It is finally, maybe, possibly, conceivably, reportedly and allegedly over between Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell.
We know, we know: you’ve heard that before, haven’t you?
In fact, you just recently heard it last month, following a report in Us Weekly that claimed the former Bachelor star and his chosen mate were wobbling toward break-up.
Higgins responded to this rumor by making like Donald Trump and labeling the tabloid as fake news.
“No need to respond often to rumors or ‘fake news’ but the feeling I have in this picture is the same feeling I have for this girl today,” he wrote on Instagram alongside a picture of his arms around Bushnell.
Concluded the former ABC star:
“We have entered into a world where rumors will exist we know that, but just know as @laurenbushnell celebrates her birthday tomorrow I am still extremely lucky to be able to share life with her and be by her side.”
That all sounded well and good, but an insider tells Life & Style that this romance is kaput.
“Ben and Lauren’s relationship has been crumbling since before the holiday season, and now they have officially called it quits,” writes the tabloid, adding:
“It’s only a matter of time before they announce it.”
Higgins and Bushnell have been together for about a year.
They got engaged to conclude the last season of The Bachelor, but then Higgins actually called off the engagement on an episode of their ridiculous Freeform reality series.
Yet he still claimed at the time that he wanted to remain Bushnell’s boyfriend.
He just didn’t want to be her fiance any longer because the couple needed material for a possible second season of their show.
No, wait, that’s not what Higgins said.
“You’re the woman of my dreams. The last thing I want to do is for us to rush [into marriage]”
That’s what Higgins actually said to a crying Bushnell on an episode that aired in November.
Considering all this back and forth and instability, it shouldn’t exactly come as a shock that Ben and Lauren have finally split.
As for why their romance has supposedly run its course at last?
“They couldn’t agree on many life decisions,” this same Life & Style source claims, adding:
“Ben was constantly trying to make Lauren live in Colorado, and Lauren couldn’t stand it. She missed LA and wanted to move back, but knew that wasn’t an option.”
This break-up news comes on the heels of Freeform announcing that Freeform has actually renewed Happily Ever After for a second season…
… but with Bachelor twins Emily and Haley Ferguson as the stars; not Higgins and Bushnell. Ouch.
We should know pretty soon whether this latest report is accurate or not.
Higgins wasted little time in shooting down the Us Weekly article that detailed he and Bushnell’s split.
So if this one is also false, expect to hear from the ex-The Bachelor at any moment.
If you do not, well… you may then go ahead and draw your own conclusion.