far from thriving," she wrote, acknowledging that they "had joyous moments often, but deep down I was struggling and felt misaligned with the best version of me."
Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya, The Bachelorette Season 18
Length of Relationship: Less than a year
She Said: "I'm struggling to say that Nayte and I will be going our separate ways," the Minneapolis-based teacher wrote on her Instagram Stories in June 2022, nearly a year after she accepted a Neil Lane diamond and a $200,000 check from producers to put toward their future home. Acknowledging the challenge of dating in the public eye, she added, "I stand with him in knowing the heaviness that is present in both of our hearts as this relationship has been very real for us."
He Said: In his own post, the Austin sales exec added, "When we both started this journey, we were looking for our Soulmates. Our forever. Our best friends. However, as we grow and learn, we also realize that sometimes somebody that you hold dear to your heart isn't somebody that you're meant to spend the rest of your life with."
Months later he explained on The Viall Files that they'd come close to breaking up several times before. "Our relationship was tough," he said. "There was lots of ups and downs, lots of arguments, lots of fights and just not really clicking, not really seeing eye-to-eye."
Maurissa Gunn and Riley Christian, Bachelor in Paradise Season 7
Length of Relationship: Six months
He and She Said: Engaged in the same season that gave us newlyweds Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt plus Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin, Paradise's first bethrothed Black couple kicked off 2022 with a joint split statement. "Never did we imagine this, but we've come to a point where we both need to work on ourselves," they shared. "We've appreciated everyone's love and support so far throughout our journey and we just ask that you please respect our privacy as we navigate through this."
Pieper James and Brendan Morais, Bachelor in Paradise Season 7
Length of Relationship: Two years
She Said: The duo faced accusations that they weren't in Mexico for the so-called right reasons after their fellow contestants discovered they'd been casually dating before arriving to the beach. Leaving Paradise as a pair, they continued to date even moving in together in Massachusetts.
But when their controversial romance ended for good in 2023, the New Yorker let her social media do the talking, captioning an Instagram video, “When they say ‘go to hell’ but I’m still recovering from the whiplash my last relationship caused me."
He Said: The model has largely stayed silent on the matter, though he did post about a recent move to L.A.
Katie Thurston and Blake Moynes, The Bachelorette Season 17
Length of Relationship: Six months
He and She Said: Two months after the Bachelorette accepted a proposal from the Canadian wildlife manager on-air, the duo posted matching messages to Instagram in October 2021 announcing they'd gone their separate ways. "We are so grateful for the moments we shared together and the entire journey that has unfolded this year," their carefully prepared statement read, "but we ultimately have concluded that we are not compatible as life partners, and it is the most caring choice for both of us to move forward independently."
Days later Katie, who'd go on to date John Hersey, the bartender she eliminated in the second week, added their main issue was that they simply weren't all that happy together.
"I think a lot of people are like, 'Well, what really happened? What's the big thing that happened with Katie and Blake?'" she noted. "And it's like, we were together for six months. Blake and I are very levelheaded and mature, and we communicate very well on our thoughts. And we just both knew, if this is how our first six months was as a couple, going forward, it was going to not be in our best interest for our happiness to stay together."
Tayshia Adams and Zac Clark, The Bachelorette Season 16
Length of Relationship: One year
She Said: Shortly after the marathoners revealed their relationship had run its course, Tayshia broke her silence while cohosting The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All in December 2021. "All I have to say is that I'm heartbroken," said Tayshia, who moved cross-country to join Zac in NYC. "But we tried really hard and I still love him very much. And I'm not sure what the future holds."
He Said: While the pair never got back on course, the addiction specialist briefly addressed their romance during a September 2023 appearance on The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast, saying simply, “Two good people don’t always make a good relationship, that's my experience there.”
Clare Crawley and Dale Moss, The Bachelorette Season 16
Length of Relationship: Six months
He Said: "Clare and I have decided to go our separate ways," the model posted on Instagram in January 2021, mere months after their whirlwind engagement played out on her truncated season of The Bachelorette. "We appreciate the love and support we've received from so many people, but this is the healthiest decision for both of us at this time."
She Said: But perhaps not a joint one? Days later Clare revealed on her profile, "I was made aware of a 'mutual' statement at the same time you all were, so I've needed some time to really digest this."
