This is not the best of time for “American Idol” Lauren Alaina and her high school sweetheart Alex Hopkins as both parted ways.
Alaina informed fans of the split Monday evening in a social media post, in which she said the two “have grown into very different people over the last six years.”
The development means that her engagement to Hopkins has been called off.
“Over the last several years, you have been so supportive of us through all of our ups and downs, including personal struggles with health and family, and we couldn’t be more grateful,” Alaina, 24, wrote in the Instagram message.
The “Road Less Traveled” songstress continued: “You share your lives with us, and we always want to be open with you in return. We want to let you know that we have decided to call off our engagement.
While we still have love for each other, we’ve grown into very different people over the last six years.
We are now in a place where we are each looking forward to starting our own fresh, new chapters of our lives. We both love and respect each other and hope you all will do the same.
This has not been an easy decision, but we both feel it is the right decision. Thank you always for your love and support.”
Alaina and Hopkins announced their engagement in July after more than a half-decade of dating and later debuted for the first time as an engaged couple at the CMA Awards where Alaina flashed her stunning diamond ring.
Hopkins echoed the same sentiment as his ex-fiancée in his breakup announcement, but stressed to his followers that he harbors no ill will toward the country music star – and said they simply wanted two “totally different things.”
“’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you, not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future,’” Hopkins wrote.
He continued: “As badly as we wanted to make it work, and as hard as we fought to stay together, she and I just weren’t a part of each other’s perfect plan for our individual lives. And that’s ok. She and I get to focus solely on ourselves and our different futures for the first time since high school.”
He continued, “Sometimes what we want and what God has for us is 2 totally different things. Just trust that no matter the outcome, everything works out for the betterment of your life.”