Relationships

Kaitlyn Bristowe Said She Knew She & Shawn Were Over Before They Ended

by Christy Piña
Michael Loccisano/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Bachelor Nation fans' hearts broke when Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth called it quits in November 2018, three years after getting engaged on The Bachelorette Season 15 finale. For three years, Bristowe and Booth were one of Bachelor Nation's most relatable, seemingly happy couples, but everything isn't always what it appears to be. In a recent podcast, the former bachelorette opened up about the end of her relationship with her ex-fiancé. Kaitlyn Bristowe's quote about knowing her relationship with Shawn Booth was over before they actually ended things is heart-wrenching, but honestly, really real and relatable.

"I think I knew for a year that my relationship wouldn't work, and I think I knew that he just couldn't give me the kind of love that I needed in my life. And he admitted that," Bristowe told Ashley Iaconetti, the host of The Ben and Ashley I Almost Famous Podcast. No matter how badly you want a relationship to work, sometimes, it just doesn't, and it seems like Bristowe and Booth had to face that harsh truth. "I think for a solid year, maybe half a year, I was already grieving the relationship," she continued. "And I think I was just so prepared for it that, when it happened, I knew what I wanted; and I knew what I deserved; and I knew that I was happy on my own and that I wasn't just replacing somebody."

In the podcast, Bristowe also opened up about her current relationship with The Bachelorette alum, Jason Tartick. Bristowe and Tartick reportedly started dating in January 2019, after Tartick guest starred on her podcast, Off The Vine, and have been displaying their love for everyone to see ever since. "It can seem fast, but to me, it was perfect timing because I just knew what I wanted, and I just didn't see it happening," Bristowe said. "I was like, there's no way I'm going to meet somebody that quick that could make me that happy. It was weird timing, but it wasn't too fast for me."

While the weird timing worked out well for Bristowe and Tartick, she never thought she'd be dating someone else from Bachelor Nation ever again. "Shawn and I had a very difficult time on the show, and I think that was really hard on our relationship," Bristowe explained. "And I think I was a little bit jaded by Bachelor relationships because of that. So, I just figured, you know, I'm just going to move past that, and I won't date anyone from The Bachelor franchise. I thought I'd be single for, like, five years... because I knew I was OK with that." But boy, did fate have something else in mind for her.

When Bristowe and Tartick met, she said she was still "heartbroken" over her breakup with Booth. So, at first, she and Tartick were just friends, and she was actually rooting for him to be the next Bachelor. "It was like my heart knew that there was something there, and there was some reason I was rooting for his happiness and I cared about him," Bristowe said, "but I didn't ever see it as anything what it turned into." Somewhere along the way, her heart mended and she began seeing Tartick in a new light. Based on their totally adorable pictures on Instagram, it seems like they're genuinely happy, and honestly, good for them! I can't wait to see their relationship grow, and of course, more adorable Instagram photos of them together in years to come.