A source close to the 'Bachelor' stars says the two were not "seeing eye-to-eye."
Bachelor fans might not have expected Ben Higgins and Lauren Bushnell to call off their engagement, but a source close to the pair tells ET that the split "was coming for a little bit."
"They weren’t seeing eye-to-eye on too many things and were arguing about everything lately," the source notes.
Higgins, 29, and Bushnell, 27, made several TV appearances following their engagement on The Bachelor in March 2016, and recently hosted Disney's Fairy Tale Weddings, in addition to guest starring on Freeform's Famous in Love. The source says the couple seemed to be waiting until Fairy Tale Weddings aired earlier this month before announcing their split.
The "final straw," however, that may have led to the couple calling it quits could have been when Bushnell attended the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio, California, at the end of April. "Lauren went with some friends and did some things that made Ben upset," the source claims, adding that Bushnell's partying may have been another reason for the breakup. "It got way too out of hand and Ben got upset at how much time she was spending with friends, and not him."
While at Stagecoach, Bushnell posted several photos of herself with female friends. "Can't walk today," she captioned one of the images. "Voice is gone but Brett [Eldredge] and Shania [Twain] were worth every mile of the 33.7 I walked yesterday."
While ET's source says the festival was a point of contention for the Bachelor stars, Higgins later shared an intimate photo of himself and Bushnell to Instagram on May 4. "@laurenbushnell continues to spread love while some feel it is their responsibility to spread hate," he wrote. "She is a light in this world. Proud of my gal, @laurenbushnell got me."
As for Bushnell, she has not posted a photo of Higgins since Easter Sunday, April 16, when he posed with her family.
On Monday, the two released a joint statement to People announcing their breakup. “It is with heavy hearts that we announce our decision to go our separate ways,” read the statement. “We feel fortunate for the time we had together, and will remain friends with much love and respect for one another. We wish nothing but the best for each other, and ask for your support and understanding at this time.”
Ahead of the premiere of Fairy Tale Weddings on May 7, Bushnell and Higgins admitted in an exclusive interview with ET that they were in no hurry to get married. "We have been together for a year and a half now," Bushnell noted. "So I don't think we're pushing it too far yet."
