‘The Bachelor’: 10 Things We Know About Lauren and Ben’s Breakup

Ben Higgins starred on The Bachelor Season 20 after coming in at third place on Kaitlyn Bristowe’s season of The Bachelorette. In his season of The Bachelor, he ended up getting down on one knee to propose to Lauren Bushnell. Ben gave her a $95,000 Neil Lane engagement ring that is 4.25 carats, but they never got to actually walk down the aisle.

Fans were disappointed over their breakup, and they felt even worse when Ben was recently captured crying over the split on the Bachelor spin-off, Bachelor Winter Games.

So what exactly did go down between these two? Here are 10 things we know about Lauren and Ben’s breakup.

1. They released a statement announcing their breakup

“It is with heavy hearts that we announce our decision to go our separate ways,” the statement read according to People Magazine. “We feel fortunate for the time we had together, and will remain friends with much love and respect for one another. We wish nothing but the best for each other, and ask for your support and understanding at this time.”

Before the announcement, the two had already called off their wedding publicly. In an episode of Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After? Ben voiced his concerns about their upcoming nuptials. “I feel like we have so much to figure out that it’s hard for me at this point to really feel comfortable getting married,” he said. When Lauren asked if this meant he was calling off the wedding, he said, “Yeah, I am.” The couple, however, agreed that they would keep dating, but just switch their focus to their relationship.

Although something like that could be a huge blow to a relationship, Lauren seemed to be really understanding. She said that “if Ben needs a little more time to feel comfortable getting married, that he should really have it because in the end, it won’t matter if this wedding’s a little bit later.”

Next: This one detail seemed to confirm their split.