Bachelorette couple Tayshia Adams and Zac Clark gave their relationship “their best shot” before their split but “marriage wasn’t in the cards,” an insider exclusively tells Life & Style about why the reality TV couple “both decided” to break up.

“Zac living in New York and Tayshia being a California girl at heart also played a part. That’s where she’ll move back to and that’s where she’ll spend most her time,” explains the insider. Moreover, the former phlebotomist, 31, is “happy” with her cohosting role on The Bachelorette with Kaitlyn Bristowe and hopes to “pursue other opportunities in Hollywood.”

Why Did Bachelorette's Tayshia Adams and Zac Clark Split? 
ABC/Craig Sjodin

Although they decided going their separate ways was best, their uncoupling is still “sad” for the Bachelor Nation exes. “They really did like spending time with each other, and they both wanted to prove that lasting love does happen on The Bachelor,” admits the insider. 

Confirmation of their split came days after Life & Style broke the news on November 19 that Tayshia and Zac, 37, were “taking some time apart to figure things out.” A separate insider noted that the “break” they were taking “didn’t look good.”

During a promo for The Bachelorette: The Men Tell All released on Monday, December 6, Tayshia spoke publically for the first time about their uncoupling. “All I can say is that I’m heartbroken,” she told Kaitlyn Bristowe.

Tayshia and Zac first sparked breakup speculation after they ran the New York City Marathon together on November 7. Eagle-eyed fans noticed the California native wasn’t wearing her Neil Lane engagement ring in two consecutive episodes of her and Becca Kufrin‘s “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast later that month. Her sparkler was noticeably missing again when she attended the House of Gucci premiere in Los Angeles on November 18. 

While Tayshia may be thrilled with her Bachelor hosting gig, she previously admitted the distance caused some strain between her and Zac months before their split. 

The Release Recovery founder popped the question during Tayshia’s season finale. Shortly after, the leading lady went on to help guide Bachelorette Katie Thurston through her journey to find love, which was filmed at a resort in New Mexico.

“I think after that, it was kinda like we need to remember why we were with each other. I think that that’s absolutely normal,” Tayshia said about a rocky moment in her and Zac’s relationship on Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconettis “Almost Famous” podcast. “It’s hard to be in a new relationship and then kind of go away for a couple of weeks, you know what I mean? And this is me being real and honest.”

Tayshia confessed that she was majorly “in my feels” while hosting season 17 since the opportunity arose “so close” to the New Jersey native proposing. 

“I would even text Zac and be like, ‘I’m thinking of us through this thing.’ ‘I’m thinking of how you kind of stressed out, like, [with me] going on a date or how I was feeling,'” she said. “It was tough for me, I was crying a lot.”

At the time, the former Bachelor in Paradise contestant assured she and Zac were still  “heavily in love,” despite going “through things.”