It’s Over! The Bachelorette Emily Maynard & Jef Holm Confirm Split
Oct. 17 2012, Published 5:30 a.m. ET
Another Bachelor romance bites the dust.
The Bachelorette Emily Maynard and fiancé Jef Holm each confirmed late Wednesday that they've called off their engagement, RadarOnline.com has learned.
She told People in a statement: "I am sorry to tell you that Jef and I have, indeed, parted ways.
"It was a very difficult and heartbreaking decision. As you know, at first I wasn't sure that I should even be The Bachelorette, but I am a hopeless romantic and I do believe in the show. I have no regrets because I did find love and shared an incredible journey with a really special person -- and you know what, we tried our best because the love between us was so real.
"I have nothing but respect and love for Jef and his family, but ultimately we are just at different points in our lives," wrote Emily, whose 7-year-old daughter Ricki made her the first single mom to appear on the ABC romance show.
"I've learned so much and I'm grateful for all of the support I've received. I'm excited and hopeful for the next chapter in my life with my daughter, Ricki. I do hope that you will respect our privacy and allow us the time we need to heal."
Jef, who Emily chose over Arie Luyendyk, told the magazine in a statement that "meeting Emily on The Bachelorette was an incredible experience, we've had quite the journey.
"I've never loved someone so much in my whole life, Emily is the best person and mom I have ever met. She opened up her world to me and I fell in love with her, Ricki, her family and the Hendricks.
"She has a great group of people who surround her. What we shared was completely genuine and real and it breaks my heart but we have decided to break up. Emily will always have a special place in my heart. I don't regret a single second I spent with her or Ricki. They both have been a huge part of my life. Who knows what tomorrow will bring but we are moving on to the next chapter of our lives.
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"Emily and I are great friends and I hope we can continue to be friends forever. Everyone wants a salacious story to break, but the truth is we are just two people who fell in love and tried our hardest to make it work. I will always love her."
The duo had drifted apart as of late, with whispers of a cheating scandal. Jef had recently been spending more time on the West Coast while Emily has been in her native Charlotte, North Carolina.
As we previously reported, Emily's former fiancée, NASCAR driver Ricky Hendrick, died in a 2004 plane crash while she was pregnant. The blonde beauty was formerly engaged to Brad Womack, who picked her on The Bachelor.
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