'Bachelorette' Gabby Channeled Her Heartbreak Into A 'Flawless' Performance On 'DWTS'

After a whirlwind of tears, roses, and receipts, fans were dying to know if the women of The Bachelorette season 19 found lasting love. And unfortunately, the answer is no.

Two months after revealing their engagement, Gabby Windey and Erich Schwer have officially called it quits.

Since The Bachelorette, Gabby has been competing on Dancing With the Stars. During the November 14 episode, Gabby, 31, opened up about her split with Erich, 29. And she explained why things didn't work out between them.

"I did just go through a break up," she revealed before her first dance of the night. "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."

Gabby and Erich’s love story wasn’t exactly a smooth one, and there are several reasons for that. For starters, one of Erich's exes shared some insights into her relationship with Erich after part 1 of the season finale aired, alleging that he didn't have the best intentions when he went on the show. Not to mention the blowback he faced for a racist high school photo that surfaced on Reddit.

But let's back up for a second to unpack what went down between these two. Here’s what you need to know about their love and breakup.

Warning: Spoilers ahead! Stop reading here if you don't want to know what happens during season 19 of The Bachelorette!

Gabby and Erich got engaged.

Yep, the two were happily engaged. At first, Gabby wasn't sure Erich would be down to take the next step, after he revealed he might prefer to just keep dating in the real world. But eventually, he got down on one knee.

"You deserve somebody that's going to give you 100 percent. The reason I'm standing in front of you is because I want to be that person for you," Erich said in footage that aired during Tuesday's finale. "I love you, Gabby Windey. You are amazing. You are the most amazing person I've ever met. It's you, me, until the wheels fall off. I'm head over heels in love with you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Needless to say, the feelings were mutual.

"I thought that you were too good to be true, but now I know that you are too good, but you're also true," Gabby said. "I love you and I want to love you as long as you let me. And, I'm sure, for much longer after that."

And she straight up hard launched him on the 'gram on September 21.

Erich addressed *those* texts he sent to an ex-girlfriend.

ICYMI, Erich came under fire after Amanda Kaylor, an alleged ex-girlfriend, shared some screenshots of their text conversations with the popular fan account Bachelor Nation Scoop. The texts seemed to show that Amanda dumped Erich after he told her he was going on The Bachelorette because it might "open a lot of doors" for him. He also said "it isn't real," which... yikes.

Both Gabby and Erich addressed it during the finale, but first, here's a recap:

In a statement the ex, Amanda, shared with Bachelor Nation Scoop, she revealed that she dated Erich for a few months and had "a whirlwind romance." During that time, Erich lost his job, and Amanda said he wasn't in a great place. In some text screenshots she shared, Erich abruptly told her he wanted to go on the show "to see if there was something else I could do with my life."

“I don’t believe Erich had any good intentions going on this show and I don’t believe anything to have changed,” Amanda wrote in her statement. “He wanted the clout and he got it. I just hope he doesn’t continue to hurt anyone on this new path he is on.”

In a text message sent before the new show began airing, Erich apparently wrote her, “What I did to you was terrible, I don’t expect you to ever forgive me. I just want you to know I think about you all the time and you really deserve the best. I won’t ever forgive myself I hope [you] find happiness and everything you deserve.”

Gabby and Erich talked it out during the finale.

"I was taking the cowardly way out. I fully led this girl on and I was using the show as an excuse to not confront her about our relationship at this point where I didn't see a future, but we were having fun," Erich explained, adding that he "took the easy way out" and "handled it poorly."

Gabby, for her part, revealed that she'd known about his past with Amanda before she came forward, and appreciated that her fiancé told her the truth. "He's gracious and he's honest and I do believe what he says," Gabby said. She did add, though, that she thought Erich was "kind of an asshole" to his ex.

Erich also faced controversy after an old photo surfaced—but it wasn't addressed on-screen.

Gabby's main man also dealt with some intense off-screen controversy after a high school yearbook photo surfaced showing him in blackface. In the photo, which has been circulating in a viral Reddit post, Erich appears in blackface and an afro wig during what looks like a high school school costume day.

Blackface has a severely fraught and racist history, as it involves depicting oneself in a way that "mocks or ridicules" Black people, according to Merriam-Webster.

Erich apologized for the photo in a public Instagram post, but many viewers were disappointed that he wasn't pressed about it during the finale. Gabby, on the other hand, addressed the situation in a September 20 interview with People.

"I was incredibly shocked," she told the outlet, adding that she learned about the photo when everyone else in the world did. "[I] just really had to process my thoughts and then think about how we can grow as a couple and learn from this."

They broke up less than two months after the finale.

This news comes just days after Gabby gave a vague (and none too positive) comment about her current 'ship status to a Fox News reporter on October 31. Erich didn't seem to be in the audience for her DWTS performance, and her engagement ring was notably missing.

"I think life is just really busy for the both of us right now," she said at the time. "So, I understand their concern but we're just kinda, you know, going forward with each of our individual interests and supporting each other from afar."

Later that week, a source confirmed that Gabby broke up with Erich, according to E! News. "She felt they weren't aligned and weren't on the same page," the source said. "Gabby was hoping they could give each other space and work it out but ultimately decided they didn't have a future."

Even though he wasn't at the show, Erich still posted an Instagram story urging his followers to vote for Gabby to stay on the show.

So...I guess these two are now officially part of the "shortest bach nation" relationships roundup.

Gabby opened up about her breakup on the November 14 episode of 'DTWS.'

Ahead of her first dance of the night with pro partner Val Chmerkovskiy, Gabby opened up about her recent heartbreak.

"For me, [love] holds a special place because I did just go through a break up," she said, per PEOPLE. "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."

"But I'm just so grateful that my dad and my stepmom encompass so many fundamentals and values that I look for in a relationship: never placing blame or you did this or that," she continued. "I want to channel that kind of everlasting love in this dance."

The dancing duo landed perfect score and the top spot—securing their place in next week's finals.

You Might Also Like

• Oprah’s Favorite Things Of 2022 Is Here—Gift These 20 Amazing Finds This Year

• Jennifer Garner Swears By This Retinol Eye Cream

• These New Kicks Will Help You Smash Your Cross-Training Goals