Friends first. Bachelor in Paradise alum Kristian Haggerty opened up about how her relationship with girlfriend Taylor Blake helped her cope following her split from Demi Burnett.
“[Taylor is] truly the kindest and most centered person I know,” Haggerty, 27, told Us Weekly exclusively on Tuesday, February 18. “She’s been a huge comfort and a pillar of support, especially when it comes to navigating a more public life.”
The reality star’s connection with Blake, 27, began long before things turned romantic. “I’ve known Taylor since I was 14 years old and she was 13,” she explained. “We grew up in the same town and went to the same high school in south Florida near Palm Beach.”
Haggerty confirmed to Us earlier this week that she is dating the YouTuber. “She’s amazing and I’m so happy and thankful,” she gushed at the time.
The couple sparked relationship rumors when they shared a series of PDA-filled selfies via Instagram for Valentine’s Day. “When I was 13 I wanted you to be my Valentine, but I was closeted and too scared to ask you- So, I asked your cousin Luke to be my Valentine instead,” Blake wrote on Thursday, February 13. “Here we are at 27, and I finally made you mine You were worth the wait, you little s–t.”
Haggerty, for her part, asked simply: “Will you be my valentine?”
Burnett, 24, and the music video producer made history when they got engaged on Bachelor in Paradise during the season 6 finale, which aired in September 2019. However, the pair announced their split one month later.
“With a heavy heart full of love for one another we have decided it is best for us to take a step back from our relationship,” the Bachelor alum shared on Instagram at the time. “We will forever be proud of the impact our love story has made and we hope it has helped others feel more accepted and confident within themselves. We hope it reminded others they aren’t alone and don’t need to be ashamed of who they are.”
As her ex moves on, Burnett hinted that she has been “talking to a guy with a lot of tattoos” on Twitter in January. Fans speculated that the man is The Bachelorette Australia alum Ciarran Stott.
