Serene Russell/ Instagram
BiP’s Serene Russell Claps Back at Brandon Jones Split Rumors: ‘I Set Them Straight’
Still in paradise! The Bachelor alum Serene Russell slammed rumors that she and fiancé Brandon Jones split and addressed the hot topic after a fan asked if they were still together during an Instagram Q&A.
“The account that started this rumor kept posting it on different mediums even after I set them straight. You can’t believe everything you read online because how would they know,” Serene wrote via Instagram Stories on Sunday, January 29.
Brandon quickly entered the chat by reposting Serene’s Instagram Story to his account, writing, “These accounts be saying anything. Clout is a helluva drug.”
Brandon, 28, and Serene, 27, did not publicly identify the online account posting the breakup rumors.
The picture-perfect couple met during Bachelor in Paradise season 8, which aired in September 2022. Serene and The Bachelorette alum arrived on the beach with their eyes set on each other and started their love story on day 1 of the show.
After experiencing a smooth sailing season while exclusively dating one another, Brandon proposed to Serene during the Bachelor in Paradise season finale.
“Serene Brook Russell, I love you. I love you in every sense of the word. You are this ever-lasting spark that has hit me so hard and I have come to the beautiful realization that from the moment I saw you, my happily ever after could’ve never started until I started a life with you,” Brandon said during the beachside proposal.
The Oklahoma native eagerly accepted the proposal and the pair have since progressed in their relationship after the cameras stopped rolling.
After returning from the romantic summer on the beach, Serena and Brandon moved into a new apartment in San Diego. Although the couple is enjoying living together, they are also actively planning their wedding and previously told Life & Style they “have their year” set.
“We want to get married in 2024, but no details. We’re still kind of trying to decide what kind of wedding we want,” Serene exclusively told Life & Style in January.
The former elementary school teacher revealed that having a wedding in Mexico is “possible” but she and Brandon – who complained the beach was “so hot” – were not sure about the final destination for their upcoming nuptials.
Serene continues, “We would keep [our wedding] a secret though! We wouldn’t tell. We’d be like, ‘Hey everyone, we’re already married.’”
Serene and Brandon also reflected on their transition from living on the beach in their “cocoon” to going back into the real world as an engaged couple.
“When you get out you’re like, ‘OK, we’re in the real world now.’ But in our case, we had to stay secret for so long and it didn’t feel as normal as you would think,” Serene explained. “We had a lot more time to get to know each other and keep things to ourselves.”
