The Real Reason Bachelor In Paradise's Demi Burnett And Kristian Haggerty Broke Up
Bachelor in Paradise's Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty made history in 2019 when they became the Bachelor franchise's first official same-sex couple. While Burnett had quickly become a Bachelor Nation fan favorite while competing for Colton Underwood's heart on Season 23 of The Bachelor, Kristian Haggerty was a brand new face to fans. Still, viewers were delighted to see Burnett and Haggerty's love story play out on the sixth season of Bachelor in Paradise and were even more delighted to witness the two women leave the beaches of Paradise as an engaged couple.
However, all of that excitement came crashing down on Oct. 31, 2019, when Burnett and Haggerty took to social media to announce their breakup. "With a heavy heart full of love for one another we have decided it is best for us to take a step back from our relationship," the reality stars captioned separate Instagram posts. They continued, writing, "We ultimately want what is best for us in the long run and for us right now, that means being apart and growing individually."
So, why did these two decide to go their separate ways? Here's the real reason Bachelor in Paradise's Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty broke up.
How Bachelor in Paradise's Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty started their relationship
While Kristian Haggerty was considered a Bachelor franchise outsider before joining the cast of Bachelor in Paradise's sixth season, the Florida native actually had a Bachelor connection long before meeting Demi Burnett.
According to an August 2019 interview with People, Bachelor in Paradise's Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty met through Catherine Agro, a former Bachelor contestant best known to fans "DJ Agro." While Burnett and Agro met on Colton Underwood's season of The Bachelor, Haggerty and Agro have been pals for years. In fact, Haggerty was living with Agro when Burnett first met her then-future fiancée. "I was just hanging out with Catherine at her house and I met Kristian," Burnett revealed to People.
In a September 2019 interview, Burnett elaborated on her relationship with Haggerty pre-Paradise, telling People, "We hung out before and we were just friends. Then one night we were hanging and everyone else had gone to sleep and we got in the hot tub and explored that!"
Clearly, the clock on Burnett and Haggerty's relationship started before fans even knew about the romance.
Demi Burnett reportedly knew Kristian Haggerty would be making an appearance on Bachelor in Paradise
Demi Burnett formed a relationship with fellow contestant Derek Peth on Bachelor in Paradise's sixth season. However, she openly struggled with her lingering feelings for the woman she'd been seeing before Bachelor in Paradise began filming.
As fans now know, that woman was Kristian Haggerty — and, in a Season 6 episode of BiP in August 2019, host Chris Harrison seemingly surprised an emotional Burnett by inviting Haggerty onto Paradise. However, according to longtime Bachelor spoiler, blogger Steve Carbone, Burnett was reportedly well aware that Haggerty would be making an appearance, so their romantic reunion reportedly wasn't the super sweet surprise it appeared to be.
"Demi talked about it with producers, she knew Kristian was gonna be brought in after filming had started, and she wanted to use the show as an outlet to come out as bisexual," Carbone wrote in a June 2019 post on his Reality Steve blog. He continued, "They're not having Kristian battle over other men for Demi or anything like that. They are there and they are a couple and, seemingly, I guess [they're] just seeing where it goes."
How Bachelor in Paradise's Demi Burnett felt about publicly coming out
Ahead of Bachelor in Paradise's sixth season premiere, Demi Burnett took to Twitter to make a big announcement. "Spoiler alert: I'm a queer queen," the reality star tweeted on July 22, 2019, adding queen, hearts, and rainbow emojis. While this social media reveal served as Burnett's official coming out statement, the former Bachelor contestant had been exploring her sexuality long before openly identifying as bisexual.
In August 2019, Burnett told The Hollywood Reporter, "I had been suppressing the whole coming out thing for a while." She continued, explaining, "It's the same concerns that any person in the LGBTQ community goes through: fear of judgment, people not understanding or, just because you don't like the same thing they like, people seeing you differently because of that. That's the concern."
Burnett elaborated on her previous same-sex relationships in an August 2019 interview with People, telling the publication, "I had been with women before [Kristian]." Added Burnett, "I started experimenting a little bit my freshman year of college, and now I'm okay with vocalizing that that's a part of me." Maybe Burnett wants to continue experiencing other relationships before settling down...
Demi Burnett's alleged ex had thoughts on her Bachelor in Paradise relationship with Kristian Haggerty
While Demi Burnett publicly came out as bisexual ahead of the Bachelor in Paradise Season 6 premiere, a woman claiming to be Burnett's ex girlfriend alleged the reality star had previously expressed disinterest in openly labeling herself.
In a 2019 interview with Soap Dirt, Burnett's reported ex, Tiyana Sky, alleged she'd had an on-again, off-again relationship with the BiP star from 2015 to 2017. Sky also claimed that Burnett tried to rekindle their relationship in January 2019, while Colton Underwood's Bachelor season was airing. Sky told Soap Dirt she declined Burnett's alleged advances, but claimed she asked the reality star during an April 2019 conversation if she "was planning on coming out."
According to Sky, Burnett replied, "I don't need to 'come out.' This isn't the 90s. I can just be and I don't need to explain myself." Sky continued, claiming Burnett told her, "My sexuality isn't tea."
