Almost paradise. Bachelor in Paradise alums Katie Morton and Chris Bukowski have called it quits, they announced in a joint statement on social media. The couple got engaged during the season finale of the ABC dating show, which aired on September 17.
“One of the many lessons this life has taught us is that it’s okay to be stubborn in the pursuit of happiness,” the former couple wrote in individual Instagram posts on Tuesday, December 10. “To fight for what is real and good, and that often times the hardest thing and the right thing are the same. We’ve reached a point in our story where we agree it’s best to go our separate ways. We have chosen to love and respect each other as friends because that’s the base of our relationship, and it’s what is most natural for us.”
Morton, 26, and Bukowski, 33, previously updated Us Weekly on their relationship during an exclusive interview in November, shortly after fans began to speculate that the two had split. At the time, both Bachelor Nation alums said that they didn’t mind keeping people guessing about whether or not they were still together.
“It’s kind of good sometimes to be that mystery where we’re just like, ‘Huh.’ It’s kind of, like, out of the spotlight a little bit,” Morton told Us. “We’ve just took a break from it after Paradise cause it was very intense and we don’t feel the need to prove anything to anyone, which has been nice.”
Rumors of a breakup began when Bukowski was noticeably missing from the Live in the Vineyard festival in Napa, California, where his then-fiancée appeared in a group photo with other Bachelor in Paradise alums, including Jared Haibon and Ashley Iaconetti.
A few days after the Napa event, however, Morton and Bukowski were spotted together at a bar watching an LSU vs. Alabama football game. An onlooker told Us at the time that the pair looked cozy and “shared a kiss at the end of the game in celebration of LSU’s win.”
Morton and Bukowski’s relationship appeared to have hit a rough patch during the live reunion show after season 6 of Bachelor in Paradise ended in September. When the medical sales representative spoke with host Chris Harrison about the “darkness” she had been feeling, her engagement ring was nowhere to be seen.
“We are incredibly thankful for the support we’ve received from our family, friends and everyone who supported us throughout our journey – from paradise to this moment,” Bukowski and Morton continued on Instagram as they announced the end of their engagement. “We are grateful for everything that we’ve learned in this chapter, and are hopeful for what is to come in life and in love for both of us.”
