Did Nick Viall Break Up With Jen Saviano for 'The Bachelor'?

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Nick Viall may be the new Bachelor, but hold up -- what the heck happened to Jen Saviano?

Season three of Bachelor in Paradise is currently being played out on ABC, and as many fans of the dating show know, Viall and Saviano have been romantically linked ever since the two locked eyes when Saviano made an entrance. What's more, in the sneak peek teaser for next week's finale, we even saw Viall looking at an engagement ring with Neil Lane, who jokingly asked, "How many times am I going to see you again?"


WATCH: Andi Dorfman Says She's 'Happy' and 'Excited' for New 'Bachelor' Nick Viall

But seeing as the 35-year-old reality star -- who replied, "Hopefully never!" -- was announced to star as the leading man on season 21 of The Bachelor during the BIP post-show, After Paradise, on Tuesday night, it's pretty clear that Saviano is now out of the picture.

A source tells ET, however, that the two were "never an official couple where a breakup was even needed," but "are still close friends."

"Picking Nick was a last-minute switch up," the source revealed. "Producers had Luke [Pell] in mind and he was all set to be The Bachelor. It all happened really quick. It wasn't even a thought on the table that Nick would be the next Bachelor. He had no idea they were considering him, and he really didn’t think it was an option.”

One day ahead of the BIP finale, ET's Lauren Zima caught up with Saviano on set, where she opened up about where she saw her and Viall's relationship heading, and whether or not she was ready for him to put a ring on it.


WATCH: Chris Harrison Defends Nick Viall as the Next 'Bachelor': 'He's the Most Deserving'

"I don't know. I know I don't want to say goodbye to him," Saviano, who originally appeared on Ben Higgins' season of The Bachelor, dished. "But I don't know if [our connection is] strong enough in his eyes to make that commitment."

"It's very possible that it could end tomorrow," she continued. "I don't want it to though."

While Saviano said there are a few females in the house whom she could see receiving a proposal -- Amanda Stanton from Josh Murray, Lace Morris from Grant Kemp and Carly Waddell from Evan Bass -- she's not expecting one from Viall.

"I wouldn't want [Nick] to propose [on the finale], no," she exclaimed. "We're just not there yet. I did come in the middle of this. A lot of couples that are left were here in the beginning, so we're kind of playing catch up."

"Our relationship is moving at a very normal pace," she added. "It's the Bachelor, it's not the outside world, so I don't know. I'm very happy with where we're at, I just don't know if it's enough right now. Certainly not enough for an engagement."


WATCH: Bachelor Nation, Meet Your New Leading Man!

Regardless, Saviano said joining the show was "a really great experience," and even though Viall "can be a pain in the a** at times," she "really enjoyed getting to know him."

"Going into it, I wanted to be open-minded," the Fort Lauderdale, Florida, native explained. "I had no idea I would feel this way so soon, but I mean, a day here really does feel like a week, so feelings are exacerbated and time picks up, and you just kind of get swept away in your emotions."

"I can't say I'm fully in love right now, but I’m definitely falling in love," she added at the time. "It's exciting and terrifying [and] I'm just happy."

Following ABC's announcement, however, it appears Saviano has been seemingly shading Viall over social media.

On Wednesday, she posted a photo of her at the airport, captioning it, "…and then sometimes you just need to book a F* it flight to NYC. Anyone live there? You know I love recommendations."


WATCH: ET's Hilarious 'Bachelor in Paradise' Recaps on YouTube

"About that #AfterParadise," Saviano tweeted on Tuesday, accompanied with a gif of Amy Schumer drinking an oversized glass of wine.

She also replied "love you booo" to a fan who tweeted, "No bachelor will ever find anyone better than @jennifersaviano."

But her best dig? Writing "Not I" in reply to a tweet that read, "Already trying to figure which former contestants will return to try and date nick #TheBachelor."

As we patiently wait to see what goes down during the Bachelor in Paradise finale, airing Wednesday, Sept. 7 on ABC, watch the video below to hear more on why Viall was chosen as the new Bachelor.


WATCH: 6 Reasons Why Nick Viall Is the Perfect Choice for the New 'Bachelor'