Bachelor in Paradise couple Maurissa Gunn and Riley Christian have finally confirmed they've split and ended their engagement following weeks of breakup speculation.
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"We have decided to go our separate ways. Never did we imagine this, but we've come to a point where we both need to work on ourselves," the former couple told the magazine in a joint statement.
"We've appreciated everyone's love and support so far throughout our journey and we just ask that you please respect our privacy as we navigate through this."
Maurissa sparked breakup rumors earlier this month when she deleted most photos of Riley from her Instagram account, and she fueled speculation about her relationship by slowly deleting more happy pictures of the pair as time went on.
Only one slideshow remains on Maurissa's Instagram page now, and the photos -- showing Maurissa and Riley on their first dinner date in Mexico while filming Bachelor in Paradise's seventh season -- date back to August 24, 2021.
Riley and Maurissa, who fell in love and got engaged on Bachelor in Paradise 7 in Summer 2021, were anything but shy when it came to posting adorable photos of each other and gushing about their feelings on Instagram once they had moved their romance into the real world.
The couple celebrated Christmas together, for example, and subsequently uploaded images of them posing in front of the giant Christmas tree at Rockefeller Center.
Maurissa wrote late last year, "All I want for Christmas is you," before deleting the photo with Riley on her Instagram.
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And there were additional signs pointing to a breakup fans noticed over the last several weeks.
On January 7, Maurissa posted photos of herself making funny faces and captioned the slideshow, "Don't worry, be happy."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOWMaurissa also received chocolate-covered fruit from her friend Martha, whom she considers a sister, amid the breakup rumors, Us Weekly previously reported.
Martha reportedly wrote on the card, "If you haven't heard this today, I'm proud [of you]. You're an amazing person."
Maurissa replied on January 7, "Don't know what I would do without you sister."
And on that same day, Maurissa shared a quote on Instagram Stories that read, "All that glitters is not gold."
In addition, Maurissa posted a selfie video on her Instagram Story and she was noticeably not wearing her big engagement ring.
For Riley's part, he uploaded a video of himself working out in early January with a cryptic caption about getting "knocked down," which may have been a reference to a rocky romance with Maurissa.
"We ain't come this far just to come this far. Work hard, stay humble, but still let 'em know that you got it. No matter how many times we get knocked down we get back up. Giving it everything we got all 2022," Riley wrote at the time.
Riley also tweeted, "Try not be stagnant when facing obstacles that are beyond your control. Just do what you can. That way, when things finally do fall into place, you'll be able to hit the ground running."
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While Maurissa wiped most of her Riley photos from Instagram weeks ago, Riley chose to keep most of his pictures with Maurissa on his account -- until People confirmed their split on Monday.
There is currently no sign of Maurissa on Riley's Instagram page, and so it appears the former couple doesn't want to be reminded of memories they had shared together.
Back in October 2021, Maurissa told People that she was planning to move to New York City to be with Riley and then have a "wedding and then some babies."
When Maurissa accepted a pear-shaped diamond engagement ring from Riley on the beach in Mexico in Summer 2021, the pair became the franchise's first-ever Black couple to get engaged.
Riley and Maurissa fell head over heels in love with each other in Paradise, but Riley was still a little unsure as to whether he was going to pop the question after the pair's overnight Fantasy Suite date.
Riley assured People last year that it "was never a thought" to leave the resort alone but he had to take a moment or two to reflect on the idea of potentially making Maurissa his fiancee.
"[I thought to myself], 'This is everything that you've ever wanted -- having a fiancee and being able to start a family.' I knew where I was already leaning towards," Riley explained at the time.
"It's just like, 'This is a big decision, take some time to think about it. Okay, you thought about it.' It didn't take that long. 'And now, go propose and get your lady.'"
Riley proceeded to call himself the "luckiest" man in the world to have Maurissa by his side.
Prior to appearing on Bachelor in Paradise, Maurissa competed on Season 24 of The Bachelor starring Peter Weber and Riley competed on Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams' edition of The Bachelorette in 2020.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
