"Bachelor in Paradise" stars Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty, who made history this year as the first same-sex couple in "Bachelor" franchise history, have ended their engagement, they announced Thursday.
The former couple shared a joint statement to their respective Instagram accounts in which they stated that they've "decided it is best for us to take a step back from our relationship."
Burnett and Haggerty got engaged in the season finale of "Bachelor in Paradise," which aired in August.
"We have felt so much love and support from you all as you’ve followed our journey together and for that we are grateful," they wrote. "We will forever be proud of the impact our love story has made and we hope it has helped others feel more accepted and confident within themselves. We hope it reminded others they aren’t alone and don’t need to be ashamed of who they are."
(MORE: Bachelor Nation's Demi and Kristian open up about being the first LGBTQ couple in 'Paradise')Burnett, 24, appeared on Colton Underwood's season of "The Bachelor" this past winter before joining the cast of "Bachelor in Paradise." After she proposed to Haggerty in the finale, GLAAD's CEO and president released a statement calling their engagement "a groundbreaking step forward toward including LGBTQ couples across reality television."
"That’s a lot of pressure to be a role model," Burnett told "Good Morning America" at the time. “But I do understand like we are in a sense and if we can make people feel more comfortable with their sexuality like I’m super grateful for that and I’m really proud to be that person.”
