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Kaitlyn Bristowe Reveals Reason Behind Jason Tartick Split: We ‘Didn’t Make Each Other a Priority’
Kaitlyn Bristowe revealed the reason behind why she and fiancé Jason Tartick called it quits after four years together. “I think people assume if people break up, something bad happened. And I think that’s the hardest part of this whole breakup — nothing bad happened. It’s just been over time. We have both not made each other a priority. And this is what happens,” the former Bachelorette explained during the Tuesday, August 15, episode of her “Off the Vine” podcast.
“I’ve never respected someone more through a breakup than I do with Jason,” Kaitlyn, 38, continued, adding she and Jason, 34, “don’t know what the future holds,” but breaking up was “the necessary move for us right now.”
The Nashville resident became tearful when talking about the split, revealing “We are both so sad. You think you’re going to spend your life with somebody. … I don’t want to sit here and cry … We’re grieving a loss.”
Kaitlyn explained that Jason now lives down the street from her as they coparent their pets. “I’m going to see him because we’re going to share the dogs, but I can’t, like, be with him in the way that I’m used to,” she told listeners.
The Dancing With the Stars champ acknowledged fans might be baffled about why they’re remaining close but are no longer a couple.
“It’s probably so confusing for people, because they’re like, ‘Why aren’t you just together then?’ Like, if people can just trust in what we’re doing and where our hearts are and be supportive. … Maybe in six months from now, we go, ‘Yeah, this was the right move.’ And maybe in six months, we go, ‘You know what, I want to choose you,'” Kaitlyn confessed, adding, “But we haven’t been choosing each other.”
“I do need to choose myself. And I want him to choose himself. And that’s what we’ve been doing anyways. The right person is going to choose each other — you’re gonna prioritize each other and we just haven’t been, so …,” she concluded.
Kaitlyn and Jason confirmed they ended their two-year engagement on August 6 after fans speculated there was trouble in their relationship. In July, the duo took separate vacations and the Leduc, Canada, native was photographed not wearing her engagement ring.
“After sharing the news with family and close friends first, and taking the time to properly process it ourselves, we are saddened with heavy hearts to share that we have decided to end our engagement,” the pair wrote in a joint statement via Instagram. “We are thankful for all of you who gave us the time and space to process this life altering decision as there are many emotions and changes to navigate.”
Kaitlyn and Jason shared that their dogs Ramen and Pinot “will continue to be cared for together as brothers. While their humans are no longer romantically involved, we will love and take care of them together.”
The former couple added, “Continuing our friendship is incredibly important to both of us. We feel grateful to be ending our engagement with love and respect for each other. It’s heartbreaking and sad to say goodbye, but our care and admiration for one another will never die.”
Kaitlyn and Jason’s inner circle are hoping that the pair will reconcile, a source told Life & Style exclusively. “Friends and family are all for them taking some time apart, but they’d love them to get back together,” the insider said, adding, “Kaitlyn would love to have worked things out with Jason, but I really think any talk of a reconciling is wishful thinking at this point,” the source continued. “But who knows, couples get back together all the time. I guess time will tell.”
“Everyone thought Kaitlyn and Jason would get married and that they were just dragging their feet about the wedding planning,” a second source told Life & Style exclusively. “The truth is that their feelings for each other changed. They had a good run and have really great memories, but they both realized that they were better off friends than husband and wife.”
