The Bachelor's Ben Flajnik and Courtney Robertson Call It Quits

"The ups and downs weighed heavily on us both," the couple say in a joint statement

By Jenna Mullins Oct 05, 2012 10:15 PMTags
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Wow. We did not see this breakup coming! Unless, of course, you were a fan of every other Bachelor and Bachelorette romance that has bitten the dust since those shows premiered, in which case you probably weren't so optimistic about this relationship.

Ben Flajnik and Courtney Robertson, the most recent betrothed couple to come out of The Bachelor, have broken up after nine months together, E! News has confirmed.

"After meeting over a year ago, we have decided to end our romantic relationship," Flajnik and Robertson said in a joint statement. "The ups and downs weighed heavily on us both, and ultimately we started to grow apart because of the distance, time apart, and our need to focus on our respective careers."

Those "ups and downs" could be in reference to the fact that Ben broke up with Courtney right after the finale, which he admitted on the After the Final Rose special. Or maybe it was the rumor that he cheated on her when photos surfaced of Ben kissing another girl?

Regardless of all that, their engagement was a rocky road from the beginning, which is why we thought they might make it work because they told us they were "taking it slow" and not in a any hurry to get married. But that was back in March, and now it seems that their slow time together did not help the relationship.

For those keeping score, after 16 seasons of The Bachelor, and seven seasons of The Bachelorette, only three couples are still together. If those people can't find love on a television reality show, then what hope is there for the rest of us?