Ben Higgins and Ashley Iaconetti got the scoop on Rachel Lindsay and Bryan Abasolo's divorce before the public.
The Bachelor Nation stars discussed the surprising split — and what they knew — on the Tuesday, January 2, episode of their "Almost Famous" podcast.
"As I mentioned a few weeks ago, something weird was happening, and now it’s even weirder to me," Higgins shared the same day the breakup was revealed. "I kept getting these comments on Instagram on every picture I shared, or messages saying, ‘Hey, why don’t you start talking on the podcast about Bryan filing for divorce from Rachel?’ … I didn’t know that was a thing."
"Now this actually is happening. Bryan is filing for divorce. How do these people know?” the former Bachelor lead asked. “For the last few weeks, were they just guessing and got really lucky? Or did they know something that nobody else knew?”
"I guess there’s been a bit of smoke around this couple for a while," Iaconetti admitted.
The Bachelor in Paradise alum — who admitted she hasn't spoken to Lindsay in years — noted the estranged couple was always "super private."
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“We can only speak on the things that have been released and the things that we do know,” Higgins added.
“This is obviously a huge huge deal. Very sad, of course. Very sucky," the mom-of-one said of the breakup. "It’s not the way to start the new year off with Bachelor Nation."
Abasolo, 43, filed the paperwork yesterday but said they began living separately starting December 31. The chiropractor also requested spousal support from his wife, 38, of four years.
As the breakup made headlines, Abasolo took to his social media pages to confirm the news.
“If you’ve been following me for a while, you know I don’t like to put my personal affairs on social media and like to keep a safe space for our family," his message began. "Many of you know me as a chiropractor, and also a husband, my proudest role so far. After more than 4 years of marriage, Rachel and I have made the difficult decision to part ways and start anew."
“My parents have been married forever and I’m a family man, but sometimes loving yourself and your partner means you must let go,” he continued. “I wanted you to hear it from the source before the blog start making up their own reality. Please respect the spaces of our family and friends as we figure out our next steps. Respectfully, Bryan."
