Entertainment

Madison & Peter Officially Called It Quits — 2 Days After The 'Bachelor' Finale

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Looks like sometimes, love just can't conquer all. Despite announcing plans to rekindle their romance, The Bachelor stars Peter and Madison have split. The news comes just two days after the After the Final Rose special, where they declared their love on live television. The pair announced their breakup on their own respective Instagram accounts, where both Peter and Madi shared their gratitude for the fans who watched their respective journeys on the show unfold.

"Madi and I have mutually decided to not pursue our relationship any further," Peter wrote on Instagram, alongside a photo of himself from the Australian outback. "Believe me this was not easy for either of us to be ok with, but after a lot of honest conversations, we have agreed that this is what makes most sense for the two of us." Despite deciding to call it quits, the pilot wrote that "the love and respect I have for Madi will continue to endure," and thanked her for her "patience and unconditional love" all season long.

"You’re the epitome of a woman who carries herself with grace, stands by what she believes in, and loves whole heartedly," he continued. "That love is something I feel so grateful to have felt and will take a piece of that with me always going forward." In his post, Peter also thanked all of the women that he "had the privilege of getting to know," during his time as the Bachelor, explaining that he learned "so many lessons" from being on the show.

Meanwhile, in her own Instagram post, Madison wrote that she was "so incredibly thankful for this amazing journey," and that she believed that they had both grown and changed for the "better" as a result of their experience on The Bachelor. "As Peter and I have decided to go our separate ways, I am confident that we will both move in the direction of our purpose," she wrote. Adding that she will always "love and respect" Peter, Madison then addressed the pilot directly, writing, "I’m thankful for you. I will always be your biggest fan."

Despite proposing to Hannah Ann in Australia, Peter was never able to fully forget about Madison, and during the After the Final Rose special, both he and the Auburn native admitted they were still in love with one another. However, while Peter and Madison were willing to work through the "million and one obstacles" in front of them, the dramatic reunion seemed to take a toll on their relationship. According to Entertainment Tonight, Madison and Peter were spotted having what "looked like a very intense conversation" during a lunch date in Los Angeles just hours before sharing the breakup announcement.

Still, Madison seemed to be in good spirits despite the breakup, as she spent Thursday, March 12, enjoying a "night in" with Selena Gomez and her friends, playing board games. While neither one of them revealed how their friendship began, Gomez has shown a great deal of support for Madison over the course of Peter's season of The Bachelor, and cheered her on during the finale. Madi's romance with Peter may not have survived outside of the Bachelor bubble, but at least she appears to have some new famous friends to provide her with a support system out in L.A.