Michelle Young and Nayte Olukoya had some super-cute moments together on The Bachelorette and were deeply committed to each other post-show—but sadly, they recently ended their engagement. Take a look back at their timeline to relive their best moments pre-split. (And note: This is in reverse chronological order, so scroll down to start at the beginning!)
December 13, 2022: Michelle Hits TikTok
Specifically, Andrew Spencer's TikTok of Justin Glaze, Rodney Matthews, Romeo Alexander, and Nayte dancing:
Which Michelle went ahead and left this comment on:
!!!!!!
August 4, 2022: Michelle Is Moving On
Michelle hops on Instagram with some stunning pics simply captioned, “Happier.” Pretty much says it all!
July 11, 2022: Nayte and Michelle Unfollow Each Other
They’re also no longer tagged in each other’s photos, which fan account @BacheloretteWindmill notes likely means that they’ve blocked one another.
June 26, 2022: Nayte Denies Cheating Rumors
He addressed the rumors in a lengthy statement posted on Insta Stories, saying in part, “Yes, I like to hang out with my guys. As she likes to hang out with her girls. Nothing wrong with that. If anything, super healthy. We are social people. Not everyone who goes to bars are cheaters.” Read the full statement below care of @BachelorNation.Scoop.
June 18, 2022: Michelle and Nayte Break Up
Michelle confirmed the sad news in a lengthy statement posted to her Instagram Stories:
“To those who have supported Nayte and I, including Bachelor Nation, I know I speak for the both of us when saying having a relationship in the public eye has not been easy,” she wrote on Friday, June 17. “I’m struggling to say that Nayte and I will be going our separate ways but I stand with him in knowing the heaviness that is present in both of our hearts as this relationship has been very real for us. To you, Nayte, you quickly became my best friend and the love I have for you is incredibly strong. I will never stop wanting to see you succeed. I will always acknowledge and appreciate the adventures, support, and growth both Nayte and this experience have brought me. At the same time, I’m deeply hurting and will need time and space to work through this heartbreak.”
Meanwhile, Nayte said, “Hearts are heavy, emotions are high, and we are dealing with this the best way we can,” also noting that he and Michelle will “always cheer each other on, but moving forward, we will be cheering from a distance.”
March 19, 2022: Michelle and Nayte go on vacation for the first time
For their very first baecation, Michelle and Nayte traveled back to Mexico and stayed at the exact same resort where they had overnights and got engaged!
Aside from posting super-adorable clips of each other, Naychelle gave their (very tuned in) Instagram followers a BTS of what the resort was like while filming the final episodes of the show. They shared the sweetest anecdote about how Nayte signaled to Michelle where he was when they didn’t see each other for two weeks and also visited the spot where Michelle’s mom “tore [Nayte] up” with the hard-hitting questions (lol).
(Psst: If you missed the Instagram Stories/absolute cuteness in real time, Michelle and Nayte archived a lot of the moments in the Highlights of their respective pages!)
February 11, 2022: Michelle and Nayte’s first red carpet together
Michelle and Nayte walk their first red carpet together in Los Angeles at a Rihanna party!
Mike Coppola//Getty Images
The couple hung out with the mogul (who told them she’s a big fan!!), and Nayte and Michelle met Rihanna’s boyfriend, ASAP Rocky, too. At one point in the night, when Rihanna and Michelle were taking a picture together, the singer threw Nayte his classic peace sign, lol.
December 28, 2021: Michelle and Nayte are wedding planning (!!)
In an interview with People, the couple said a long engagement wasn’t for them. “The planning is picking up speed,” said Michelle. “No shade to anybody who wants a long engagement, but that’s not us. We’re like, cool, you’re my person, I’m your person. We’re ready!” Nayte echoed the sentiment, giving fans an idea of when they could expect a wedding date (👀👀👀). “I’m looking forward to packing up and seeing what Minnesota is like,” he said. “I’m all in. And I’m excited! We are both leaning toward a summertime wedding.”
December 22, 2021: Michelle and Nayte get a great gift
As a surprise to the newly engaged couple, ABC gifted Michelle and Nayte a $200,000 check during the “After the Final Rose” special to use as a down payment for their first home together. Their reactions were priceless:
Christopher Willard//Getty Images
Michelle thanked her “Bachelor family” for their generosity in an Instagram post. The caption reads, “Last night was a special one for the Young and Olukoya family!” Michelle wrote on Instagram after being surprised with the check. “Nayte and I cannot express how grateful we are to have received the incredibly generous gift that we will be using to purchase our first home together! Although this @bacheloretteabc journey has come to an end, we are so excited to bring y’all with us as we start our life together! Housewarming invites to be sent soon #BachelorNation!”
