Why The Bachelorette's Clare Crawley And Dale Moss Already Broke Up After Season 16

the bachelorette season 16 dale moss clare crawley abc final rose
(Image credit: ABC)

Clare Crawley's season of The Bachelorette was bonkers even by Bachelor Nation standards, with Clare deciding that her search for love was over after just two weeks of filming, getting engaged to Dale Moss in the fourth episode, and being replaced by Tayshia Adams to finish Season 16. The whirlwind romance between Clare and Dale started as soon as Clare set eyes on him, and she didn't spare much attention for the rest of her suitors before finally making the decision that Dale was the one. It also apparently did not build the foundation for a lasting relationship, as Dale himself has broken the news that their love story has ended.

In an Instagram post, Dale Moss didn't mince words in explaining the situation to fans:

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 strongly believe in leading with love and always remaining true to oneself - something our families have taught and instilled in us throughout our lives. We only hope the best things for one another.

Dale Moss was respectful to Clare Crawley in revealing the breakup news on social media, sharing that they decided this was the "healthiest decision" for them at this point and hope for the best for each other. He also finished off the post by asking that people "respect our privacy as we work through this together." The breakup comes just three months after their engagement was broadcast on The Bachelorette back in November 2020.

Interestingly, both Dale Moss and Clare Crawley's Instagram accounts don't point toward a breakup even within recent weeks. Clare liked a post of Dale and his parents just days ago, left heart eye emojis on a shirtless photo of Dale from a week ago along with a like, and was featured in a video of the two of them jamming out together in a car on January 5 on Dale's account. He even shared a New Year's Eve photo of the two of them with the caption of "The best is yet to come."

A photo posted by on

As for Clare Crawley on Instagram, she posted an image of her looking quite cozy with Dale Moss with the caption of "Let's never leave" on January 9, and a video on January 1 of her and Dale celebrating the new year with their dogs in hand and Dale going shirtless yet again. If this breakup was a long time coming, then both Clare and Dale did a good job of hiding any trouble from their social media accounts to this point.

Clare Crawley hasn't yet commented on the breakup, but Dale Moss posted several Instagram Stories on January 19 before ultimately sharing the breakup news, and he doesn't seem too upset in those Stories. He reveals that he's in New York, at work with some snacks and coffee, and then says in a video that he still feels "like I'm on holiday break" with a big smile. Obviously I'm not in on the details of their breakup, but can I just say "ouch" on Clare's behalf? Maybe she'll have another regret from her season now.

For now, we can only wait for the next developments in what happened to their brief but passionate romance. The Bachelorette Season 16 has come to an end for both Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams by this point, and the franchise has moved on to Matt James and his season of The Bachelor, which has already packed in its share of drama. You can find new episodes of The Bachelor on Mondays at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. For more viewing options, check out our 2021 winter and spring premiere schedule.

Laura Hurley
Senior Content Producer

Laura turned a lifelong love of television into a valid reason to write and think about TV on a daily basis. She's not a doctor, lawyer, or detective, but watches a lot of them in primetime. CinemaBlend's resident expert and interviewer for One Chicago, the galaxy far, far away, and a variety of other primetime television. Will not time travel and can cite multiple TV shows to explain why. She does, however, want to believe that she can sneak references to The X-Files into daily conversation (and author bios).