Demi Lovato Ditches Ring, Makes Statement in First Posts on Social Media Following Max Ehrich Split

Demi Lovato has not specifically addressed the end of her engagement with former The Young and the Restless actor Max Ehrich, but she appeared to be making a statement in her Instagram Story posts when the split was reported. Sources close to the situation said the couple called it quits just two months after getting engaged on July 22. The two began dating in March and celebrated their six-month dating anniversary earlier this month.

Around the time PEOPLE published its report on the split, Lovato shared two clips on her Instagram Story, showing herself in a make-up chair. In the first, she focused on her t-shirt, with the phrase “Dogs over people” printed on it. The second showed her with stylists, and it was clear she was no longer wearing her engagement ring, notes The Blast. Ehrich also appeared to reference the split on Instagram, where he posted the phrase “Jesus loves you.”

On Thursday, a source told PEOPLE the break-up was a “tough decision” for the two, but they thought it was the best to focus on their careers. “They have respect and love for one another and will always cherish the time they spent together,” the source said. While the break-up might have been a surprise to some fans, one source told Us Weekly those close to the couple were “skeptical about their relationship and the longevity of it.”

The split happened after Lovato joined Ehrich in Atlanta, where he is filming a movie. Social media users also began sharing alleged screenshots of old tweets Ehrich wrote, in which he declared his love for Selena Gomez and gushed about other pop stars. Lovato insisted the images were fake and criticized social media users for trying to create a rift between celebrities.

“I challenge any tabloid that dares to type my name to mention Breonna Taylor and the fact that her murderers still haven’t been arrested. WRITE ABOUT THAT,” Lovato wrote in an Instagram Story statement, reports PEOPLE. “But then I stop and think.. it’s hella rude but damn… I get it. And I don’t wanna look at what’s really happening in the world either but WE HAVE TO. Yes, it’s easier to tear apart celebrities and their relationships because 2020 sucks and scares the s— out of us all but it’s only gonna stay terrifying until we address it all and WORK ON SOLUTIONS TOGETHER.”

The former couple was “basically together 24/7 for months” before Ehrich went to Georgia, a source told PEOPLE. “They lived in a bubble with zero stress, and everything was just fun. Now they are both working and are on separate coasts,” the source said, adding there “were having conflicts” when he left Los Angeles. Another source close to Lovato said she is “doing okay” and the split was a “good thing” for her.