Kaitlyn Bristowe had a three-year relationship with The Bachelorette season 11 winner Shawn Booth that involved a long engagement period and a subsequent split announced via a joint statement from the couple. In January 2015, Bachelor Nation got to know Kaitlyn on Chris Soules' season of The Bachelor as a 29-year-old dance instructor from Canada. Kaitlyn got to the final three of the season, but Chris chose Whitney Bischoff and Becca Tilley to be his final two women.
A few months later, Kaitlyn competed with Britt Nilsson to become the lead of The Bachelorette season 11. The contestants were asked to vote for Kaitlyn or Britt as who they'd like to see leading the season, and then-host Chris Harrison announced that Kaitlyn won that vote. Throughout season 11, fans got to know eventual winner Shawn Booth and fan-favorite Ben Higgins, and also watched the return of Nick Viall to The Bachelorette.
Meeting On The Bachelorette In May 2015
Kaitlyn and Shawn's relationship started in May 2015 when The Bachelorette season 11 premiered on ABC and they met each other on the show. There's no denying that Shawn made a big splash from the start, as Kaitlyn did give him her first impression rose. Looking back at the relationship between Shawn and Kaitlyn, it almost feels similar to what Bachelor Nation saw years later with Clare Crawley and Dale Moss on The Bachelorette season 16. There was a sense that Shawn fell immediately in love with Kaitlyn on night one, and she seemed to feel similarly. However, unlike Clare and Dale, Kaitlyn and Shawn get the show moving no matter how jealous and territorial Shawn would get on the show.
Getting Engaged In July 2015
As Kaitlyn's final two narrowed down to Shawn Booth and Nick Viall, fans felt very uncertain about who she would pick in the end. On one hand, it felt pretty clear that Shawn was all-in on Kaitlyn and she liked him back with the same intensity. On the other hand, viewers saw Nick as Kaitlyn's Achilles' heel - the crush that she might never be able to get over completely. When push came to shove, Kaitlyn chose to be with Shawn and he proposed to her on one knee, to which she obviously said "yes." Kaitlyn and Shawn's proposal aired on TV in July 2015 during the grand finale, and the rest was history for the couple.
Breaking Up In November 2018
After being engaged for three years, The Bachelorette stars Shawn and Kaitlyn split in November 2018 and shared a joint statement to announce the news. The statement didn't provide any tangible reasons as to why they were breaking up. Instead, it focused on how Kaitlyn and Shawn were committed to staying friends and had come to this decision after careful consideration. In subsequent years, Kailtyn got into a relationship with Jason Tartick from Becca Kufrin's season of The Bachelorette. In November 2021, Shawn reflected on not actually loving Kaitlyn following season 11 and claimed that they stayed together due to having developed a "trauma bond" between them.
The Bachelorette season 18 airs Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC.