Ben Higgins' failed relationship with ex-fiancee Lauren Bushnell appears to have taken a huge toll on the former The Bachelor star.

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"When you really care about somebody and you really love somebody and that has to end -- for whatever reason, even for reasons that either person can't really explain, it's just a feeling and you have to go your separate ways -- it hurts," Ben tells his pal Ashley Iaconetti in a preview clip of their new Almost Famous podcast.

"It hurts bad," Ben, 29, reiterates in the clip obtained by Us Weekly that will air June 5 at 11PM ET on the iHeartRadio app.

Ben and Lauren publicly announced their split last month, well over a year after Ben popped the question on the March 2016 season finale of his The Bachelor season. Ben recently said the breakup was a long time coming because the joy in their romance faded over time.

In light of Ben's breakup coinciding with the timing of his podcast debut, the former The Bachelor star has had to deal with his fair share of scrutiny.

Just last week, Ben addressed rumors and "hateful words" by sharing a poignant Instagram message with all of his followers, and during his podcast set to air on Monday night, Ben echoed some of the same sentiments.

"When you have people continually putting that [pressure] on you and saying things that not only hurt me but also hurt Lauren, I felt like it was time for me to make a post to say one thing, and what I said was this: You can judge me, you can judge Lauren. I can't stop that," Ben explains.

"But that won't affect me because I only have one thing I will be judged by, and that is my belief in a God above. And I will hold myself to that standard."

Ben adds in the preview clip obtained by Us, "For anybody wanting to hurt me or to hurt Lauren or hurt anybody out there on social media, I wanted to communicate that you can do that, but know that I believe in something bigger than that. And so your words won't hurt, they'll just sting a little bit."

A TMZ paparazzo recently caught up with Lauren at Los Angeles International Airport, where she confirmed her relationship with Ben is completely done.

However, the blogger, model and former flight attendant admitted there may be a chance to work things out down the road with Ben.

"I mean, I feel like I have no idea what's going to happen in my life moving forward. I'm kind of open to all things," Lauren said, before clarifying "yeah" she's "open" to a potential reconciliation.

"Honestly, I'm just trying to move forward and just make the best of a situation that's kind of awful," she noted to TMZ.

"You could say [I'm getting back to normal]. I'm trying... I'm just trying to take it day by day... I'm not open to dating anyone at this point to be honest. I need a second to calm down, breathe."
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

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