Love is dead.
We don’t mean to be too dramatic, but after Tayshia Adams and John Paul Jones broke up this week, we had our fill of heartbreak for the week.
But now Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty have announced that they, too, have split.
Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty have released a joint statement, posted to both of their Instagram accounts, sharing the sad news.
“What has always been at the forefront of our relationship is love and care for one another,” the two women begin.
The statement affirms: “Our priority is doing what is best for us.”
“With a heavy heart full of love for one another,” they announce. “We have decided it is best for us to take a step back from our relationship.”
“We ultimately want what is best for us in the long run,” the two womena ffirm.
“And for right now,” the statement reads. “That means being apart and growing individually.”
“We have felt so much love and support from you all as you’ve followed our journey together,” Demi and Kristian affirm.
“And for that,” they express. “We are grateful.”
“We will forever be proud of the impact our love story has made,” Demi and Kristian write.
“And,” the statement adds. “We hope it has helped others feel more accepted and confident within themselves.”
“We hope it reminded others they aren’t alone,” the two women express.
The statement reminds fans and followers that they “don’t need to be ashamed of who they are.”
“And we hope it shows that two people can love one another in different ways,” Demi and Kristian write.
“And for us right now,” the statement explains. “That is apart.”
“But we remain committed to encouraging each other, supporting each other, and continuing forward in a way best for us,” the pair conclude.
We’re not crying, you’re crying! (We are also crying)
Unfortunately, this sad news has prompted a couple of truly upsetting responses by a few social media trolls.
The first is the claim that this breakup and in fact their whole relationship was “staged.” It wasn’t.
While it is very likely that what went down on Bachelor in Paradise was (definitely) planned in advance, the two were already in a real relationship.
Producers simply jumped at the opportunity to catch another Bachelor Fam engagement on camera, as they have with other couples in the past.
If you correctly think that a lot of that first critical response was rooted in biphobia, strap yourselves in.
Others have taken to social media to opine that Demi “just doesn’t know if she’s gay or straight.”
Folks, she does, and she’s neither. She said that Jaimi King “walked sos he could run.” Jaimi, of course, is openly bisexual.
Bi folks aren’t gay or straight, but many people simply assume that they are one or the other depending upon their partner or upon varius stereotypes.
The fact of the matter is that couples within the LGBTQ+ community of course face unique challenges.
But they’re also just, well, couples. It doesn’t take reality TV shenanigans or some imagined indecisiveness for them to break up.
Demi and Kristian split because they are a couple, and relationships always end in either a breakup or death. That’s how it works.
In this case, Demi’s admission that they spend time apart because of their different schedules may explain the breakup. But that’s just a guess.