Bachelorette star Michelle Young’s season finale ended with her engagement to Nayte Olukoya, but some fans are wondering whether the couple are still together after their whirlwind romance.
Keep reading to see if Michelle and Nayte are still together!
Michelle and Nayte are still going strong two months after the season 18 finale premiered. The two even participated in a photo shoot with People magazine in January 2022, which Michelle teased via Instagram.
“I promise to always be the person to pick food out of your teeth,” the fifth grade teacher captioned her Instagram carousel post that month, with the first photo showing her fixing up his smile. Michelle continues to feature her fiancé on social media, giving fans a glimpse into their romance from time to time.
Not only that, but they made their first red carpet appearance as a couple just one month later. The lovebirds attended a party for Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty and Fenty Skin brands. They even smooched for the cameras at the event, both wearing classy, all-black outfits.
Before the finale aired in December 2021, Michelle hinted at her happy ending for weeks before. In November, she gushed that she was very content with the way her season wrapped during an interview with E! News.
“I’m in love with where I’m at,” the reality star said at the time. “Coming into this process is such an abnormal thing, and walking into it, I wasn’t sure how it was going to end. But I knew that I was going to be learning so much along the way, and that’s all I wanted.”
She added, “I wanted to go through it. I wanted to stay true to who I was. And I knew that if I did that, I would get something out of this entire process.”
However, Nayte’s storyline toward the end of season 18 seemed to point to the contestant not being ready to make a commitment, despite telling Michelle he was “falling in love” with her.
“I am feeling things for you that I never felt for anybody before,” he said. “It’s easy for me to close my eyes and picture a genuine life with you.”
The Austin native also said he could “most definitely” see himself proposing during the finale, but after meeting his family during hometown dates, Michelle began to have her doubts.
Nayte revealed that Michelle was the first woman he ever introduced to his parents and that his family rarely says “I love you.” Also, Nayte’s stepdad, Charles, was very candid when asked if he thought his stepson would be ready to pop the question.
“He doesn’t know the difference between being in love and being married or being engaged,” Charles told the Minnesota native. “One’s a feeling, and one’s a commitment. They tie together very closely, but is he ready for that? I don’t know if he can handle this. I don’t know if he’s going to get to that point.”
Despite the initial rocky road, the duo are enjoying their time together outside of their reality TV experience.