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“The Bachelorette” couple Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya have called off their engagement!
Six months after he popped the question on the season finale of “The Bachelorette,” they announced their split.
Days ago, Young wrote on her Instagram Story, “I’m struggling to say that Nayte and I will be going our separate ways, but 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.”
She admitted that a public relationship “has not been easy.”
Michelle also included a message to Nayte, writing, “The love I have for you is incredibly strong. I will never stop wanting to see you succeed.”
She kept it real about the split, writing, “I will always acknowledge and appreciate the adventures, support, and growth both Nayte and this experience have brought me. At the same time, I’m deeply hurting and will need time and space to work through this heartbreak.”
Nayte also posted a message on his Instagram Story. He wrote, “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.”
“Hearts are heavy, emotions are high, and we are dealing with this the best way we can… 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,” he went on.
Along with asking for privacy, Nayte emphasized, “The emotions are real. The heartbreak is real…. We’re human beings going through a breakup, and we all know breakups are difficult.”
A month ago, the two had been subject to breakup rumors after she was spotted without her engagement ring.
Shutting down the rumors, Michelle said on Instagram, “There is a video circulating of me on a rooftop this weekend and I’m not wearing my engagement ring. And what I will have to say is to the person who is paying close enough attention to catch that moment, you also had to be paying close enough attention to see one of my friends briefly remove my engagement ring to try it on and then place it back on my finger.”
She stressed, “Just a friendly reminder that Nayte and I, we are human beings — not a zoo exhibit.”
In December, “Extra” spoke with the couple, who were hinting at a summer wedding. He said, “We’re set on summer… We’re going to get through the holidays… get through buying this house, moving to Minnesota, but summertime in the near future.”