Say it ain’t so! Bachelorette couple Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya split nearly one year after getting engaged. Since announcing their breakup, Nayte has been combatting cheating rumors. 

The former reality star confirmed their split on Friday, June 17, in an Instagram Stories post, noting that their relationship in the public eye “has not been easy.”

“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,” Michelle wrote, in part, referring to Nayte as her “best friend.”

She continued, “I will always acknowledge and appreciate the adventures, support and growth both Nayte and this experience have brought me.”

Nayte, for his part, shared a similar statement, explaining that two realized “sometimes somebody that you hold dear to your heart isn’t somebody that you’re meant to spend the rest of your life with.”

He explained that “hearts are heavy, emotions are high and we are dealing with this the best way that we can.” Nayte went on to explain that both he and Michelle are “private people,” especially when dealing with the breakup.

“We genuinely fell in love, and we genuinely became each other’s best friends,” he added, in part. “Michelle and I will always cheer each other on, but moving forward, we will be cheering from a distance.”

Keep reading for more about their breakup. 

Did Nayte Cheat on Michelle? 

“No, I did not cheat,” the Austin native wrote in a lengthy message via Instagram on June 26, adding that “not every breakup needs to have someone to blame.”

“I’m actually a decent guy, and I only want to continue getting better,” he continued. “As we should all want for ourselves. Yes, the negativity and blatant hate has been hurtful during a difficult time.”

Why Did Bachelorette’s Michelle and Nayte Split?

Ahead of the split announcement, there were multiple claims about Michelle and Nayte ending their engagement. Celebrity gossip Instagram account DeuxMoi shared a message exchange that claimed they received “sad news” about the Bachelor Nation couple while chatting with “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast host Amanda Hirsch.

“I guess she was crying in their staff room last week with a few other teacher friends and said her and Nayte broke up,” the message from DeuxMoi read. “It happened right before the shooting [in Ulvade, Texas], so [a] really tough week for her overall. I think they are still in contact but no longer together.”

Did Bachelorette's Michelle Young, Nayte Olukoya Split? Clues
Amanda Hirsch/Instagram

Amanda shared the exchange on her own Instagram Story and added, “Yup, I heard this about Michelle and Nayte, too,” with a crying emoji. 

Michelle and Nayte still followed each other on Instagram, but the teacher hadn’t “liked” a photo on her fiancé’s page since May 29. She even skipped giving a double-tap to Nayte’s birthday tribute for her on June 4.

What Happens to the $200,000 Check Gifted at the Finale?

Following their whirlwind engagement on the series, Nayte and Michelle were gifted $200,000 dollars by the franchise to begin their life together in Minnesota. The large sum of money was meant to go toward the down payment on a new home — but what happens to the money since the pair broke up? 

“That was money that was gifted to both of us,” the former educator explained on the “Almost Famous” podcast in July 2022. “I think that’s something that is gonna be decided how it’s going to be utilized going forward.” 

Sharing her own plans, Michelle added, “I haven’t officially decided but I kind of have started putting some different things in place to give back, to build an organization, or you know, promote the change that I’ve been talking about.”

What Have Michelle and Nayte Said About Breakup Rumors?

The Minnesota native first addressed breakup speculation on May 29 after she was spotted without her engagement ring. 

“I typically don’t come on here and address these types of things, but because I’ve received so many messages about it,” Michelle began before trailing off in a video via her Instagram Stories on May 29. “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 continued, “Just a friendly reminder that Nayte and I are human beings, not a zoo exhibit. Not to mention, videoing someone without them knowing is creepy.”

Are Michelle and Nayte Still Together? 

The reality TV couple confirmed their uncoupling on June 17. Ahead of the split, Nayte teased that they want kids “one day in the future” while speaking exclusively to Life & Style during the 2022 iHeartRadio KIIS FM Wango Tango on June 4. 

“He was a 13-pound baby!” Michelle quipped during their joint interview, adding that they were taking their relationship “in stride” before settling down. “We are going to wait a hot minute because we have always talked about how we want to travel. We will travel with kids eventually, but we want to travel together first.”

Prior to that, the Austin resident said in February that he and Michelle were still “feeling it all out” in terms of where to live and when to get married.

“We like to make sure that we’re always making very calculated decisions, we’re always looking at all of our options,” Nayte, who had previously talked about making plans to move to Michelle’s home state of Minnesota, said, adding, “Yeah, it’ll happen.”

Life & Style reached out to Michelle and Nayte for comment but did not immediately hear back.