The Bachelorette alum Michelle Young has apparently thrown shade at her ex-fiance Nayte Olukoya for his recent claims about the demise of their "rocky" relationship and "messy" split.
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"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.
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's eighteenth season finale 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 had allegedly deleted a DM conversation with a famous male country singer to explain why.
Nayte also shared how he wants "more of a partner and less of a coach" in his next relationship.
"It truly has been a lot," Michelle told Celeb Secrets. "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."
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 and then she allegedly proceeded to block him on social media, which he called "a low blow."
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Nayte and Michelle publicly announced their breakup on June 17 via separate statements on their Instagram accounts, and Nayte said he and Michelle totally ended communication with each other in mid-July.
"There's just always so much that is constantly happening or trying to resurface," Michelle explained on the red carpet.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELORETTE' COUPLES NOWThe former teacher from Minnesota, who recently moved to Los Angeles, 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."
Nayte previously claimed he never cheated on Michelle, but Michelle was admittedly blindsided from the breakup.
Nayte moved from Texas to Los Angeles a few weeks after his breakup with Michelle to pursue modeling, according to Us Weekly.
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 he insisted nothing romantic ever happened between them.
Michelle said it's been "hard," especially dealing with "the public's opinion" of her personal life.
"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's "happy to say" she's "done" healing and has recovered fully from the difficult time in her life.
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While Michelle quit teaching for the 2023 school year so she can pursue other career opportunities, such as being an Instagram influencer, Michelle insisted social media does "not fulfill" her.
"My mood is not dependent on social media, and [I've been] leaning on friends and family and just really sticking to who I am, even during the tough times," Michelle shared.
"[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.
During Nayte's September interview on "The Viall Files" podcast, he 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.
"I fell in love with this woman and then, like, I'm not saying that she changed into this terrible person, but it just wasn't the same super quick," Nayte told Nick, when explaining why he had dumped Michelle.
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?"
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.
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