December 21, 2021: Michelle and Nayte get engaged after he wins The Bachelorette!
It’s official: Michelle has chosen Nayte as her number one! He proposed to her on the show and she accepted, cementing them as Bachelor Nation’s hottest new couple.
Craig Sjodin//Getty Images
“I fall more in love every day,” Michelle said in a post-show interview with People. “I was fortunate enough to grow up in a family with a healthy marriage and I thought, I’m not going to give up until I have that. He’s my person. And I didn’t know I could love at this level.”
“It’s so natural for us to be together,” Nayte said. “I’ve never felt the way I feel before. I’m all in!”
December 14, 2021: Michelle and Nayte had a great fantasy suite date
Even though Nayte was the last of the final three men to have a fantasy suite date with the Bachelorette, he was not the least bit worried about it. Like, at all. His and Michelle’s time together consisted of going out on a boat, taking over the captain’s wheel, and lounging in the sun on a net. In an interview segment, Michelle said, “When I’m with Nayte, I feel how you’re supposed to feel when you’re with your soul mate, when you’re with your favorite person,” adding that she didn’t “want the day to end.”
A bit later, Nayte finally was up-front with his feelings for her: “I don’t play with feelings so when it comes to you, I am feeling things for you that I’ve never felt for anybody before,” he said. “It’s easy for me to close my eyes and picture a genuine life with you. I know I trust myself, I trust you. I trust that I’m literally falling in love with you.”
Nayte and Michelle “vibed out” and “kicked it” in their fantasy suite date that ended in them waking up in pure bliss, eating a continental breakfast, and listening to a live mariachi band from their hotel room balcony while snuggling. Awww.
December 7, 2021: Hometowns between Michelle and Nayte were...rocky
The actual date portion of their hometown went really well, with Nayte taking Michelle paddle boarding and telling her he’s “crazy” about her. Later, though, things got a bit stickier when Michelle met Nayte’s mom and stepdad. Honestly, this meeting was more of a breakthrough for Nayte since he and his stepdad exchanged verbal affections for the first time ever, which you love to see. Yet for Michelle, she didn’t necessarily get the same validation—Nayte’s stepfather shared with her that he didn’t think Nathaniel was necessarily ready for the leap of an engagement and this understandably brought up some major concerns for her.
November 16, 2021: Their first one-on-one date was a hit
It took a while for Michelle and Nayte to have some extended alone time together, but they finally got the opportunity while in Michelle’s hometown of Minneapolis. For their date, Michelle and Nayte hit the crazy waters of Lake Minnetonka—two of Michelle’s best friends even joined them and, ofc, grilled Nayte. In the end though, Nayte passed the test with flying colors and Michelle’s gal pals ended up loving him! The couple ended this portion of the date with a lil dip in the water.
By the time they got to dinner though, things took a turn for the very dramatic thanks to Chris S., who showed up (literally to a remote date!!!) to talk with Michelle about his feelings. Truly, this was literally Every! Single! Viewer’s! reaction:
Needless to say, Chris’s lil interruption didn’t stop Nayte and Michelle from finishing their night off strong with a make-out sesh and fireworks.
October 19, 2021: Michelle gives Nayte the coveted ~first impression rose~
After the limo meeting, the next interaction we see between Nayte and Michelle is during the cocktail party where he opens up to her about his family dynamic. He shares that his experience has been vastly different from her and her family’s, specifically that he’s come from a divorced household compared to Michelle seeing her parents’ 30-plus-year marriage. Michelle is *so* impressed with his ability to be vulnerable that she gives him the first impression rose, and they share the first kiss of the season!
ABC/Craig Sjodin
ABC/Craig Sjodin
October 19, 2021: The first time Michelle and Nayte met was adorable
Michelle meets Nayte for the first time when he’s the first to step out of the limo. After a brief exchange, he is *sure* to close the meeting with a cheesy line, saying, “It’s better Nayte than never.” Aww, points for effort!
ABC/Craig Sjodin
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