Becca Kufrin has put the rumors to bed.
Following the news of her and Garrett Yrigoyen's split that emerged in early August, the former Bachelorette broke her silence on the subject during an episode of her Bachelor Happy Hour podcast that debuted on Tuesday, Sept. 1.
"I know that there has been so much speculation and curiosity out there regarding where him and I stand," she told listeners, referencing the headlines and social media posts. In June, Kufrin told listeners they were "trying to work through" their relationship after Yrigoyen's controversial Instagram post in support of police amid the Black Lives Matter movement.
After noting she didn't think it was anyone else's right to confirm the news, Kufrin addressed it herself for the first time. "I don't think it's gonna come as a shock to anyone, but Garrett and I have decided to end our engagement," Kufrin said. "If you have followed us on Instagram for the past couple months, you'll have noticed that I spent a lot of time in Minnesota. I was with family and close friends and he was out on the West Coast doing the same and we were really just trying to take time and gain some clarity on as to what was the next best step in our lives, whether that was together or as individuals."
She clarified that ending their engagement was not the result of any one reason.
"After many conversations, we came to this decision," the reality star said. "It wasn't something that we just arrived at one night. It wasn't based solely off of one Instagram post or somebody else's opinions or comments. There's much more to it—to any relationship, there's a lot of layers."
The star, who met Yrigoyen on the 14th season of the hit ABC series, declined to share any more specifics. "It's not for me to divulge details," she said. "It's no one's business other than what I'm telling you right now, but for anyone out there who has gone through a breakup, you know that it's never easy. It's a rollercoaster of emotions. You have these ups and these downs and you just try to take it day by day and to navigate as best you can, which is why it's taken either of us so long to say anything."
Kufrin explained that they both have had some time to digest their decision. "Now that we've finally kind of come to terms with it and have been able to sit in this decision for a little bit, we've realized that we still have so much love and kindness and compassion in our hearts for the other person," Kufrin shared. However, she noted that "sometimes people's paths just go different ways."
Despite going their separate ways, Kufrin made it clear she does not regret their romance.
"We went on this crazy TV show over two years ago in hopes of finding love and we were lucky enough that we did," she said as she began to cry. "We really truly did and I'm so grateful for the opportunity and to have had the two plus years with Garrett."
"I still have so much love and compassion in my heart for him," she added, "and just because we've arrived at this decision now doesn't take away all of the years and the countless memories that we've made together...Those will always be carried in my heart and I'll always look back at this time in my life with so much gratitude and love."
As she concluded her comments, Kufrin noted this isn't how they expected things to turn out. "We also thought that we had a future that would be set in stone. We thought that we'd buy a house together and have a dog and probably add children to the mix one day," she shared. "Life happens and people sometimes drift apart and have differences and they go their separate ways."
In closing, she asked fans for respect and privacy as they heal. "Just allow us time as individuals to determine what's best for us," she requested, "and how to navigate this difficult time."
Later Tuesday, Kufrin also posted a statement to her Instagram account, again confirming her and Yrigoyen's breakup.
"With a heavy heart, Garrett and I have come to the loving conclusion to end our engagement," she wrote. "All that we will share is that we still have nothing but love and respect for one another even though we've decided to go down our own separate paths. While we've arrived at this point, it doesn't diminish the countless, amazing memories made together. we hope that everyone can allow us grace, respect and the time to heal our hearts as we navigate this next chapter in our lives."