The 'Bachelorette' couple announced their split this week.
Bachelorette couple Clare Crawley and Dale Moss didn't break up over infidelity, a source tells ET.
The couple confirmed their split this week after their whirlwind reality show romance and five-month engagement. However, when it comes to cheating rumors -- some of which began when Dale was photographed out with another woman in New York City -- a source close to Dale says, "Any reports of him cheating are not true."
"The 'girl' they have in question of him 'cheating' with is a longtime friend of his," the source adds. "She is a real estate broker and has been helping him find a new apartment for him and Clare in NYC. There is zero truth to any cheating rumors. Dale was faithful the entire time he was dating Clare. He never cheated on her."
Dale was the one to officially announce the couple's breakup on Instagram this week, writing, "I wanted to share with you all that Clare and I have decided to go our separate ways. We appreciate the love and support we've received from so many people, but this is the healthiest decision for both of us at this time... We only hope the best things for one another."
Clare broke her silence on the split on Thursday, saying she was "crushed" and sounding blindsided by Dale's announcement. "I was made aware of a 'mutual' statement at the same time you all were, so I've needed some time to really digest this."
"This was not what I expected or hoped for and am still trying to process this," she wrote. "Our relationship was not perfect, but I can say that I was genuinely invested with all of my heart."
However, the source close to Dale tells ET, "Dale broke up with Clare last week, after their San Diego trip ended. He wanted to release his statement then, but Clare begged him to wait to announce it. She told him she needed some time to deal with it herself before the world knew, and he respected her wishes. Clare knew well before everyone else that this was coming out and didn’t find out with the rest of the world."
Fans of The Bachelorette saw Clare end her season early, falling for Dale roughly two weeks into filming. They got engaged on the Nov. 5 episode of the dating show -- the fastest engagement in franchise history -- and Tayshia Adams stepped in as the new Bachelorette.
After the news that the couple called it quits this week, another source told ET that the breakup was, in part, because "this year specifically was tough to start a new relationship with everything going on in the world."
"Then throw in social media and all the attention the show brings, and it put a lot of pressure on their relationship," the source added. "There were things with how Clare acted about certain issues that Dale couldn’t accept anymore, the damage was unrepairable. It got to be an unhealthy environment, which was affecting both Dale and his family in a way that he didn’t like."
See more on the split in the video below.
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