Bachelor Nation’s Danielle Maltby is telling a different story when it comes to why she and Michael Allio called it quits.
“This breakup was not a mutual decision arriving at some perception of incompatibilities,” Maltby, 37, claimed via her Instagram Story on Friday, September 22. “However, I do hope the best for Michael, and I will always have [his son] James in my heart as we move forward separately.”
Maltby was referring to Allio’s Monday, September 18, split announcement in which he hinted that the two were not compatible.
“I know so many people were rooting for Michael and I, and I appreciate your support so much,” she continued. “I don’t regret the love I gave for a second.”
Maltby — who met Allio, 39, on season 8 of Bachelor in Paradise, which filmed in summer 2022 — noted that the last couple of months “have been extremely difficult and painful for me.” (The exes connected on BiP over their shared losses. Allio’s wife, Laura, died in 2019 from cancer, while Maltby’s fiancé, Nick, died in 2011 following a drug overdose.)
Despite her heartbreak, Maltby revealed that she is “succeeding in finding moments of joy in building a new life in this city, regardless of how I came to it.”
Maltby moved to Cleveland, Ohio from Nashville after filming BiP to be closer to Allio and his son, James, whom he shared with his late wife. The choice is something she is still proud of and embracing.
“I have been extremely invested in my job, which I love and I feel hopeful again to discover what the future holds for me,” she wrote, adding that outside of this statement, she would briefly touch upon her emotions on the Friday episode of her “The WoMed” podcast.
Maltby explained: “Out of respect for the time we shared, love I have and honoring that fact there is a child involved, I won’t be addressing this further.”
She concluded by thanking her fans for “all of the kindness and support you have shown me along the way” and asked that everyone “respect, time, and space to continue to heal and grieve what I believed was forever and hope you extend the same to Michael.”
Maltby’s statement comes days after Allio “shocked” her by sharing their split news on Jason Tartick’s “Trading Secrets” podcast.
“I guess I’ll just come out with it. We’re not together anymore,” Allio told listeners on Monday’s episode. “It’s not what we planned. We both threw a lot into this relationship and it’s really awful when it doesn’t work out.”
He explained: “You mourn the loss not of just that person and that friend in your life, but also the future that you had envisioned. And it’s to no fault of hers. She poured everything into this. … We’re still, you know, working through some things and trying to stay close. But yeah, [the] last couple months have been really tough.”
Allio previously addressed his relationship with Maltby in August after split speculation surfaced that month.
“I’ll say this. Being in a public relationship, it isn’t fun,” he said during an interview on the “She’s All Bach” podcast. “Danielle and I, like, both agree that the only people that should be in our relationship are us two. So we think the healthiest way to have a relationship is to keep it private.”
Allio noted at the time that he and Maltby “both love each other, like, very much,” but they were trying to keep things “private” after meeting in such a public setting.
