The Bachelorette alum Becca Kufrin's decision to wait to announce her breakup from Garrett Yrigoyen after months of breakup speculation and gossip has reportedly been explained.
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Split rumors began swirling about Becca and Garrett's relationship in June, but neither person spoke on them until Becca confirmed they've ended their engagement and decided to part ways on the September 1 episode of her Bachelor Happy Hour podcast she co-hosts with The Bachelorette alum Rachel Lindsay.
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"Becca understands that fans became invested in her relationship over the past two years and appreciates the love that she and Garrett have received. That said, she needed space and time to figure things out before officially confirming the breakup," a source explained to Us Weekly.
"She never intended to be cryptic or mysterious. She just didn't want to be reactive out of respect for the relationship."
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But now that the news is out in the open, the source said, "Becca is really broken up about it."
"She thought Garrett was her person, her forever," the source added.
Garrett, 31, has yet to publicly comment on the split, but he's reportedly having a difficult time as well.
"Garrett has felt a lot of pressure being in the public eye. Yes, he signed up for it in a way by going on reality TV, but it's still been a big adjustment," the source told Us.
"He's an all-American guy who has otherwise led a fairly normal life and hopes to continue doing so."
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Becca, 30, provided fans with a similar explanation as to why she delayed the breakup announcement during the Tuesday episode of her podcast.
"I don't think it's going to come as a shock to anyone, but Garrett and I have decided to end our engagement," Becca said on Bachelor Happy Hour.
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"If you followed us on Instagram for the past couple months, you'll have noticed I spent a lot of time in Minnesota. I was with family and close friends, and he was out on the West Coast doing the same. We were really just trying to take the time and gain some clarity as to what was the next best step in our lives, whether that was together or as individuals."
Becca shared that she and Garrett slowly arrived at the decision to call it quits on their relationship "after many conversations."
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"It wasn't something that we just arrived at one night. It wasn't based solely off of one Instagram post or somebody else's opinions or comments. There's much more to it," Becca explained.
Becca was seemingly referring to the thin blue line Garrett had posted June 4 on Instagram, which showed solidarity with police forces amid nationwide protests triggered by the killing of George Floyd and appeared to spearhead the couple's demise.
Becca had made it known on the June 9 episode of her Bachelor Happy Hour podcast that she does not "align" or "agree with" Garrett's social-media post.
"To any relationship, there's a lot of layers, and it's not for me to divulge details. It's no one's business other than what I'm telling you right now. But for anyone out there who has gone through a breakup, you know it's never easy. It's a roller coaster of emotions," Becca said.
"You have these ups and downs and you try to take it day by day and navigate the best you can, which is why it's taken so long for either of us to say anything."
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Becca, however, said she and Garrett had enough time to "come to terms" and be at peace with their choice to split.
"We've realized that we still have so much love and kindness and compassion in our hearts for the other person, but sometimes people's paths just go different ways... Life happens and sometimes people drift apart and have differences," Becca noted.
Becca admitted she never thought she'd be in the position of having to make a breakup announcement regarding her relationship with Garrett and it was "really hard" to talk publicly about it and both parties need "time to heal."
Becca and Garrett raised eyebrows when they spent the Fourth of July apart with their respective families and then Garrett attended a friend's wedding alone on July 18.
Becca added fuel to the speculation fire when she headed to her hometown in Minnesota on June 29 and appeared to remain there for weeks.
E! News first reported in early August Becca and Garrett had called off their engagement.
"Their lifestyles don't mesh anymore. Garrett wants different things and they came to a realization that they aren't compatible anymore," a source told E! News at the time.
"Garrett is doing a backpacking trip in the wilderness with his buddies and is taking time for himself. They are trying to keep it low-key because they are still working things out, but the relationship is definitely done."
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Becca seemingly spent time at The Bachelorette resort in Palm Springs, CA, in August and then settled into a new home late last month. (Becca previously shared a place with Garrett in Carlsbad, CA).
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Becca and Garrett got engaged in August 2018 during The Bachelorette's Season 14 finale and celebrated two years together in May.
Becca revealed she was ready to tie the knot with Garrett in December 2019 and the pair's relationship seemed to be strong and thriving in May 2020, but then the drama began in June.
A couple of weeks after Garrett expressed support for the police in early June during the "Black Lives Matter" movement, Becca told Rachel on their podcast that she was trying to work things out with Garrett but the future of their relationship was uncertain.
"For those who are curious about my relationship with Garrett at this point, all I can say right now is I don't know," Becca said on the June 16 episode of Bachelor Happy Hour.
"I can't give anything more than that. It's something that we are trying to work through and discuss and do work on at home at this time and that's where the work will remain and that's really the best I can give you at this point."
Rachel has since made it known she's not a fan of Garrett at all.
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"Becca and I have a friendship, so I will refrain from talking about her relationship out of respect for her, but I think he's a piece of sh-t," Rachel bluntly admitted on a late July episode of Everything Iconic with Danny Pellegrino.
"And I've said to her, 'I will not f-ck with him.' He has doubled down on his beliefs. This isn't the first time he's had problematic behavior."
Garrett came under fire in 2018 as Becca's The Bachelorette season was airing on ABC for his taste in offensive, controversial and politically-extreme Instagram memes involving undocumented immigrants, Parkland shooting survivors and more.
In late May 2018, Garrett issued a public apology, saying he never knew "the power" behind "a mindless double tap on Instagram," referring to how he had liked insensitive content.
During Garrett's first scandal in 2018, Becca wasn't aware of Garrett's social-media behavior while her The Bachelorette season was filming. She therefore asked fans during an interview with Entertainment Tonight to "stay open-minded" because she couldn't fault anyone for what they believe.
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"I am a strong woman and I do believe in certain things, but again, that's what's so great about our country -- everyone is entitled to their own opinions," Becca said at the time in Garrett's defense.
Becca starred on The Bachelorette after having her heart broken by Arie Luyendyk Jr. on The Bachelor's 22nd season, which wrapped in early 2018.
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