From roses to happily ever after! As soon as Nayte Olukoya stepped out of the limo to vie for Michelle Young‘s heart, viewers could tell there was something special between him and the season 18 Bachelorette.
Nayte received the first impression rose during the October 2021 premiere of the ABC show, and he later said he didn’t understand the significance of the gesture at the time.
“Obviously, you can assume that it’s just who Michelle [Young] had a really good first impression of, right?” he said on an episode of the “Bachelor Happy Hour” podcast that same month. “But, like, the world of Bachelor Nation? I didn’t have a clue.”
While sparks continued to fly between the pair, the Minnesota native found herself falling in love with runner-up Brandon Jones as well. After revealing in the December 2021 finale that she was “in love with them both,” the teacher was forced to face her feelings for her remaining two suitors.
“They have given me everything that I’ve asked for and tomorrow is going to be the hardest decision I’ve ever made,” she explained during a confessional in the emotional episode.
After Brandon and Nayte each chose Neil Lane engagement rings, the former Bachelor contestant turned down the Texas native’s proposal, noting, “It’s not that I don’t love you, because I do. It’s just that my heart is pushing me in a different direction and I have to go with what I feel and it hurts so much because you are this unbelievable person.”
Michelle later reflected on her instant connection with her now-fiancé after he got down on one knee.
“This has not necessarily been a smooth ride, but I’m also not willing to face that fear of walking away from this without you,” she shared. “Because I have never felt a love like this before. And I love you with my entire heart and don’t ever want to think about waking up next to anyone besides you and doing life with anyone besides you. And at the end, I wanted to be standing in front of my soulmate and he is definitely standing right in front of me.”
During the live After the Final Rose special, Michelle opened up about how much closer the couple became after they finished filming the reality series.
“I think what’s so hard is that you go through this experience and you have these magical moments, and you leave, like, in love, but then you spend so much more time together. You get to text, FaceTime, talk to each other’s families come and get significantly closer,” she said in December 2021. “I think the biggest thing is we communicate through everything. And it doesn’t always have to be this perfect communication but we both know we’re going to stick in it. We are going to not let go. We are going to hold on, and that is the biggest part. Because it is not easy. There’s going to be uncomfortable emotions, and we definitely had them.”
Nayte, for his part, candidly discussed his love for Michelle as fans got to see them take the next step in their relationship.
“Michelle, ever since September 9th, 2021, when I got on one knee to ask you to spend the rest of our lives together, it has been an absolute dream come true,” he wrote in a lengthy Instagram post at the time. “There will inevitably be ups and downs, just like any other strong relationship. But I don’t care if it’s tomorrow, 5 years from now, or 50 years from now. I plan on always giving you my full effort and working through life with you.”
Scroll down to relive Michelle and Nayte’s sweet romance:
The Canada native stood out from the start of Michelle's Bachelorette journey, receiving the first impression rose and the first kiss of the 18th season. During an interview on the "Bachelor Happy Hour" podcast in October 2021, Nayte admitted that he didn't expect to reach both milestones, noting, "I'm not a smooth individual." Although the contestant wasn't "expecting" a kiss so soon, he said it was an "ever happy" moment for him. ABC/Craig Sjodin
Amid concerns that Nayte was not ready to get married, the account executive set the record straight on the “Click Bait” podcast in December 2021, saying, “When Michelle's asking me, like, ‘There’s one thing between being in love with somebody or falling in love with somebody, and then an engagement,' what I was trying to say in that moment was, ‘I don't have all the answers. I don't know what life is going to look if you and I [were] to leave this bubble.’” He added: "All I knew is that I trust myself, like, I trust that I'm falling in love with you, I'm trusting that I seriously want to be with you. And I don't have all the answers. … I’m not the perfect answer guy who's going to tell you everything you want to hear." Michelle, for her part, explained that there was more to Nayte than met viewers' eyes. “When Nayte just stepped out of the limo, he was just very confident — but he didn't have that overconfidence. He was still nervous,” she excluslveiy told Us Weekly while her season aired. “I was nervous as well. Through the season, [I've] always enjoyed peeling back different layers, and, at the moment in the season, I’m really, truly figuring out just how many layers he has.” ABC/Craig Sjodin
After sending Brandon packing, Michelle said yes to Nayte's proposal, calling him her “person.” Nayte, for his part, gushed: “Michelle, the very first night I met you, I knew right then and there that we had a connection that I wanted to hold on to. The second night that we were together, we talked about running away together. I’m standing in front of you right now and the feelings are the same. I want to run away with you. I want to run away to forever with a woman that I've come to love this amazingly, crazy, wow kind of love. And through this journey, you've shared a lot of vulnerable sides of your past and I know that you've felt unseen at times and I want to let you know that I am completely prepared, willing and ready to make sure that you are always chosen first, seen now, today, tomorrow and for the rest of our lives. I love you, Michelle.” ABC/Craig Sjodin
During the After the Final Rose special, Michelle’s mom, Lavonne Young, responded to the assumption that she favored Brandon over her future son-in-law. “We are in love with Nayte. Absolutely in love with Nayte,” she told host Kaitlyn Bristowe in December 2021. “You know, Michelle, I don't know if she's told you, but she shared one of the texts that you sent her, and I won't say — but it was beautiful. It was so heartwarming. It was so — it made me cry.” Nayte’s mother, also revealed that she and Lavonne were in contact "after each episode" aired. ABC/Craig Sjodin
Nayte took to social media to call out "the edit" that his relationship received throughout season 18 after viewers watched him pop the question on screen. "Thank you for seeing past what people have always seemed to get stuck on when it comes to me. My whole life people have taken one look at me and thought they had me all figured out," he captioned an Instagram post in December 2021. "Maybe it’s the tattoos and piercings. Maybe it’s the way I carry myself. Maybe it’s as silly as my height or as ignorant as the color of my skin. Maybe it’s how awful I am at expressing myself or how gosh darn awkward I almost always am." The Bachelorette contestant credited his fiancée for embracing his true identity, despite fans' opinions that he was a "walking red flag." He continued, "But you, Michelle, you saw me for me from the very first night, and I will always always always love and appreciate you for that." He concluded: "All in all, Michelle, you’re all I see, you’re all I’ve ever wanted, and you’re all I’ll ever want. Thank you for being you and thank you for being the one to unlock my hearts potential. I can’t get enough of living this dream come true with you." ABC/Craig Sjodin
Following the conclusion of her journey, Michelle addressed why her love story didn't need to be "perceived as perfect" to others. "As long as it’s perfect for you and me," she wrote in a lengthy tribute to her fiancé via Instagram in December 2021. "You’ve quickly become the pep in my step, The reason I smile through hard days. I love the way you love, You make me feel beautiful in so many ways." The reality star noted that although they have "no idea what’s in life’s plan," she was "incredibly at peace" having Nayte by her side. ABC/Craig Sjodin
Nayte stuck out his tongue for a silly selfie with his future wife in December 2021. Courtesy of Michelle Young/Instagram
from Celebrity News – Us Weekly https://ift.tt/3J5iJFf
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