Love Is Dead: We Still Haven’t Recovered From These Crushing Bachelor Nation Breakups

Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick

The pair announced their split in August 2023 and ended their two-year engagement.

Kaitlyn and Jason shared the news with their close family and friends before making their breakup public, though fans were speculating there was trouble in their relationship weeks before.

Though they both made the heartbreaking decision to end their relationship, they made it clear they still have the utmost love and respect for one another.

Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya

On June 17, 2022, season 18 Bachelorette Michelle Young and her winner Nayte Olukoya announced that they called off their engagement.

“I’m struggling to say that Nayte and I will be going out separate ways but I stand with him in knowing the heaviness that is present in both our hearts as this relationship has been very real for us,” the teacher shared via Instagram Stories at the time. “To you, Nayte, you quickly became my best friend and the love I have for you is incredibly strong. I will never stop wanting to see you succeed.”

For his part, Nayte added, “Michelle and I are going to move forward separately. Hearts are heavy, emotions are high and we are dealing with this the best way we can.”

Tayshia Adams and Zac Clark

Tayshia Adams, who first appeared on season 23 of The Bachelor and later stepped in as Bachelorette during season 16, broke things off with former fiancé Zac Clark after a year-long engagement. 

Tayshia broke her silence about their breakup during the December 2021 episode of “Men Tell All.” When her cohost Kaitlyn Bristowe pointed out Tayshia’s bare engagement ring finger, Tayshia responded, “All in all, all I have to say is that I’m heartbroken.”

She continued, “But, we tried really hard, and I still love him very much. And I’m not sure what the future holds,” before walking off the set to take a break.

Katie Thurston and John Hersey

Season 17’s Bachelorette, Katie Thurston, confirmed in June 2022 that she parted ways with John Hersey, who she got together with one month after ending her engagement to her winner on the show, Blake Moynes. 

“Statement: No, we aren’t together,” Kate wrote via Instagram Stories on June 20, keeping her explanation for their breakup brief.

Maurissa Gunn and Riley Christian

The Bachelor in Paradise season 7 couple called it quits in January 2022, confirming their split with a joint statement that month.

“We have decided to go our separate ways. Never did we imagine this, but we’ve come to a point where we both need to work on ourselves,” their statement read. “We’ve appreciated everyone’s love and support so far throughout our journey and we just ask that you please respect our privacy as we navigate through this.”

Since then, Maurissa has hinted that their split was not as amicable as the duo initially made it out to be.

“Make sure you’re compatible with how you want to raise kids, how you want to have family, things like that, where you want to live. I made the mistake by trying to sacrifice everything going into it for love,” she said on the “Almost Famous” podcast that April. “But I mean, I don’t think it was really a sacrifice — when you’re in love, that’s what you do. … I’m still questioning it myself.”

Bri Stauss and Chris Watson

Despite appearing on season 16 of The Bachelorette in late 2020, the Listen to Your Heart couple announced their split in January 2021. “With deep admiration and respect for one another, we have decided to end our relationship and go our separate ways,” the former flames told E! in a statement. “We will always look back on our journey with deep fondness, and will continue to support each other both personally and professionally.”

Clare Crawley and Dale Moss

“We strongly believe in leading with love and always remaining true to oneself — something our families have taught and instilled in us throughout our lives. We only hope the best things for one another,” Dale wrote in his confirmation of their split on Instagram in January 2021. For her part, Us Weekly was told Clare was a “wreck” amid their breakup.

Peter Weber and Kelley Flanagan

Peter and Kelley revealed their breakup on December 31, 2020. “Love is a funny thing. It can make you feel on top of the world and it can make you feel a pain you wish didn’t exist. I’m here to share that Kelley and I have decided to go our separate ways. While our relationship was filled with countless beautiful memories, our relationship simply didn’t work out in the end,” Pete wrote on Instagram.

Carly Waddell and Evan Bass

Needless to say, Bachelor Nation is seriously going to miss Carly and Evan’s sweet and goofy relationship.

Ashley Hebert and J.P. Rosenbaum

In October 2020, the season 7 couple announced their split. “It is with a heavy heart that I share with you that, after months of separation, J.P. and I have amicably decided to go our separate ways,” the dentist wrote via Instagram.

She continued, “We created the most beautiful children and shared memories that will never be forgotten. Our differences have taken a toll on our relationship and after years of attempting to repair the damage, we’ve decided that it is in our family’s best interest to create new and separate lives for our children.”

Becca Kufrin and Garrett Yrigoyen

Becca Kufrin opened up about her split from Garrett Yrigoyen in September 2020 after months of speculation. “After many conversations, we came to this decision. It wasn’t something that we just arrived at one night,” she explained on her “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast.

