Did CT Ask Diem To Marry Him?

It's hard to believe that it's been over a week since MTV star Diem Brown passed away after a long battle with cancer. Her optimism and spirit are unforgettable, and while so many Challenge fans are mourning the loss of Diem, it seems no one is feeling that loss more than Chris "CT" Tamburello, her close friend and occasional boyfriend, on- and off-screen. And as if the touching Instagram tribute he shared after her New York funeral last week isn't heartbreaking enough, Us Weekly is reporting that CT proposed to Diem at her bedside in her final days.

Warning: If you're not ready to feel incredibly sad, you might want to sit this one out.

A source close to Diem says that, five days before her death, CT showed up in her hospital room, ruby engagement ring in hand, ready to film the proposal. And although Diem initially said no, jokingly blaming her refusal to marry CT on the fact that she doesn't like rubies, CT was undaunted. He returned the next day with a different ring and asked her again, but her answer was still the same.

"Diem knew she didn't have much longer to live, and she didn't want to be engaged under those circumstances," the source says.

If Diem had said yes, would her death have been even harder on CT? As truly sweet as this is, I wouldn't be surprised if she was putting his needs before her own, even at a time when she was the one who should come first. Knowing their close relationship and love for each other, in different circumstances, Diem might have said yes, and her friend, Alicia Quarles, seems to agree; although she didn't comment on the engagement story in particular. She told Us Weekly:

Diem and CT had a complicated relationship. Maybe all of her friends didn't understand it. I know they had a lot of love for each other... They were on and off for so many years. If she had more time on this earth, who knows what would have happened between them?

Although CT has yet to confirm whether or not this story is accurate, Bustle has reached out to him for comment.

Images: Getty Images