'Bachelor in Paradise's Maurissa Gunn and Riley Christian Split After History-Making Engagement

Riley and Maurissa
ABC/Craig Sjodin

The couple made history on the reality TV series by becoming the first black couple to get engaged on the show.

Bachelor in Paradise's Maurissa Gun and Riley Christian have called off their engagement.

The couple, who made history on the series by becoming the first black couple to get engaged on the reality TV dating show, announced Monday that they have decided to go their "separate ways."

"We have decided to go our separate ways. Never did we imagine this, but we've come to a point where we both need to work on ourselves," Gunn and Christian said in a statement shared with People.

"We've appreciated everyone's love and support so far throughout our journey and we just ask that you please respect our privacy as we navigate through this," they went on to add.

Gunn and Christian met on the show's seventh season, and their relationship was documented over the span of the summer-long series. The pair got engaged alongside two other couples, Joe Amabile and Serena Pitt and Kenny Braasch and Mari Pepin -- both of whom are still together.

While their engagement was a major milestone for the franchise, Gunn and Christian were unaware that they were making history with their proposal until they learned about it on social media. Both of them shared a tweet that announced the news on their Instagram Story.

ET spoke with the pair one day after Christian popped the question on the season finale, where he said that the milestone was "good for the culture."

"At the end of the day, it's about us. It's about our engagement," Christian said. "We went on the show to find love. We found it, and we got engaged."

Instagram / Maurissa Gunn

"The fact that we look alike, it's just a bonus, and it's great," he added. "I couldn't be more happy for us."

The couple went on to speak about their plans to meet each other's families and Gunn making the move from Atlanta to New York, where they can finally live out Christian's long-held Sunday morning dream, which he shared with his bride-to-be on the finale.

"Sunday morning, for me, it's just a time of peace," Christian told ET. "I always had this vision of just being able to have my family and just be able to relax on a Sunday morning, cook some breakfast, some bacon and eggs. You've got your children there. It's just a great feeling. It's no stress." 

"Now we have an opportunity to build our own family," he added, "and we can enjoy it every single time."

Gunn agreed, telling ET at the time that she wanted "a whole basketball team" of kids, with whom they'll be able to "create our own life, our own family start, our own traditions."

Fans of the franchise can keep up with all things Bachelor related with Clayton Echard's season of The Bachelor, which airs Mondays on ABC.

ET has got you covered throughout the entirety of his season with all of our Bachelor content

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