‘Dancing With the Stars’ Celeb Breaks off Engagement as Finale Nears

Another Bachelor Nation couple has called it quits. The Bachelorette stars Gabby Windey and Erich Schwer called off their engagement. Windey, 31, is now competing on Dancing With the Stars and accepted Schwer’s proposal during The Bachelorette Season 19 finale that aired in September.

The couple’s split was confirmed by PEOPLE and E! News on Saturday. “She felt they weren’t aligned and weren’t on the same page,” an insider told E! News. “Gabby was hoping they could give each other space and work it out but ultimately decided they didn’t have a future.”

Windey hinted that the two were no longer a couple during a stop on Fox News on Oct. 31. She was asked if she and Schwer, 29, were still together after he missed the latest DWTS episode. Windey, who has excelled on the dance floor with pro partners Val Chmerkovskiy and Alan Bersten, has also been seen without her engagement ring on the show.

“I think life is just really busy for the both of us right now,” Windey said on Halloween. “So, I understand their concern but we’re just kinda, you know, going forward with each of our individual interests and supporting each other from afar.” Schwer, a real estate agent, did encourage his followers to vote for Windey on DWTS, but the two have noticeably not shared pictures of each other on Instagram since Oct. 12.

Windey and Schwer’s engagement got off to a bumpy start. Before the Bachelorette finale aired, text messages Schwer allegedly sent to his ex-girlfriend just before he joined the show resurfaced. During the After The Final Rose special, Schwer denied breaking up with his ex just to go on The Bachelorette and be famous. He claimed he met the woman just a month before The Bachelorette began, and said he “handled it poorly 100%.” Windey did not condone his actions, but she said his willingness to “take accountability” was what she wanted in a partner.

While the season was airing, a photo of Schwer in blackface during high school emerged on Reddit. Schwe later apologized for this as well. “I wholeheartedly apologize for the insensitive photo of me in Blackface from my high school yearbook that has been circulating,” Schwer wrote on Instagram in September. “What I thought at the time was a representation of my love for Jimi Hendrix, was nothing but ignorance.”

“I was naïve to the hurtful implications of my actions to the Black community and those closest to me, and will forever regret my offensive and damaging behavior,” he continued.” I am deeply ashamed by my actions and understand that my apology is only the first step in taking accountability.”

Windey and Schwer’s split means that neither couple at the end of The Bachelorette stayed together. Season 19 also featured Rachel Recchia, 26. Recchia got engaged to Tino Franco, but they called off their engagement before the After the Final Rose special aired. Franco, 28, admitted to cheating on Recchia.

Windey is still participating in DWTS Season 31. Her main dance partner is Chmerkovskiy, although she danced with Bersten last week because Chmerkovskiy tested positive for COVID-19. The series streams on Disney+ Mondays at 8 p.m. ET. The finale airs on Nov. 21.