Shattering (for the first time, probably) the illusion that ABC’s The Bachelor is the true love factory it claims to be, Nick Viall, star of the series’ 21st season, and his chosen bride Vanessa Grimaldi have parted ways five months after their proposal episode aired on ABC.
In a joint statement to E! News, the pair said:
“It’s with a great amount of heartbreak for the both us as we have decided to end our engagement. We gave this relationship our all and we are saddened that we did not get the fairytale ending we hoped for. We will continue to be there for each other no matter what. This hasn’t been an easy decision, however, as we part ways, we do so with lots of love and admiration for each other.”
The blow is slightly softened by the fact that throughout their courtship, Nick and Vanessa never seemed to particularly like each other. In fact, here they are on a recent episode of Bachelor in Paradise looking less than thrilled to be in each other’s company:
Best of luck to Nick and Vanessa on their future endeavors (i.e. 1,000 more appearances on this stupid franchise). We’ll always remember their first kiss—which happened mere moments after Vanessa puked in a bag.