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Nayte Olukoya took to his Instagram Story to address some buzz following his breakup from Michelle Young, who he met on The Bachelorette in 2021. First and foremost, Nayte blatantly confirmed, “No, I did not cheat,” in his lengthy message. He also pointed out that “not every breakup needs to have someone to blame.” Nayte and Michelle announced their split earlier this month, and fans immediately began buzzing about what may have happened. In most theories, Nayte was blamed for screwing things up with Michelle.
“I’m actually a decent guy and I only want to continue getting better,” Nayte admitted. “As we should all want for ourselves. Yes, the negativity and blatant hate has been hurtful during a difficult time.” He also said he fully believed Michelle was his “person” when they met and got engaged on The Bachelorette. Their season filmed during the summer of 2021 and aired in the fall. Their engagement was documented during the December 2021 finale.
“Yes, I like to hang out with my guys,” Nayte added. “As she likes to hang out with her girls. Nothing wrong with that. If anything, super healthy. We are social people. Not everyone who goes to bars are cheaters. Yes, I am friends with many of the guys from Michelle’s season. It is not weird to me or her. We’re adults, not children. We can be friends and mature about the situation, environment we were all in during the show.”
Nayte added that the “pressure” of being in a public relationship was part of what took a toll on him and Michelle. “We tried. It didn’t work. We’re sad about it,” he concluded. “We all grieve differently.”
Michelle expressed similar feelings of gratitude for Nayte when she posted her statement about their breakup on June 17. “Nayte, you quickly became my best friend and the love I have for you is incredibly strong,” she wrote. “I will never stop wanting to see you succeed. I will always acknowledge and appreciate the adventures, support and grown both Nayte and this experience have brought me. At the same time, I’m deeply hurting and will need time and space to work through this heartbreak.”
