SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA: Alum of 'Bachelor in Paradise' Serene Russell, spoke up for the first time about her split from ex-fiancé Brandon Jones, confirming rumors that he cheated on her prior to their breakup. Serene is ready to share her experience after working on herself and eventually finding the light through the darkness.
Serene stated that she learned about Brandon's suspected adultery through an Instagram direct message. When Serene didn't react, a stranger contacted her and then contacted another Bachelor Nation member. This individual then contacted Serene, who read the original message.
"After that, it was like, 'There's irreparable damage,'" Serene said on the October 19 episode of Kaitlyn Bristowe's "Off the Vine" podcast. "There was just no coming back."
Serene went on to state that Brandon apologized, but the two are no longer in contact. "We both had things we could have done better in the relationship," she said. "It was something that we were both very much still in, and we had gone to therapy, which was really cool. … It’s not this simple thing, like, ‘Oh, it just didn’t work.’ We tried to give ourselves the tools and set ourselves up for success, but there were just ultimately so many things."
Despite the sadness of the split, Serene has been grateful for the opportunity to focus on herself since then. "The most painful part was the loss of trust that I had in myself," she said. "That's what I've been doing the most work on, is not beating myself up."
Why did 'BiP' alums Serene Russell and Brandon Jones separate?
When a video of Brandon getting cozy with another lady surfaced earlier this year, fans speculated that he had cheated on Serene. The video was purportedly shot just days before Serene and Brandon announced their breakup publicly.
"There was part of me that was like, 'Okay, I really love this person, and I struggled with it for a really long time,'" she added before disclosing that the video was shared with her via direct message by an unknown individual.
When she didn't check the message, the stranger forwarded it to another person on her season, who advised her it was "something you should look at."
Serene Russell reacts to joint statement during breakup with 'BiP' alum Brandon Jones
During the season 8 finale of 'Bachelor in Paradise,' which aired in November 2022, the former pair got engaged. Less than a year later, the couple announced their split.
"After many months, today we have ultimately decided to end our engagement," the couple said in a joint statement posted on Instagram in May. "We have tried to work privately on our relationship which has been incredibly challenging in the public eye. This has been immensely hard to accept and painful, as there is a lot of love between the two of us. We are deeply hurting and can only ask that there be no hate. The best path for us at this time is to try and move forward and heal from this as individuals."
Kaitlyn questioned Serene about the pleasant tone of the separation statement, given that the couple's split was precipitated in part by adultery.
"I was just in shock, I think," Serene said before breaking down in tears. "I didn’t know what the future held. I was in shock for a really long time. … I’ve never felt that depressed in my life. It was hard to deal with."
