Lauren Bushnell thought she and Ben Higgins would be together forever when he chose her and proposed at the end of his season of The Bachelor.
They even had their own reality show after The Bachelor called Ben & Lauren: Happily Ever After? However, it only lasted one season, as Lauren never really could get over the fact that Ben also told his runner-up, JoJo Fletcher, he loved her, too.
Ben’s season of The Bachelor premiered on January 4, 2016, and Ben and Lauren finally called it quits in May of 2017.
Now Lauren is speaking out on what happened between the two and how she hit rock bottom after the breakup.
What happened with Lauren Bushnell after her breakup with Ben Higgins?
Recently, Lauren Bushnell did an interview with Page Six when she told them, “I was really in a low place. I was kind of at that rock bottom place,” following her and Ben’s breakup.
Lauren went on to say, “I needed to get there, though, in order to reflect and figure out who I was and what I wanted. I think I needed to just be alone, refocus on myself and rebuild who I was without a camera in my face.”
The duo basically went straight from filming The Bachelor to filming their own reality television show, so the cameras were constantly in their faces, filming their every move and step in life.
Lauren also discussed how it probably wasn’t in her best interests and well-being to go straight to Happily Ever After since she was still trying to process what had just happened on The Bachelor.
She also declared that she was having doubts about her and Ben’s relationship as well but was more nervous about the instant fame she seemed to gain in the public eye after winning the show and Ben’s heart.
Lauren claimed when talking to Page Six, “I don’t necessarily like all eyes on me. There was a lot of criticism involved. The foundation was rocky already, and not just the relationship but my own mental health.”
Lauren revealed why she doesn’t think the relationship worked
She then revealed that the constant pressure and cameras played a huge part in her and Ben’s split, but she stated she also believes that the two weren’t completely right for each other to begin with.
Lauren said, “I think [we didn’t work] for two reasons. I think we shared a lot of the same core values, but personality-wise, I don’t think we were super compatible. I don’t even think it had anything to do with the show or the spotlight or anything like that.”
She then stated, “Also, I was young. I think I needed to do a lot of reflecting on myself, and I had a lot of growing to do.”
Looking back, it’s obvious that the two made the right decision in breaking up, as they both seem extremely happy in their current marriages. Lauren is now married to Chris Lane, and the two have a child, Dutton, together, while Ben just recently got married to Jessica Clarke.
The Bachelorette premieres Monday, July 11th, on ABC.