ABC/Craig Sjodin
Bachelor in Paradise’s Maurissa Gunn and Riley Christian Split 3 Months After Engagement
Another one bites the dust! Bachelor in Paradise stars Maurissa Gunn and Riley Christian have split three months after getting engaged during the season 7 finale.
“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,” Maurissa and Riley said in a joint statement to People.
“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,” the former couple added.
The Bachelor Nation duo sparked speculation that they ended their relationship shortly after the New Year. Eagle-eyed fans noticed Maurissa wiped her former fiancé off of her Instagram feed, deleting almost every photo with Riley. The only ones that remained were promotional pictures from Paradise and their engagement photo shoot with People.
On January 7, the Montana native dropped even more clues about her relationship status. The reality starlet showed off her fit figure via her Instagram Stories in a white crop top and leather jacket, but she raised a few eyebrows because her Neil Lane diamond ring was noticeably missing from her left hand.
In addition, Maurissa’s sister sent a care package of chocolate covered strawberries, calling her an “amazing person” in a seemingly supportive card. The former Bachelor contestant also shared a cryptic quote that read, “All that glitters is not gold.”
For his part, Riley’s social media feed was still filled with photos and videos of Maurissa. He shared a sweet selfie of him and his former fiancée cuddled up in front of the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree in New York City on December 23 before they spent the holiday together. Maurissa reportedly deleted the same photo from her own page, according to a screenshot from TikToker Zachary Reality.
On December 28, the attorney posted a photo holding hands with Maurissa while the duo rocked matching shoes. She was also very prominent in his 2021 recap video that he posted on New Year’s Day.
Riley and Maurissa got engaged during the season 7 finale of BiP after a whirlwind romance. They instantly connected on their first date, where the former patient coordinator opened up about gaining 80 pounds after a devastating former breakup. Things went so well between the duo that they ended up in the boom boom room that night.
“We were 1000 percent ourselves going into it and there were no questions about anything,” Maurissa previously told People about their journey together after Riley popped the question.
The Michigan native added during their joint interview that his “goal” for going on Paradise was to “get engaged.”
I wanted to come in and just really be my authentic self,” he explained. “Because I know if you reach the goal and you get engaged, when this is over, this person who they fell in love with, that has to be the same person when you leave the show. Otherwise, it’s not going to work.”