"I may not have all the answers," she continued, "but I do know this—I will continue to show up, stand by my word, and be committed to love." So committed, in fact, that the exes gave it another go that summer only to split once again in September 2021.
Peter Weber and Hannah Ann Sluss, The Bachelor Season 24
Length of Relationship: Two months
He Said: Similar to Arie Luyendyk Jr. (we'll get to all that), Peter proposed to Hannah Ann after fellow finalist Madison Prewett self-eliminated, only to find himself thinking about his runner-up. So he also broke it off with Hannah Ann during one of their clandestine meetups, telling the model, "I want so badly to be able to give you everything, give you my entire heart." The entire exchanged aired during his season's 2020 finale.
She Said: When Peter tried to apologize, Hannah Ann responded by asking if he was sorry "for not being man enough to follow through with your words?....Not being true to your feelings? Is that what you're sorry for?" Even Peter's mom was clapping for Hannah Ann, who proved to be the MVP of the night when she told Peter, "You've done enough damage. Leave. Leave, bye."
Peter Weber and Madison Prewett, The Bachelor Season 24
Length of Relationship: Two days
He Said: Hours after going against his disapproving mother Barb's wishes on live TV to proposition his initial runner-up, the pilot took to Instagram to reveal he and the Alabama native had "mutually decided to not pursue our relationship any further. Believe me this was not easy for either of us to be ok with."
She Said: At the same time, Madison, who had previously left the show ahead of the final rose ceremony, posted her own Instagram statement, writing, "I am confident that we will both move in the direction of our purpose and never forget that God has a plan in all things."
Peter Weber and Kelley Flanagan, The Bachelor Season 24
Length of Relationship: Roughly a year and a half, on and off
He Said: Which time? When he and Kelley (who just missed making it to hometowns on his Bachelor season) initially split in December 2020, the pilot wrote in a since-deleted Instagram, "Love is a funny thing. "It can make you feel on top of the world and it can make you feel a pain you wish didn't exist. I'm here to share that Kelley and I have decided to go our separate ways."
She Said: Following their second split the next February, Kelley told Kaitlyn Bristowe on her Off the Vine podcast, "On my end, there were just a lot of non-negotiables in the relationship that they essentially were seeming to be worked on or saying that they were going to be worked on or changed, and actions kind of speak louder than words."
The couple tried to take off one more time in the fall of 2022, but the third time didn't prove to be the charm.
Chris Bukowski and Katie Morton, Bachelor in Paradise Season 6
Length of Relationship: Four months
He and She Said: Following their rollercoaster romance and an intense showing at the After Paradise special, which saw Katie initially take the stage without her engagement ring, the duo announced their split in December 2019 with a joint statement.
"We've reached a point in our story where we agree it's best to go our separate ways," the former couple said. "We have chosen to love and respect each other as friends because that's the base of our relationship, and it's what is most natural for us. We are incredibly thankful for the support we've received from our family, friends and everyone who supported us throughout our journey—from Paradise to this moment. We are grateful for everything that we've learned in this chapter, and are hopeful for what is to come in life and in love for both of us."
Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty, Bachelor in Paradise Season 6
Length of Relationship: Two months
She and She Said: After becoming the franchise's first same-sex couple and getting engaged at the end of the sixth season of Bachelor in Paradise, fan favorites Demi and Kristian, who had not previously appeared on any of the franchise's shows, announced their split in October 2019.
"With a heavy heart full of love for one another we have decided it is best for us to take a step back from our relationship," the couple said in a joint statement on Instagram. "We ultimately want what is best for us in the long run and for us right now, that means being apart and growing individually."
John Paul Jones and Tayshia Adams, Bachelor in Paradise Season 6
Length of Relationship: Two months
He and She Said: The California-based phlebotomist (who romanced Colton Underwood) and the Maryland financial analyst who briefly dated Hannah Brown attempted to make their romance work IRL once leaving the beach in 2019. But Tayshia announced their mutual decision to call it off, writing on Instagram, "the reality was, we were living on opposite coasts, and working insane schedules that made it impossible to see each other and build a life with each other."
She added, "We are the best of friends and will continue to remain in each other's life because regardless of the situation, we make each other happy."
JPJ commented on the post with the heart and praise hand emojis.