“It wasn’t based solely off of one Instagram post or somebody else’s opinions or comments. There’s much more to it,” Becca continued. “To any relationship, there [are] a lot of layers, and it’s not for me to divulge details. It’s no one’s business other than what I’m telling you right now.”

Colton Underwood and Cassie Randolph

Colton’s season ended quite dramatically when he jumped over a fence and sent his other two finalists home to prove his love to Cassie. The pair went on to date for nearly two years before breaking fans’ hearts and announcing their split in May 2020. “Sometimes people are just meant to be friends — and that’s OK,” wrote Colton before things took a messy turn. “We both have grown immensely and been through so much together — so this isn’t the end of our story, it’s the start of a whole new chapter for us.”

Chris Randone and Krystal Nielson

In February 2020, the Paradise couple revealed their breakup after eight months of marriage. “It hurts to announce that at this moment, we have mutually decided to separate,” their joint statement said at the time. “Never did we imagine this scenario, but we’ve come to a point where we both need to work on ourselves.” Krystal is now expecting her first child with boyfriend Miles Bowles.

Kendall Long and Joe Amabile

Kendall had a hard time committing to Joe on BIP; she also kissed Leo Dottavio and John Graham. Finally, she realized Joe was the one she wanted … but then she got weird before the finale and they both broke up and left. Quickly she realized her mistake, and rushed to Chicago to win him back! They were absolutely adorable and even moved into a Los Angeles apartment together. However, they announced their split in January 2020, and Bachelor Nation was crushed. And, yes, Joe went back to Chicago.

Hannah Brown and Peter Weber

Despite having sex in a windmill (four times!) and admitting she was “falling in love” with the handsome and sweet pilot, Hannah Brown chose to send Peter Weber home over Tyler Cameron and Jed Wyatt on part 1 of the 2019 Bachelorette finale. He held it together pretty well until he hugged her before getting in the car — and completely broke down. As the car drove away, they were both absolutely sobbing, and TBH, so were we. Some fans thought they even saw a glint of hope for the duo when their chemistry jumped off the screen on After the Final Rose. Plus, Hannah confessed that she has regrets “all the time” about ending things with him when she appeared on his season of The Bachelor.

The pair have officially moved on from each other. Peter is happily dating season 24 contestant Kelley Flanagan.

Amanda Stanton and Josh Murray

Amanda Stanton and Josh Murray defied the odds when they got engaged on BIP, despite literally EVERYONE trying to stop it. Unfortunately, it didn’t take long after leaving Mexico for Amanda to realize her friends were right about Josh. “It’s hard for me to even talk about without crying,” she told E! after their split. “I think he knew he was going to date me, so I think he kind of pretended to be exactly what he knew I wanted.” Unfortunately, she “chose to ignore” the “red flags,” which lead to a split after the show.

Carly Waddell and Kirk Dewindt

Before Evan Bass, Kirk Dewindt was the man Carly Waddell thought she would marry. The duo hit it off on Season 2 of BIP, and they seemed as strong as Jade and Tanner Tolbert did. That is until Kirk totally blindsided Carly and dumped her on the very last day when she was expecting a proposal. Thank goodness she found her soulmate one year later!

Amanda Stanton and Robby Hayes

Poor Amanda just can’t seem to pick right! Again, people warned her about Robby Hayes, but she chose to date him anyway. Unfortunately, the couple split before the reunion, and Amanda revealed that someone sent her pics of Robby getting cozy with another woman at a club! Even on Season 5 of BIP, Robby maintained that he didn’t cheat, but we’re glad Amanda isn’t with him anymore anyway.

Andi Dorfman and Josh Murray

Remember how Nick Viall tried to warn Amanda not to date Josh? That’s because he knew Josh from Andi Dorfman‘s season of The Bachelorette, and she chose Josh over him. The couple ended up splitting, and Andi was so upset that she shaded him hard in her book. Along with saying he called her “selfish” for wanting to work, she also claimed he “often behaved like an emotional abuser. If I talked to another man, I was a ‘whore.’ If I disagreed, I was ‘argumentative.’ If I defied him, I was a bitch.'” Yikes.

Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell

Despite the rocky start with Ben Higgins telling both Lauren Bushnell AND JoJo Fletcher he loved them, these two seemed solid. They even had their own reality show! Sadly, they split after a year and a half long engagement. Even when Ben appeared on Winter Games in 2018, he wasn’t over it. “My fear is not entering into a relationship,” Ben said through tears while sending himself home. “My fear is not [of] pursuing somebody. My fear is that if I was to be broken again, I’m not full enough right now to recover from that.”

Don’t worry, they both found their happy endings. Ben is engaged to girlfriend Jessica Clarke, and Lauren married country singer Chris Lane in 2019.

Becca Kufrin and Arie Luyendyk Jr.

