Opening up.
Bachelor Nation fans saw Kylee Russell find love with Aven Jones on Season 9 of “Bachelor in Paradise,” and the two were going strong after filming wrapped.
A few days after the finale aired, Kylee took to social media and revealed that her relationship with Aven “dissolved due to multiple infidelities.”
Earlier this year, she revealed on the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast that the door was still open with her and Aven, but now she shared that the door is shut.
Kylee stopped by the “Bachelor Happy Hour: Golden Hour” podcast and got candid with co-hosts Susan Noles and Kathy Swarts about her recent breakup with Aven.
She said, “This information is still very new and raw and this has been the first platform and the first big conversation I’ve had about this, so I might get a little emotional. It’s been a six-month period now post-show to unpack and I don’t know if I’m even mentally fully settled with it, but I am going to do the best I can today. Recently, Aven and I decided to part ways. It’s officially over.”
Kylee went on, “The door is closed. There is a lock, key, and it’s gone forever. That’s something I’m still coping with. That’s a big reason why I’m here with my family. It’s been a year of him and I, but these six months post me finding out about his infidelity has just been so hard. Although everyone has told me that I deserve better and that I should walk away, that’s a lot easier said than done. Especially when you love someone so much like I did with Aven. Right now, I’m just in my healing era and trying to find the ability to have my own life in San Diego being single and settling in being by myself.”
Kylee opened up about how Aven was her first love and first true heartbreak, saying, “I wish I could close my eyes and blink to a couple months from now because I want to be a bit more healed already. I am tired of being sad, but I know that just takes time. This is my first ever heartbreak. I’ve never been in love before and hadn’t had a real relationship.”
She shared more about what happened between them, with Susan and Kathy explaining that they tried to mend their relationship and get back to where they once were.
Kylee said at first, Aven was really doing the work and going to therapy, but part of her was still holding back because she needed time to rebuild that trust.
They had multiple conversations about not knowing if their relationship was going to work long term, but around a month ago, Kylee said they finally got to a good place and they were trusting each other again.
Then, out of nowhere, Kylee said she felt the energy shift between them a few weeks ago and shared that Aven decided to end their relationship for good this time.
She said, “He chose to end things. I’m getting a little emotional. It is still so fresh. I honestly was a little shocked. We had this same conversation about a month before, but then we were doing so well and kept emphasizing that we were doing so well and saying that he sees things going far with us. It felt like it did at the beginning, so I was shocked.”
Kylee continued, “It was a tough conversation. I don’t want to speak for him, but basically what he said was that some days he would have such great hope for us and that we could get to where we needed to be to have a future together. But then other days he would think that there is so much damage that he has done and that he doesn’t think the relationship could ever recover from it. He said that I didn’t deserve someone that was unsure about me and that’s why he was taking a step back.”
And while it’s been a difficult year of ups and downs for Kylee and Aven, she said she doesn’t hold any anger toward him.
She told the co-hosts, “I don’t have any hate in my heart toward him. I know he’s a good person and I know he wants to be a good person. He will be that person for someone else, just not me. I wish him nothing but the best. Never say never; there just has been so much damage that has been done. We both in different times have given the relationship our all and unfortunately it wasn’t reciprocated back. I don’t see a world where it happens.”
Susan and Kathy asked Kylee if she would ever go back on “Bachelor in Paradise” and Kylee said she would.
The Bachelor Nation star said, “I saw the announcement that ‘Paradise’ is coming back in 2025. Despite everything that happened, I lived my best life in ‘Paradise.’ If they asked me to go back tomorrow, I would pack my bags and take a flight to Mexico and live my best life once again. I would definitely go back if asked.”
She shared who she’d like to see there, saying, “There have been some men who have caught my interest on Jenn’s season. Austin who also lives in San Diego, I actually saw him at my church. I think he’s very cute. I don’t really know his personality, but he’s definitely intriguing to me. And I believe his name is Sam M. who got the First Impression Rose, if my brakes need fixing on my car, I feel like he could fix my brakes. He lives in South Carolina and I’m from North Carolina, so those two have caught my eye.”
We are sending Kylee love as she navigates her healing journey, and who knows, maybe we’ll see her back on the beach next year!
Check out her full conversation with Kathy and Susan below.
