Kaitlyn Bristowe and Jason Tartick Split: A Look Back at How They First Got Together

When former Bachelorette star Kaitlyn Bristowe got engaged to fellow Bachelor Nation alum Jason Tartick in May 2021 after two years of dating, fans were thrilled.

At the time, Jason posted a video of the engagement on TikTok, and fans got to see Kaitlyn scream as he got down on one knee.

Sadly, a couple of years later, the couple announced their breakup. What happened? And how did they first get together in the first place? Here's what to know about Kaitlyn and Jason's relationship.

Kaitlyn first met Jason in October 2018, when he was a guest on her podcast Off the Vine. By the end of January 2019, they publicly confirmed they were together.

“We were friends. A little banter here and there and friendship turned into a relationship,” Jason said during an interview on the Today show at the time.

Kaitlyn and Jason are both Bachelor alums (Jason competed on Becca Kufrin's Bachelorette season), although they never met up on either of the shows.

By May 2019, Kaitlyn and Jason moved in together after making it work long-distance (she was in Nashville, he was in Seattle). Jason made the move to Kaitlyn's neck of the woods.

In honor of how they first met, Jason decided to propose to Kaitlyn while she was recording an episode of Off the Vine in May 2021.

"It was everything I could have asked for," Kailtyn told Entertainment Tonight soon after. "The words that came out of his mouth were insanely beautiful. We've never locked eyes like that in our lives. We were holding hands, so intense, and I was listening to his every word, but still blacked out."

She also told People that her relationship with Jason was not part of her original life plan.

"When I met him, dating anyone wasn't even on my radar, especially dating anyone in Bachelor world, but something in my mind was rooting for him," she explained. "Jason is such a happy-go-lucky man. He's so supportive and he's such a positive part of my life. I'm so grateful for him."

Kaitlyn's engagement ring featured an oval cut diamond.

"Jason Tartick chose an absolute stunner for Kaitlyn Bristowe's engagement ring," Mike Fried, CEO of The Diamond Pro, told Distractify at the time.

"Her oval cut diamond appears to be at least 10 carats and I'd estimate the value to be between $500K-600K depending on the cut quality, color, and clarity of the diamond," he continued "A fancy cut diamond of this size is hard to find and makes her ring both eye-popping and unique."

The following month, Kaitlyn noted on her podcast that she wanted a Great Gatsby theme for her wedding, and was planning to have kids soon. In October of that year, Jason told Distractify that he and Kaitlyn were thinking of getting married in Nashville and were still planning.

"I want an awesome piano bar. I want to have the best music, and when everyone thinks the party is over, everyone huddles around the piano and just has a nice little piano bar [session]," he told us at the time.

But as time went on, some fans began to wonder then they would make their trip down the aisle, as nothing seemed to be coming to fruition.

Then, sadly, in August 2023, the two announced their split.

The two shared a statement on Instagram on Aug, 6, saying:

"After sharing the news with family and close friends first, and taking the time to properly process it ourselves, we are saddened with heavy hearts to share that we have decided to end our engagement. We are thankful for all of you who gave us the time and space to process this life altering decision as there are many emotions and changes to navigate."

They continued: "Our dogs Ramen & Pinot will continue to be cared for together as brothers. While their humans are no longer romantically involved, we will love and take care of them together."

"Continuing our friendship is incredibly important to both of us," they went on. "We feel grateful to be ending our engagement with love and respect for each other. It’s heartbreaking and sad to say goodbye, but our care and admiration for one another will never die."

They concluded: "We are beyond thankful for the memories made together, and for your support of us and the boys throughout the years. Moving forward we will always have that level of support for each other. We don’t know what the future holds so please try to hold space for us in your hearts."