Bachelorette’s Clare Crawley Slams Dale Moss’ ‘Mutual’ Breakup Statement: ‘I Am Crushed’

Her side of the split. Bachelorette alum Clare Crawley broke her silence after her bombshell breakup with fiancé and season 16 contestant Dale Moss.

“I was made aware of a ‘mutual’ statement at the same time you all were, so I’ve needed some time to really digest this,” the 39-year-old wrote via Instagram on Thursday, January 21. “Speaking for myself, my intentions with this relationship have always been very clear, so the truth is I am crushed.”

She continued, “This is not what I expected or hoped for and I am still trying to process this. 2020 was one hell of a year, with COVID, battling severe anxiety post-show, balancing a public new relationship, all while slowly losing my mother. It hasn’t been ideal circumstances, but that is life, right[?] I have been looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel.”

“Our relationship was not perfect, but I can say I was genuinely invested with all of my heart,” Clare concluded her statement. “I may not have the answers but I do know this — I will continue to show up, stand by my word and be committed to love.”

The former NFL player, 32, was the first to reveal the couple had gone their separate ways on January 19. “I wanted to share with you all that Clare and I have decided to go our separate ways,” the South Dakota native wrote on Instagram at the time.

“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,” he added. “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.”

It seems the hairstylist is processing the separation as best she can. An insider told Us Weekly that Clare was “a wreck” and “not holding up well” in the aftermath of the breakup, which was “really messy.”

“She really fell hard for Dale and saw a future with him,” the source revealed to the outlet. “To have this all blow up in her face has been really difficult. The breakup was hard for the both of them at the end.”

It appears things have been difficult for the Sacramento native and the athlete behind closed doors for quite some time. A second source told the outlet Clare and Dale were quietly working through “serious issues” and “had been fighting a lot as of late,” which led to the split.

“Clare and Dale did not agree on a lot of things in the long run when they sat down and really discussed the future of their relationship,” the insider explained to Us Weekly. “Clare started many of the arguments, and Dale would try not to rock the boat too much, but it all became too much for the both of them. They finally realized that perhaps they did move too quickly after all.”

The ABC personality — who told host Chris Harrison having children was next on the horizon for the couple in November 2020 — was “the main cause for the breakup.”

Life & Style broke the news in June 2020 that Clare “threatened to quit” filming the dating reality series just 12 days in after “falling in love” with Dale. In August 2020, Life & Style revealed the pair got engaged. They left season 16 together during episode 4 which aired in November 2020, after which Tayshia Adams took over as the Bachelorette.