It’s been just a little over a week since Bachelorette alums Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth announced their breakup, and now, Booth has issued his own statement.
“I just want to thank everyone who has been so supportive of my relationship with Kaitlyn over the years,” Booth captioned an Instagram photo of him and Bristowe from 2015, shortly after he received Bristowe’s final rose on season 19. “You’ve made me feel incredibly special, supported, and very loved.”
He continued, “So from the bottom of my heart, thank you. It truly means a lot. And thank you to everyone who has sent their love & support during this painful time. I love you guys.”
The Instagram post was the first time Booth had publicly addressed the split since the couple issued a joint statement earlier this month.
“After three incredible years, we have decided to go our separate ways. This difficult decision comes after thoughtful, respectful consideration. Even though we are parting as a couple, we’re very much committed to remaining friends. We have both evolved as people, which is taking us in different directions, but with the hope that we will continue to support each other in new ways,” their statement read. “Due to the nature of how we met, our relationship has always been very public, and we have enjoyed sharing it with all of you, but we ask that you respect our decision and our privacy at this time.”
Prior to breaking up, Booth and Bristowe were living together in Nashville. A source told PEOPLE that “this was the last thing Kaitlyn wanted.”
“She was willing to fight for the relationship, but there was nowhere for it to go,” the source said. “It’s only natural to think about the next steps when you’ve been together for three years. Kaitlyn wants to be married and have kids. But it didn’t seem like they were on the same page.”
In June, Booth told Entertainment Tonight that making their relationship work was “tough.”
“I can understand why couples break up,” he told ET. “If you’re not strong enough to handle a lot of the outside noise and just the concept in general, it’s very easy to call it quits. We’ve obviously had a lot of bad times, but a lot of good times. We’ve just stayed humble through it all, put each other first and worked on our relationship. But it’s not easy.”
Bristowe is currently spending time at home in Canada.