This may have been the hardest breakup to watch EVER, and every painstaking second was aired. When Becca Kufrin came to visit with Arie Luyendyk Jr. on one of the couples weekends after filming, he admitted that he couldn’t stop thinking about runner-up Lauren Burnham, and wanted to see if there was still a future with her. Luckily, Becca got another shot at love as the Bachelorette.

Courtney Robertson and Ben Flajnik

Do y’all remember one of the most dramatic After the Final Rose specials ever? Courtney Robertson and Ben Flajnik got engaged on the finale, but then Ben pretty much dumped her before the reunion. He was rumored to have cheated on her (which he has always denied). She claimed that she had no idea where they stood, but then he came out and said they were happy and engaged? After nine months together, they called it quits … and no one was shocked.

Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi

Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi got engaged despite warnings from Jake’s family. When they split, it was so dramatic that Vienna moved out of the house while he was gone, went to the tabloids and Chris Harrison hosted a special to get everything out in the open.

Vienna said things went “straight downhill” after the first month. She accused him of “emotional abuse,” and called him a “fame whore.” Afterward, Jake said he was “disgusted” with her and said she was “having flings with other men.” Sooo messy.

Jason Mesnick and Melissa Rycroft

They don’t call it “pulling a Mesnick” for nothing! Jason proposed to Melissa Rycroft on the Bachelor finale, and then decided he was still in love with his runner-up Molly Malaney. He dumped Melissa on TV, and she was utterly crushed.

Happy Ending: Jason Mesnick and Molly

Molly was more than happy to take Jason back, and they’ve been married ever since! They have two kids together, and even returned to After The Final Rose to give advice to Arie this year.

Happy Ending: Melissa Rycroft and Tye Strickland

While Melissa was devastated and humiliated at the time, she went on to marry salesman Tye Strickland in 2009, and they still seem head-over-heels for each other nearly a decade later. Plus, they have three beautiful kids together!

Jenna Cooper and Jordan Kimball

We were shocked when these two unique individuals captured our hearts by falling in love and getting engaged on BIP. Despite their rocky road, fans actually thought their oddball romance could work for the long haul. That is until rumors surfaced that Jenna Cooper was cheating on Jordan Kimball. Then, her lawyer accused Jordan of faking the whole thing. The whole thing was very juicy, but totally broke our hearts.

Kamil Nicalek and Annaliese Puccini

Kamil Nicalek came into BIP Season 5 pretty late, but he still seemed to hit it off quickly with Annaliese Puccini, who had already kissed several frogs with no luck. He didn’t propose, but they left together. Then, after she thought everything was OK and going great, he dumped her on the reunion show and totally blindsided her. Poor thing!

Shawn Booth and Kaitlyn Bristowe

We honestly thought Shawn Booth and Kaitlyn Bristowe would be together forever. Sure, they still had no wedding date set three years after the finale, but they still seemed in love and constantly shut down split rumors … until they were true in October 2018.

The couple called it quits for good, and we wept big ol’ ugly tears. However, Kait is extremely happy these days with fellow Bachelor Nation alum Jason Tartick. As for Shawn, he’s dedicated to his flourishing business.

Vanessa Grimaldi and Nick Viall

It felt like Nick Viall was crazy about Vanessa Grimaldi from the moment he met her. Just a few episodes in, she threatened to leave and he freaked out. Then, when they were discussing their after-Bachelor life before the finale, it sounded like he already picked her over Raven. Sadly, they didn’t even stay together for a year after.

Tia Booth and Colton Underwood

Tia Booth and Colton might just be the most on-again, off-again couple in the franchise (except for Ashley and Jared). They started dating before Colton went on Becca Kufrin‘s season of The Bachelorette. Then, on BIP, he couldn’t commit and eventually dumped her and became The Bachelor. Luckily, Tia was done waiting for him and moved on with another guy. However, they split after a year together in October 2019.

Rachel Lindsay and Peter Kraus

It didn’t take long for Peter Kraus to become a fan fave on Rachel Lindsay‘s season. Fans thought for sure he was going to win. But right at the end, he told Rachel he wasn’t sure if he was ready to propose, and to her, that was a dealbreaker. They both sobbed — Rachel so hard that she left some false lashes on the floor!

Ashley Iaconetti and Kevin Wendt

Every Bachelor fan knows Ashely’s traumatic history with the franchise. She was madly in love with Jared Haibon from the day she met him, and he could never commit. Finally, she met Kevin Wendt on Winter Games, and the two hit it off and won! However, they soon split, and Kevin has alleged that Ashley cheated on him with Jared.

Astrid Loch and Kevin Wendt

Before you start to panic: they got back together! But Kevin and Astrid gave us quite a fright at the end of BIP Season 5! Despite being the strongest couple all season, Kevin got cold feet on the very last day, and they left alone in tears. Luckily, Kevin quickly called Astrid back, they are now married with one kid and are expecting baby No. 2!