by Patrick T Fuller on February 4, 2021
Arts & Entertainment
by Grace O’Connor ’22 A&E Staff
The Bachelor and Bachelorette are all-time favorite television shows dating back to 2002. These exhilarating programs start with 30+ contestants, and narrow down to one in a matter of months. The most recent season of The Bachelorette made history with Clare Crawley becoming the oldest woman to hold the title. Crawley constantly mentioned that she always wanted to be true to herself and find the man of her dreams.
This turned into reality for Crawley when Dale Moss, a former NFL player, immediately swept her off her feet. Crawley claimed that it was a “feeling that I’ve never felt before. . .just standing in front of a man, connecting on that level, and it being electric between each other—I’ve never felt that instantly like that before.”
Many fans believed that Crawley and Moss must have been talking before meeting on The Bachelorette, which they denied immediately, claiming it was love at first sight. In yet another historic moment in The Bachelor franchise, the pair got engaged just a few episodes into Crawley’s season, making Crawley the first Bachelorette to end her season early.
However, just as quickly as their relationship began, it ended. Crawley was met with a rude awakening when Moss publicly announced their breakup on Jan. 19 in a now-deleted Instagram post. Moss told his followers the 5-month-long relationship had ended, saying, “I wanted [to] share with you all that Clare and I have decided to go our separate ways. We appreciate the love and support we’ve received from so many people, but this is the healthiest decision for both of us at this time. We strongly believe in leading with love and always remaining true to oneself—something our families have taught and instilled in us throughout our lives. We only hope the best things for one another.”
This revelation sent shock waves throughout Bachelor nation, who believed they saw a true connection between Moss and Crawley, and raised questions about whether or not Moss went on the show solely for fame. A source close with the pair said that originally, “Clare and Dale were taking time apart and were working it out, but it led to a definite split.” The source went on to say that “Dale felt that he was not ready for marriage and was not ready to move to Sacramento for Clare. They were making a lot of plans that Dale could not commit to. It didn’t feel right and he had to follow his heart. They are in different places in life right now.”
In contrast to Moss, Crawley was prepared to get married, and she often spoke about wanting to have children. In the end, the distance between the two proved to be more challenging than either of them could have expected, which resulted in Moss deciding to end the relationship and Crawley feeling blindsided. It became evident that the break-up between Moss and Crawley was not as mutual as Moss originally made it seem. In an Instagram post on Jan. 21, Crawley revealed, “I was made aware of a ‘mutual’ statement at the same time you all were, so I’ve needed some time to digest this.” She continued, “Speaking for myself, my intentions with this relationship have always been very clear, so the truth is I am crushed. This was not what I expected or hoped for and am still trying to process this.”
Crawley says that she is trying to get herself out of a “dark place” after this breakup. She is focusing on herself by putting her needs above all else. Both have mutual respect for one another, but ultimately it was clear that what Crawley and Moss had was not true love. Crawley is back on the path to finding her soulmate while dealing with her publicly broken engagement.