Andy DehnartTwo days after the shattering news broke that yet another Bachelorette relationship had ended, the Bachelorette star in question has revealed that her relationship began and ended in the same place: Instagram.
First, the relationship Clare Crawley and Dale Moss forged over 12 long days on The Bachelorette actually began months earlier.
Clare admitted on the show that, since her cast had been announced before production was halted last spring, she spent time online.
“I would look at all of the guys’ social media pages just to see what kind of guys were coming on, which kind of guys I would be with, and I was excited,” she said.
That’s where she fell in love with Dale: “But when I would see Dale’s, it was just was like … he was someone I could see hanging out with. I like what he talks about, I like what he’s interested in,” she added.
As a reality blurred commenter Rob pointed out, “This is actually quite real in one way – it’s not the first or last time someone has fallen in love with their idea of their partner, only for it to end when the partner turns out to be a real person with real feelings and real desires.”
That’s so very true; I’ve been there many times, and understand how easy it is to construct a full picture of someone in my mind based on quite limited information, and then it’s impossible for that other person to live up to that image.
It’s also fascinating to think about what would have happened if The Bachelorette had embraced that as a storyline.
It’s impossible to show something that happened before filming, of course, but if, on day one, she and Chris Harrison had that conversation, it maybe wouldn’t have seemed so strange that she fell in love with Dale after what appeared to be zero seconds on TV.
On Tuesday, the end of Clare and Dale’s relationship—which lasted much longer than other relationships the franchise has produced, so no shame there—was announced on Instagram by Dale.
Today, Clare posted to Instagram:
I was made aware of a “mutual” statement at the same time you all were, so I’ve needed some time to really digest this.
Speaking for myself, my intentions with this relationship have always been very clear, so the truth is I am crushed. This was not what I expected or hoped for and am still trying to process this year.
The celebrity tabloids decided to help her process by producing a whirlwind of vaguely sourced stories over the past two days:
- Clare Crawley and Dale Moss’ Relationship Became an ‘Unhealthy Environment’ Ahead of Split, Source Says
- Bachelorette’s Dale Moss Accused of Cheating on Clare Crawley Throughout Entire Engagement
- Dale Moss ‘Never Cheated’ on Clare Crawley Despite Being Spotted at Dinner With Mystery Woman
- Clare Crawley and Dale Moss Cheating Rumors Have ‘Zero Truth,’ Source Says
- Clare Crawley ‘Begged’ Dale Moss Not to Announce Their Split: ‘She Needed Time’
In that last story, Us Weekly cites an unnamed source claiming that they broke up last week but Clare didn’t want to announce it yet, and contradicts Clare’s claim that she was surprised by Dale’s Instagram announcement.
What is clear is that Clare has been hit with a lot recently, and she writes about that in her post today:
2020 was one hell of a year, with covᎥd, battling severe anxiety post-show, balancing a public new relationship, all while slowly losing my mother. It hasn’t been ideal circumstances, but that is life right. I have been looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel.
Our relationship was not perfect, but I can say that I was genuinely invested with all of my heart. I may not have all the answers, but I do know this—I will continue to show up, stand by my word, and be committed to love.