Dale Moss is no stranger to facing ups and downs — and navigating his split from Clare Crawley has been no different.
“Long day but a chill day. Definitely a lot to be grateful for,” the 32-year-old South Dakota native said in an Instagram Story video on Wednesday, January 27, after he jetted off to Sarasota, Florida, for a “quick reset.” Moss captioned the video with a message that “sometimes we need to remind ourselves” to appreciate the little things and tagged the Mental Health Coalition.
The former football player got engaged to Crawley, 39, after less than two weeks of filming season 16 of The Bachelorette. The pair opted to leave the show early after Moss got down on one knee. Us Weekly confirmed on January 19 that the reality TV stars had called it quits, shortly before Moss took to social media to address the news himself.
“I wanted [to] share with you all that Clare and I have decided to go our separate ways,” he wrote in a since-deleted Instagram post at the time. “We appreciate the love and support we’ve received from so many people, but this is the healthiest decision for both of us at this time. 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.”
The breakup quickly turned messy when Crawley claimed days later that she was “was made aware of a ‘mutual’ statement at the same time” as Bachelor Nation fans were and that she was “crushed” by the end of her engagement. Moss later issued another lengthy Instagram statement, noting that it “sucked” that he and the former hairstylist were going their separate ways.
“Like every relationship, we’ve had our ups and downs and you know, have gone through our things but you know the statements that came out — like, this didn’t come out of nowhere,” he said amid speculation that he had been unfaithful during the relationship. “I love Clare and respect Clare enough to let her know how I feel, even if that’s against the expectations of everybody else, and it’s gonna take time. I wanted nothing more than to make this relationship work, and I put my heart and soul into it each and every day. And I wanted nothing more than to build a healthy relationship.”
Earlier this month, a source told Us that Moss “was faithful the entire time he was dating Clare” and “never cheated” on the Bachelor alum. As the end of his whirlwind romance continues to make headlines, Moss flew down to Florida for a change of scenery. In a series of Instagram Stories on Wednesday, he explained that the state has a special place in his heart.
“I literally just flipped the script the other night. I was like, ‘I need to get out of the city.’ I’m huge on environment — I think environment makes such a big difference. But I flew down to Sarasota,” he said. “Next to South Dakota, this is the closest place to home for me. Like, I remember even after my mother’s memorial service, I flew down here the next day, just to pray, and it was a really special spot for us.”
He continued: “There’s just something special about it that eases a lot of stress and burdens. And I think the [coronavirus] pandemic in general, the stressors from family, friends, people close to you … I’m someone who’s never had stress and anxiety, and the tail end, the last quarter of the year, was a f–king beast.”
Crawley, for her part, was whisked away to the snowy mountains by her sister to help heal from her split. “I’m getting out, fighting it, getting some fresh air, and hopefully I don’t regret it,” the Bachelor Winter Games alum said in an Instagram Story on Wednesday.
