Kelsey Anderson is opening up about her recent hiatus from social media.
The 26-year-old “The Bachelor” winner, who spent a few days off the grid earlier this month, was dealing with a personal matter, according to E! News.
“A friend of mine passed away,” she told the outlet in an exclusive interview, published Nov. 27. “It was a shock because I had just seen them the week before.”
The break was much-needed as she spent time with those who mean the most to her.
“Moments like these you remember how precious life is,” she added. “And to remind the people around you how much you love them.”
The hiatus was brief but long enough that fans grew worried about the status of her relationship with Joey Graziadei, who was a runner-up on “The Bachelorette” before starring in “The Bachelor” earlier this year.
Anderson, who accepted Graziadei’s final rose in the show’s March finale, was quick to debunk the breakup rumors when she briefly returned to social media on Nov. 5.
“Haven’t been on social media much the past couple days due to personal reasons,” she wrote in an Instagram Story before urging her followers to vote in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
In hopes of putting an end to the rumors before they spread like wildfire, Anderson issued a disclaimer.
“Don’t want yall to get the wrong idea,” she wrote in a follow-up Story. “Joey and I are good.”
Graziadei defends Anderson’s break from social media
Graziadei echoed Anderson’s comments in an interview with E! News a few days later.
“I think the whole thing came from one or two days that she wasn’t active, and people assumed something for some reason,” he told the outlet.
He clarified that she was “just taking a little break” to care for herself mentally, which led fans to assume it had something to do with their relationship.
But their relationship is just fine. And despite Anderson’s recent loss, the couple have a lot to celebrate and look forward to as they continue their new life together.
For starters, Graziadei was recently crowned the winner of Season 33 of “Dancing With the Stars,” along with his pro dance partner, Jenna Johnson.
Anderson, who was a regular attendee at her fiancé’s performances, stunned in a white dress as she watched Graziadei accept the trophy on Nov. 26.
The couple also recently celebrated their one-year anniversary, which landed on the day of one of his shows.
But that didn’t stop them from celebrating their love for each other.
“Joey had the DWTS show the day of our anniversary,” Anderson told E! News. “But we celebrated with a nice dinner after, and it was a perfect evening together.”
Graziadei and Anderson have yet to announce a wedding date, but that day should come soon.
“(It’s) kind of on pause right now,” she said of her wedding plans at a Raising Cane’s Fashion Week event in September, according to Distractify.
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“We also rushed our engagement,” she said. “We don’t want to rush marriage, so we’re taking our time, and then within the next six months, I think we’ll have a date and location, but TBD.”
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