The Bachelorette alum Michelle Young has shared her "lessons" learned in 2022 after her difficult breakup with ex-fiance Nayte Olukoya.
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"2022 ended a lot different than I originally pictured but it ended exactly as it was intended and I couldn't be more thankful for all that I learned," the Season 18 The Bachelorette star captioned a slideshow of photos.
Michelle's slideshow included swimsuit photos of the former teacher at the pool and the beach, a smiling selfie with her close friend and Season 19 The Bachelorette star Rachel Recchia, a girls' group outing, speciality dining at the resort, and photos of the women's swanky villa.
"Lessons I found in 2022 that I hold close to my heart: Learning how to give yourself closure instead of looking for it from others is one of the most powerful tools someone can possess," Michelle continued in her caption.
"You take on the energy of those who you spend the most time with. Choose wisely."
Michelle went on to write, "It's okay to work hard and chase your dreams in silence. That being said, it's also ok to show the world all sides of you."
Michelle told her followers that a person is "more than the labels the Internet or others place on" him or her.
"Incredibly thankful to walk into 2023 with a clear mind and I appreciate all who have continued to support me," Michelle concluded. "Thank you, @villalavalencia for helping me bring in the new year! #seeyouhere."
Rachel, who also split from her The Bachelorette fiance Tino Franco last year, commented on the post, "Could not have gotten through this year without you."
Michelle threw a little shade at Nayte just last month, when she complimented all of his friends in a dancing TikTok video but ignored Nayte's moves.
Michelle and Nayte got engaged on The Bachelorette's Season 18 finale, which aired in late 2021. But they announced their split in June 2022.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWMichelle gave an update on how she was "healing" from her breakup with Nayte when she attended the 2022 iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas in September 2022.
"It's been really interesting. Just, you know, you go through something and you think you know someone, and then more recently, [you don't]," Michelle told Celeb Secrets TV on the red carpet.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
During an early September appearance on "The Viall Files" podcast, Nayte recalled how he and Michelle began fighting shortly after their engagement aired on The Bachelorette in December 2021.
"I miss the Michelle I fell in love with, but I'm not sure I miss the Michelle I broke up with," Nayte told Nick at the time.
Nayte said he had felt pressure to be perfect since Michelle was a famous face and that there were trust issues on his part. He even cited an incident when Michelle allegedly deleted a DM conversation with a famous male country singer to explain why he struggled to trust her.
Nayte also shared how he wants "more of a partner and less of a coach" in his next relationship.
When recalling what exactly went wrong after their whirlwind romance on The Bachelorette, Nayte said there was a sudden and unexpected shift in his relationship with Michelle once they entered the real world, from being blissfully happy to living with tension.
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He elaborated, "We started consistently and gradually going downhill, where we were just, like, it wasn't sunshine and rainbows anymore."
"I remember crying my heart out to [my mom and stepdad, saying], 'I'm so frustrated and I have no idea what's going on in this relationship.' How can you be so sure about something and then just have it fall apart?"
Michelle admitted to Celeb Secrets the aftermath of her breakup was truly "a lot" to handle.
"I come from a family that's very private, we're not used to being in the public eye and especially not going through a public breakup," she noted.
Michelle, who moved to Los Angeles last year, continued, "All I can do, truly, is [remember] I know how things went down. I know the other person knows what went down, and I can stay true to myself and really that's all that I can do."
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Nayte also admitted on "The Viall Files" podcast that he had broken up with Michelle over the phone in June only days after they celebrated her birthday. Nayte said she proceeded to block him on social media, which he called "a low blow."
Nayte and Michelle publicly announced their breakup on June 17 via separate statements on their Instagram accounts.
According to Nayte, he and Michelle totally ended communication with each other in mid-July.
Nayte previously claimed he never cheated on Michelle, but Michelle was admittedly blindsided by his choice to call it quits on their relationship.
Nayte also raised eyebrows when he moved from Texas to Los Angeles a few weeks after his breakup with Michelle to pursue modeling, Us Weekly reported.
The sales executive was also accused of moving on from Michelle quickly with The Bachelor alum Deandra Kanu after they were photographed flirting at a party, but Nayte insisted nothing romantic ever happened between them.
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"Everyone thinks that they know what happened, and all of this other stuff," Michelle said.
"And honestly, for me, my parents really taught me [to] control what you can control. I can control myself and my attitude, my emotions. My mental well-being is not dependent on people other than myself. And so that's where I was able to find that stability and consistency."
Michelle said in her interview that she was "happy to say" she was "done" healing from the split after leaning on friends and family.
"[I plan] to find closure and continue to move on," Michelle noted. "I'm really, truly [trying to] block out all the noise."
"[I know] everything comes in waves. It's easier said than done though, right?!"
Michelle assured her fans in early August that she was "happier," suggesting she was in a better mental state after Nayte left her.
On The Bachelorette 18 finale, the show had gifted Michelle and Nayte a $200,000 check to put towards their first house together.
Nayte had initially planned to move to Minnesota to be with Michelle in March 2022, but he said he decided to stay in Austin, TX, due to back-to-back arguments the former couple had in the first few days of January last year.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
