Entertainment

Jonathan Van Ness & His BF Broke Up, But The ‘Queer Eye’ Star Is Staying Positive

by Mary Kate McGrath
Michael Kovac/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

It's best to start the year off with a positive attitude, even during difficult times. Jonathan Van Ness and Wilco Froneman recently broke up, which the Queer Eye star announced on Instagram on Sunday, but he's not letting it keep him down. Van Ness and Froneman, a rugby player, had been dating since July, according to E! News. The couple met at a party, and made their public debut before the Emmy Awards in September. Van Ness kept details about the split private, and instead quoted lyrics to Ariana Grande's "Thank U, Next" on social media. A few hours after posting, he even updated the caption urging fans to be kind to Froneman following the split.

Van Ness seems to be handling the breakup with as healthy an attitude as possible. The announcement came alongside a photo of himself, which he captioned:

"She taught me love, she taught me patience, how she handles pain, that sh*ts amazing. I’ve loved and I’ve lost but that’s not what I see because look what I found ain’t no need for searching, rounding out my 2018 with a very gorg THANK U NEXT. #selflove"

In addition to Grande's song lyrics, he made sure to note that he would be starting off 2019 by taking care of himself. Fans might have taken the breakup news personally, since, as mentioned, the star later included a message urging grace for his ex: "Please don’t go in on Wilco, he doesn’t need the anger & I don’t want to see him suffer so just know I’m all good & sometimes people break up — Love you all so much"

Breakups can be difficult, but it was clearly important to Van Ness that his 2.7 million followers weren't hurtful to Froneman. The Queer Eye star assured fans he was going to be alright in his Instagram Story, and reiterated the need to move on from the relationship.

"I should've sat with myself a bit longer before I posted my most recent post. Wilco is a good person & sometimes things don't work out," he wrote. "Please don't attack him on his page. Just let us move on, heal and enjoy your gorgeous New Year's celebration!"

The split comes several months after the couple confirmed they were dating. In October, Van Ness opened up about dating Froneman in an interview with E! News. "I kind of thought we had more, like, BFF synergy when we very first met," he said. "And then very quickly, I was like, 'Oh.' It's just 'cause his personality shines so bright that it took me a minute to realize he was a 6-foot-7, muscle-bound rugby player."

Van Ness knows a thing or two about self-care, and even spoke about the importance of working on yourself back on National Boyfriend's Day when he shared a picture helping the rugby player into a stiletto. The caption included a special message for single fans, per Out, "May I just say, if I weren't me and saw this 3 years ago it would make me feel lonely and to that person I say this, work on completing you and falling in love with you, everything else is icing on top."

Froneman and Van Ness' romance may be over, but the future is still looking bright for the reality star. Season 3 of Queer Eye will premiere in 2019, and the Fab Five began filming in July, according to Elle. Van Ness is taking his stand-up show on the road, which is likely to be yet another highlight. It's a shame to end the year on a sad note, but it sounds like there are only good things on the way in the future.