Everything Former Bachelorette Gabby Windey Has Said About Dating, Finding Love After Erich Schwer Split

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Everything Former Bachelorette Gabby Windey Has Said About Dating, Finding Love After Erich Schwer Split

Moving on for the better. Gabby Windey has learned a thing or two about finding love following her split from ex-fiancé Erich Schwer. The former couple fell in love on season 19 of The Bachelorette and got engaged during the September 2022 finale. However, the reality stars called it quits less than two months after Schwer’s proposal aired. Windey, who was competing on season 31 of Dancing With the Stars at the time, addressed the split on an episode of the ballroom competition series in November 2022. “The end of our relationship happened because we weren’t completely in step and in sync with each other in our common goals or just the way we approach life,” the Illinois native told her partner, Val Chmerkovskiy, adding that she and her ex simply “weren’t each other’s best match.” Schwer shared his own two cents on the breakup before moving on with girlfriend Elizabeth Turner in February 2023. “A lot of you are reaching out with questions about me and Gabby. The reality is that we ultimately were not each other’s people — it’s hard when there isn’t one thing to put your finger on,” the New Jersey native wrote via his Instagram Story in November 2022. “We met in a very unique situation and in a very unique way and I’m grateful we did. I would never take it back.” The former ICU nurse, for her part, formed a flirty friendship with Jersey Shore star Vinny Guadagnino while competing on DWTS. After sparking romance rumors in late 2022, the pair played coy about their status. “I mean, we’re friends. We were on [Dancing With the Stars] together,” Windey explained on a November 2022 episode of the “Chicks in the Office” podcast. “Apparently both of us just like to kind of stir the pot. Which is, like, funny. But [the rumors] did happen out of nowhere.” [jwplayer y0IPz6B3-zhNYySv2] Despite several cheeky social media interactions with the Bachelor alum, Guadagnino confirmed that he and Windey were just friends. “It takes a lot more for me than just, like, a couple of Instagram comments to be dating someone,” the MTV star exclusively told Us Weekly in January 2023. Referring to their fellow DWTS season 31 competitor Jessie James Decker, he continued: “But I would go on a double date with her and Jessie and her husband. I would actually go to dinner with Gabby. It’s just that we just met, you know what I mean? It’s not like anything serious.” Two months later, Windey sparked dating rumors with DWTS pro Alan Bersten after posting a photo via her Instagram Story of herself holding hands with a mystery man at dinner. The So You Think You Can Dance alum briefly filled in as Windey’s DWTS partner in October 2022 after Chmerkovskiy tested positive for COVID-19, and the twosome continued to perform together on the DWTS Live 2023 Tour in early 2023. Bersten even poked fun at their close bond via Instagram in March 2023 by posting a slideshow of his “favorite looks” from the tour. The last pic in the carousel showed him donning one of the Denver Broncos cheerleader’s performance outfits. Scroll below for everything Windey has said about dating after her split from Schwer:

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November 2022

Windey initially addressed her and Schwer's breakup on an episode of DWTS season 31. “The end of our relationship happened because we weren’t completely in step and in sync with each other in our common goals or just the way we approach life,” she told Chmerkovskiy during a rehearsal, adding that she and Schwer simply “weren’t each other’s best match.”

She continued: “I’m just so grateful that my dad and my stepmom encompass so many fundamentals and values that I look for in a relationship, like never placing blame.” Windey told the pro dancer that she wanted to "channel that kind of everlasting love" into their dance that week.

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November 2022

“It was hard,” Windey exclusively told Us about ending her engagement. “Thank you for acknowledging that. And ultimately, I’m just grateful that I was able to do it on my own terms and when I was ready. It was just a new experience overall — being so public and being thrown into this. I think now it’s just kind of [about] trying to move forward.”

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November 2022

The Bachelorette alum addressed rumors about her relationship with Guadagnino after meeting during season 31 of DWTS. “I mean, we’re friends. We were on [Dancing With the Stars] together,” Windey said on an episode of the "Chicks in the Office" podcast. “Apparently both of us just like to kind of stir the pot. Which is, like, funny. But [the rumors] did happen out of nowhere.”

Days later, Windey admitted that she would be interested in dating the Jersey Shore: Family Vacation star. “I would at this point,” she told Us after the DWTS finale. “I could use a pick me up.”

Credit: MEGA ; Courtesy of /InstagramErich Schwer

December 2022

Windey further opened up about the end of her and Schwer’s romance one month after their split made headlines. “I do truly think it was compatibility. Dancing [With the Stars] does take up a lot of your time, but I feel like our time together was never really limited. We would still see each other afterward,” she exclusively told Us. “Luckily, we were able to live in the same place, so, I think, truly, it was just getting to know the relationship in-person because we were long-distance and before that kind of in a bubble [while The Bachelorette was airing].”

She continued: "Sometimes you don’t always know the questions to ask or it’s up to the other person to really know themselves and bring forth their truth. So I think it was a lot of getting to know each other in real life.”

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December 2022

Before setting off on the DWTS Live 2023 Tour, Windey opened up about her chemistry with Guadagnino. “He’s so much fun. We built a good friendship on the show and just I think, like, [we] naturally kind of clicked,” she exclusively told Us. “I think both of our senses of humor are similar, so [we are] just, like, flirting in the comments [and] seeing where things go.”

Addressing fans' desire to see them get together, Windey noted: “That’s kinda been the craziest part about it is, like, how much other people love it. And they know we’re just messing around and they don’t even care. So it’s just fun to watch. It just feels good that people do root for you and, like, want you to be happy.”

Credit: Courtesy of Gabby Windey/Tiktok

December 2022

Windey poked fun at her love life in several hilarious TikTok videos following her stint on reality TV. Making kissing gestures with her hands, she captioned one post, "When he didn't reply to my insta story about absolutely nothing."

Credit: Courtesy of Gabby Windey/Tiktok

March 2023

The former cheerleader continued to post relatable videos about the struggles of finding love. "When he's giving me advice for putting on my fake eyelashes because his 'ex gf used to do it like,'" she captioned a TikTok.