Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick.Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty
Kaitlyn Bristoweis opening up about the circumstances surrounding her split fromJason Tartick.
On the latest episode of herOff the Vinepodcast, theBachelorettealum, 38, set the record straight on their breakup. She and Tartick, 34, began dating in 2019 andgot engagedin May 2021 before announcing theirsplitthis August.
Speaking to guest and best friend Lo VonRumpf,Bristoweemphasized that, despite rumors, there’s “no sides” to take in the breakup.
“I’ve never respected someone more through a breakup than I do with Jason,” she shared. “I think people assume if people break up, something bad happened. And I think that’s the hardest part of this whole breakup — nothing bad happened. It’s just beenover time. We have both not made each other a priority.”
Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick in December 2022.John Parra/Getty
John Parra/Getty
“You don’t have to choose sides — root for us both to be happy and grow and learn,” she continued, getting emotional. “It’s sad. We are both so sad. You know, you think you’re gonna spend your life with somebody … we’re grieving a loss.”
But theBachelor Nationstars no longer being together doesn’t mean they’re out of each other’s lives. In fact, Bristowe revealed thatTartickliterally lives “down the street.” She explained that she continues to see him regularly because they still share their two dogs,Ramen and Pinot.
She acknowledged that the arrangement might seem “confusing” to some people, but asked fans to “just trust in what we’re doing” and be supportive of them both. She also hinted that the door isn’t totally closed on a potential rekindling down the road.
“Maybe in six months from now, we go, ‘Yeah, this was the right move,'” she said. “And maybe in six months, we go, ‘You know what, I want to choose you.’ But we haven’t been choosing each other.”
Kaitlyn Bristowe.Frank Ockenfels /ABC via Getty
“I do need to choose myself. And I want him to choose himself,” she added. “The right person is going to choose each other — you’re gonna prioritize each other, and we just haven’t been.”
The pair announced their breakup in ajoint Instagram poston Aug. 7, writing, “After sharing the news with family and close friends first, and taking the time to properly process it ourselves, we are saddened with heavy hearts to share that we have decided to end our engagement.”
The caption added that they were “thankful” for the time and space to process the “life-altering” choice. They also revealed that they would continue to share ownership of their dogs and revealed, “Continuing our friendship is incredibly important to both of us.”
Bristowe and Tartick met in 2018 during a taping of theOff the Vinepodcast. In aninterviewwith PEOPLE the following year, she raved about their relationship being rock solid.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
“My relationship with Jason was definitely not something I expected,” theBachelorettealum said at the time. “When I met him, dating anyone wasn’t even on my radar, especially dating anyone in Bachelor world, but something in my mind was rooting for him. And I thought, whoever dates him is a lucky girl.”
source: people.com
