Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya, who fell in love and got engaged on The Bachelorette season 18, have announced their breakup, and fans are looking back on their relationship timeline. Michelle was the runner-up on Matt James' season of The Bachelor, and, although she did not find love with him, she captured the hearts of fans. They were thrilled when she was announced as the lead of The Bachelorette season 18.
Sophisticated and soft-spoken, Michelle, a 28-year-old elementary school teacher from Minnesota, was a different kind of Bachelorette. Rather than engaging in drama with the men, she had a knack for diffusing it, which many attributed to her career as a teacher. She was empathetic and kind, and it is no wonder that so many of the men on her season fell in love with her.
Michelle felt an instant connection with Nayte, a 27-year-old sales executive originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Although they initially appeared to be very different, and some people even warned her about his so-called red flags, Michelle believed in Nayte. Throughout the season, he had some trouble expressing his feelings because he had never been in love before. But, in the end, Nayte told Michelle that he loved her and proposed. They made history as the first couple of color to get engaged on The Bachelorette. Now, as Michelle and Nayte go their separate ways, there are several milestones from their relationship to revisit.
October 2021 - Premiere of The Bachelorette
On the first episode of Michelle's season of The Bachelorette, Nayte was many of Michelle's "firsts." He was the first man to step out of the limousine, and he caught her attention immediately. Michelle then gave Nayte her first impression rose and they shared the first kiss of the season. They felt a real connection right away.
November 2021 - The Bachelorette Airs Their First One-On-One Date
When Michelle returned home to Minnesota for a hometown trip with the men, she chose Nayte for the second one-on-one date of the season and their first date alone together. They spent the day on a boat on Lake Minnetonka, and Michelle introduced Nayte to her two best friends. Michelle admitted in her confessional that she was starting to fall for Nayte.
December 2021 - The Bachelorette Airs Their Engagement
On The Bachelorette season 18 finale, Michelle chose Nayte at the final rose ceremony. Nayte proposed and Michelle said yes. It was a romantic fairy tale ending to the season.
December 2021 - Michelle & Nayte Make First Public Appearance As A Couple On AFR
On the The Bachelorette "After the Final Rose" episode, Michelle and Nayte made their first public appearance as an engaged couple. They appeared happy and excited, and Nayte announced that he was moving to Minnesota very soon, although he never actually did. The couple received a $200,000 check for their first home as a gift from the show.
December 2021 - Michelle & Nayte Reveal Their Wedding Plans
After their time on The Bachelorette, Michelle and Nayte revealed that they wanted a short engagement and a summer wedding, leading some people to believe that they would get married in summer 2022. They wanted warm weather for their wedding because both of their hometowns have cold climates.
March 2022 - Michelle & Nayte Return To Mexico
In March 2022, the Bachelorette couple took a romantic trip back to Mexico where the end of their season was filmed, and stayed in Punta Mita, where they got engaged. They shared many photographs from the trip on Instagram, reliving their time on the show.
May 2022 - Michelle Denies Breakup Rumors
After a video began to circulate in which Michelle was not wearing her engagement ring, fans speculated that Michelle and Nayte had broken up. However, Michelle shut down the rumors in a series of videos during which she explained that her friend had tried on her ring and then later put it back on Michelle's finger. She said that it was creepy and not cool for someone to video her without her knowing and reminded fans that she and Nayte are human beings and not a zoo exhibit.
June 2022 - Michelle & Nayte End Their Engagement
On June 17, 2022, Michelle and Nayte announced their breakup through individual statements on their Instagram stories. They both expressed that their relationship was very real, and they emphasized how saddened they were by the split. Michelle and Nayte asked for privacy at this difficult time.
Michelle and Nayte had a beautiful Bachelorette love story. Although it has now come to an end, the fairy tale that they lived during their time together was real, and it is a memory that they should always cherish. Hopefully Michelle and Nayte will find happiness and love in the near future.
The Bachelorette season 19 premieres July 11 at 8 p.m. EDT on ABC.