Nick Talking About His & Vanessa's Breakup Will Make You Emotional Even If You Weren’t A Fan

In sad news for the couple and fans of The Bachelor franchise, Nick Viall and Vanessa Grimaldi announced the end of their engagement with a joint statement on August 25. Now, Nick has spoken out about the breakup on his own and admitted he still loves Vanessa.

Nick told Us Weekly, "I still love her very much. I'm not afraid to say that." When asked if the two of them are still friends, Nick said, "Of course." He added, "My friends, my family and Vanessa and I are still very much each other’s support system. We’re trying to do that and it’s a challenge at times, but we still realize that we’re there for each other."

It might seem unusual to some people who have gone through a breakup that Nick would still consider Vanessa part of his support system, but it's not the craziest thing to ever happen. Even though are not romantically involved, it really does seem like the two of them still care a great deal about each other.

The statement Nick and Vanessa released on Friday reads:

It's with a great amount of heartbreak for the both us as we have decided to end our engagement. We gave this relationship our all and we are saddened that we did not get the fairytale ending we hoped for. We will continue to be there for each other no matter what. This hasn't been an easy decision, however, as we part ways, we do so with lots of love and admiration for each other.

Even with them both declaring that they are "saddened" to end the engagement, they do seem to be on very good terms. While Vanessa didn't speak out the same way Nick did, she did post a photo of herself and a friend on Instagram with the caption, "It's okay to feel broken. It's okay to cry. It's okay to lean on a friend. In the end, it will always be okay."

After looking for love on two seasons of The Bachelorette, Season 3 of Bachelor in Paradise, and getting engaged to Vanessa during his own season of The Bachelor, it would be understandable if Nick was questioning the concept of love. However, told Us Weekly that "of course" he still believes in love. He added, "And again, I was still lucky enough to find it with Vanessa."

It will be very interesting to see where Nick's journey takes him... especially if it's to another reality TV show. If that is the route he chooses to take, it will have to be a show outside of The Bachelor franchise since Nick told Us Weekly, "I’m definitely done with that. I’m very thankful for everything. I don’t have regrets. I don’t have any regrets. There are still a lot of positive things that came from it, especially my relationship with Vanessa.”

There is no ugliness here — just a lot of respect and even some love.