It’s over for Love Is Blind‘s Matt Bolton and Colleen Reed.
The couple, who met and got married on season 3 of Love Is Blind, announced their split in a joint statement on Instagram Friday, May 23.
“We wanted to share something personal, and this is not easy to do, but after nearly four years together, we’ve decided to end our marriage and move forward on our own paths,” they wrote. “We’ve been separated for some time now and have being our best to work through everything privately and with care.”
“This was an incredibly difficult decision, not one we made lightly. It came with a lot of thought and it’s been an emotional process for both of us,” she continued. “We met in the most unique and unexpected way, and we’ll always be grateful for the love and memories we’ve shared. There’s not one thing we would change and we continue to have deep respect and care for one another.”
The joint statement ended with them thanking everyone who supported them through the years and asking “for compassion as we navigate this transition.”
Related: Love Is Blind Season 3 Finale: Who Got Married, Who Is Still Together and Who Has Moved on
Matt and Colleen met during season 3 of Love Is Blind. In the pods, he popped the question and Colleen gave a tearful “yes.” However, their relationship wasn’t all smooth sailing outside of the pods. Once Matt and Colleen met in person, they found themselves in a few arguments related to another man on the series — Cole Barnett — as well as Colleen’s want to go out with friends.
Despite some tumultuous moments, both Colleen and Matt said “I do” during the season 3 finale. A year later, when the reunion filmed, they were still married.
Related: Love Is Blind‘s Matt Admits He Was ‘Looking for an Out’ During Pre-Wedding Fights with Colleen
In a conversation with PEOPLE in November, Matt admitted the fights stemmed partially from him “looking for an out” of the relationship.
“That was something that we kind of came to — ‘Don’t run away when something happens’ — and I felt like I was kind of looking for an out. Leading up to it, even after the aquarium scene, we had a lot of conversations that you guys didn’t see, about if we really wanted to do this, and we knew we loved each other,” he said.
“We saw so much potential, and it was just on the day of, we still didn’t know. But when I saw her walking down the aisle, I was like, ‘Listen, we’ve got too much potential. This is such a great moment. We are meant for each other.’ So we just had to do it. Can’t pass it up.”
Some viewers questioned how long their relationship would last after Matt and Colleen appeared on the Love Is Blind season 3 reunion. Though they spoke about their strong connection, social media commenters pointed to an apparent discomfort from Colleen.
Related: Love Is Blind Couples: Where Are They Now?
However, she addressed the speculation in a statement to Cosmopolitan. “Going into the reunion, I was not in good headspace as I was dealing with a lot of anxiety due to the negative commentary I had endured during the first few episodes,” she said.
“While I knew what I had signed up for, at that point I was not prepared for the gravity of strangers critiquing my profession that I am incredibly proud of, my character, and tearing down my body/physical traits.”
She also pointed to a conversation that happened with Cole — and how it impacted her mental health. “Not only was I was dealing with this stress, but I was embarrassed of having to watch the pool scene in front of everyone and having to discuss it,” she added. “I cherish my friendships with these girls so much. I didn’t want my actions to change anything with them or with Matt. I was anticipating more harmful comments as well.”
The two later moved in together and spoke highly of the other on social media.
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Matt and Colleen were one of two couples to marry on Love Is Blind season 3. Alexa Alfia and Brennon Lemieux tied the knot during the finale as well.
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