Paradise doesn’t last forever. Josh Goldstein and Shannon St. Clair have broken up after nearly one year of dating.
“As you guys know, Shannon has been in PA the last few weeks supporting her sister with the birth of her niece. She’s been figuring out her next career move, and has always had a passion for skincare,” the Love Island USA alums wrote in a joint Instagram statement on Friday, June 17, sharing an update on their relationship status. “Although she loves FL, she has decided to go back to school to become an esthetician and be closer to the baby.”
The Temple University alum, 26, had relocated from her Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, hometown after their reality TV tenure to Florida, where the former baseball player, 24, resides and works as an online personal trainer.
“It has always been a dream of his to live in FL and start his own business, and he’s doing just that! We love this life we’ve built together, but sometimes timing is everything,” their statement continued. “It certainly has been hard being apart, and we’ve been trying to take the right steps to further both of our careers. We have created so many memories and achievements together over this past year. From love to tragedy and everything in between, we have been by each other’s side with support, friendship, and the greatest love for each other that words cannot even begin to describe. No one can take that away from us.”
The now-exes were part of the starting lineup on Love Island USA season 3, which began airing on CBS in July 2021. After coupling up in the debut episode, they quickly connected on a deeper level and became the Hawaiian villa’s first official boyfriend and girlfriend. Less than one month later, the pair shocked their fellow contestants when they abruptly left the show.
“I just want to tell you guys that me and Shannon are going home today,” Goldstein revealed during an August 2021 episode. “Unfortunately, my sister passed away last night … I just got word. She was an unbelievable person. She was the reason I’m here, the reason I found Shannon and met all you guys. It’s unexpected, but she lived an unbelievable life. I just need to be home with my family right now to support them. I just want to let you guys know that I’m so grateful to have met all of you and consider you all my best friends. We’re going to see each other again.”
St. Clair joined her man during the memorial, which jumpstarted their real-life romance as they frequently shared loved-up social media photos.
“We will always love and care for one another and remain friends, but unfortunately at this time we’ve made the decision to go our separate ways,” their Friday statement added. “There is no bad blood between us, the people closest to us know we rarely had arguments. We are literally best friends, so we both want to see each other succeed and be happy, always.”
They concluded: “We will continue to support one another and thrive independently, and we encourage you all to do the same. … We don’t know what the future holds, and this may not be goodbye forever, but for now, it’s best for both of us .”