Demi Burnett said she was "scoping out" guys for herself before Bachelor in Paradise
In April 2019 — over a month before Bachelor in Paradise Season 6 began filming — Kristian Haggerty took to Instagram to post a photo of herself and Demi Burnett. "The one thing missing to complete a perfect weekend," Haggerty captioned the silly pic, adding a red heart emoji. While Bachelor in Paradise's Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty certainly looked comfortable with one another in the photo, it's safe to say their relationship was completely casual. Only a month later, Burnett even confessed to Entertainment Tonight that she had been "scoping out" potential partners for herself within Bachelorette Hannah Brown's group of suitors.
Burnett made a couple of appearances on Brown's season of The Bachelorette — and, while she was technically there to help her friend weed out any ill-intentioned men, Burnett admitted she was also testing the waters for herself. "I mean, if I do go to [Bachelor in] Paradise, like, I definitely was scoping them out," the reality star revealed in a May 2019 interview with ET. She continued, joking, "I was like, 'Hannah, save that one for me!'" We wonder how Haggerty felt about that...
How Derek Peth felt about Bachelor in Paradise's Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty
While seemingly devastated by his breakup with Demi Burnett, Bachelor in Paradise's Derek Peth expressed his support for the Bachelor franchise's first same-sex couple, even requesting a sit-down chat with Kristian Haggerty to assure the newcomer he had "no hard feelings," as reported by Us Weekly.
After his BiP breakup with Burnett aired, Peth tweeted a request for fans to have "as much empathy" as they could for his former flame. He continued, "I've seen some really hurtful things being said that don't reflect how I feel and I lived this. I'm glad that you're finally all able to see how open and honest she's always been with me."
In September 2019, Peth once again took to Twitter to praise Burnett and Haggerty, writing, "Being a straight white man in America, this scene [with] Demi and Kristian is the first time I've considered the shame same-sex relationships can feel just being together in front of others." Peth added, "Every time I turn there's a new layer of privilege I never realized I have."
Given his support, we doubt Peth had anything to do with Burnett's breakup.
Bachelor in Paradise fans speculated about Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty's breakup
Never underestimate the power of a committed, Internet-savy fan base.
In early October 2019, a Bachelor in Paradise fan took to Reddit to speculate over the status of Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty's engagement, writing, "They don't like or comment on each other's posts, and they haven't posted anything together since the finale aired." Added the fan, "Also, Demi's left hand is conspicuously hidden in all of her latest posts."
One Reddit user shot down the idea of a breakup, writing, "I think they probably just spend time together without posting all over social media."
Only days later, Burnett seemingly denied any rumors of trouble in paradise by posting a photo featuring herself and Haggerty for National Coming Out Day. "Happy #NationalComingOutDay from me and my girl," Burnett captioned the tweet on Oct. 11, 2019. Still, many fans weren't convinced of the couple's happiness. Three days before Burnett and Haggerty officially announced their breakup, one Reddit user posted, "Whatever is going on [behind-the-scenes] (or, has transpired since filming ended) will come to light, sooner or later." And come to light it did.
The sister of Bachelor in Paradise's Kristian Haggerty clearly didn't think much of Demi Burnett
Only days before the breakup announcement from Bachelor in Paradise's Demi Burnett and Kristian Haggerty on Oct. 31, 2019, Burnett took to Instagram to post a revealing photo of herself. "Sorry dad," Burnett captioned the bikini pic, adding the hashtags "#thirsttrap" and "#experienceelderado" to her post. Many of Burnett's Bachelor Nation peers commented on the photo with humorous messages of support, including Bachelor in Paradise star Hannah Godwin. "OH NO SHE DIDN'T," Godwin wrote, along with a heart-eyes emoji.
However, Kristian Haggerty's sister, Caitlin, was quick to express her disapproval of the bikini-clad Burnett pic (via Us Weekly). "Not desperate at all..." Caitlyn commented, seemingly throwing a bit of shade Burnett's way.
After Burnett and Haggerty confirmed their split, Caitlin posted a sweet tribute to her sister in an Instagram story (via Reddit), writing, "[Kristian Haggerty] is such a role model to me. I wish I could be as full of care & love for others as she is." Continuing to praise her sibling, she adding, "Her strength & maturity amaze me."
Bachelor in Paradise's Demi Burnett admitted she was "not okay" following her split from Kristian Haggerty
Following the official announcement of her split from Kristian Haggerty on Oct. 31, 2019, Bachelor in Paradise's Demi Burnett announced to fans via Twitter that she wasn't in the best headspace. "I'm not okay today and I'm going to take a break from social," Burnett tweeted. The reality star added, "Thank you to everyone who is reaching out."
The next day, Haggerty replied to Burnett's tweet, pleading with fans to refrain from sending mean-spirited comments to her former fiancée. "Everyone has a right to their own opinion but it doesn't give anyone the right to be mean," Haggerty wrote. She continued, adding, "If you don't have anything nice to say please refrain from commenting. We are two people who still care immensely about one another and are trying heal." Haggerty concluded her comment by thanking fans for understanding.
Breakups are never easy, but it seems as though these two wish only the best for one another.