Are Whitney Fransway and Connor Saeli Still a Thing, Post-'Bachelor in Paradise'?

Oh dear.

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Whitney Fransway and Connor Saeli were the couple no one saw coming on this season of Bachelor in Paradise. Connor came on and turned heads, but "lost" Caelynn to a mustache-less Dean as Caelynn decided that living in a van was preferable to sipping martinis on a beach with a sweet guy (intriguing). But he ended up finding a connection off-show with Whitney Fransway, whom he had met at Chris Randone and Krystal Nielson's wedding.

So everything's great with the tall, sweet contestant from Hannah Brown's Bachelorette season and the sweet brunette from Nick Viall's Bachelor season? I investigate—but prepare yourself, because it's not great news.

The two had a delightful edit on Bachelor in Paradise. 

Connor stared longingly at the entryway to the BiP beach for a while before he decided that Whitney, whom he was waiting for, just wasn't coming. He left sadly. Literally five minutes later, Whitney showed up (lol, producers. Now you're not even pretending to be subtle.). She heard Connor had just left and raced off to be with him. The couple ended up canoodling in the hotel—a happy ending! Love is real! Paradise does lead to some of the cutest couples in the Bachelorverse! Right?

A post shared by Bachelor in Paradise (@bachelorinparadise)

A photo posted by on

Just kidding on the happy ever after, I guess. Whitney posted yesterday about the status of their relationship, saying, "Jumping into a long-distant relationship, right after, made [things] more difficult. At the end of August, we started having more serious conversations about where we saw our relationship going. We have been nothing but honest in communicating our feelings throughout the relationship, but we came to a conclusion that it just wasn't working right now."

She added, "The connection we had wasn’t igniting as much as it did in the beginning...We are still on good terms and ultimately, still have the foundation of a friendship. We have mutually decided this is the best decision for both of us. Thank you to everyone who was rooting for us and has been so so supportive. I appreciate it so very much. Love you all!" Welp, that's depressing.

Here's the post:

A post shared by Whitney Fransway (@whitneyfransway)

A photo posted by on

Intriguingly, Connor hasn't posted anything on his Instagram since leaving BiP:


And he did not "like" Whitney's Instagram post, despite being tagged in it. So I wonder if there's actually more to the story, or if things aren't as amicable post-breakup as we're being led to believe.

So there you have it. Sad trombone sound.

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Katherine J. Igoe
Katherine J. Igoe
Contributing Editor

Katherine’s a contributing syndications editor at Marie Claire who covers fashion, culture, and lifestyle. In her role, she writes stories that are syndicated by MSN and other outlets. She’s been a full-time freelancer for over a decade and has had roles with Cosmopolitan (where she covered lifestyle, culture, and fashion SEO content) and Bustle (where she was their movies and culture writer). She has bylines in New York Times, Parents, InStyle, Refinery29, and elsewhere. Her work has also been syndicated by ELLE, Harper’s Bazaar, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, and Women’s Health, among others. In addition to her stories reaching millions of readers, content she's written and edited has qualified for a Bell Ringer Award and received a Communicator Award. 

Katherine has a BA in English and art history from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in art business from the Sotheby's Institute of Art (with a focus on marketing/communications). She covers a wide breadth of topics: she's written about how to find the very best petite jeans, how sustainable travel has found its footing on Instagram, and what it's like to be a professional advice-giver in the modern world. Her personal essays have run the gamut from learning to dress as a queer woman to navigating food allergies as a mom. She also has deep knowledge of SEO/EATT, affiliate revenue, commerce, and social media; she regularly edits the work of other writers. She speaks at writing-related events and podcasts about freelancing and journalism, mentors students and other new writers, and consults on coursework. Currently, Katherine lives in Boston with her husband and two kids, and you can follow her on Instagram. If you're wondering about her last name, it’s “I go to dinner,” not “Her huge ego,” but she responds to both.