As 2015 slowly comes to an end, numerous high profile celebrity relationships are also doing the same. The Real co-host, Adrienne Bailon, delivered a heartfelt confession to the audience of her morning talk show airing Wednesday, Sept. 16. She confirmed rumors that have been swirling around for months surrounding her engagement status to fiancé Lenny Santiago, Senior Vice President of A&R, Artist Management at Roc Nation. The singer and actress revealed she called off the 7-month engagement, deciding the two should amicably go their separate ways.
In an emotional turn of events, Bailon finally talked about her engagement. After six years of dating and seven months of being engaged, Santiago and the 31-year-old former Cheetah Girl called it quits. With the talk show in mind, Bailon decided to wait to announce the news about her engagements, so there wouldn't be any negative energy surrounding the premiere of The Real's second season. She wanted the kickoff season to be an enjoyable experience for her co-hosts, as well as, her audience members.
"Through the summer, I went on my little Eat Pray Love journey," Bailon said in a clip of The Real obtained by E! News. "And it was a time for me to come to terms with my own truth and my honesty and I am not engaged anymore, and we're in a good place," she admitted.
The New York native's eyes began to glisten as tears slowly crept up in the corner of her eyes. She held herself together during the admission, assuring the audience this situation deserved no sympathy or anger. In February, she spilled the details of her new engagement on the show, showing off her enviable diamond ring. The two have managed to maintain a low profile by keeping their relationship off the radar. Bailon and the 44-year-old music executive have decided to remain friends.
After doing some personal soul searching and giving great thought to the place they were in emotionally, the young host made the difficult decision. In a sense, the breakup was bittersweet, because on one hand Bailon secured her happiness and well-being by letting him go, but on the other hand, the relationship between them is now over.
"It's not an 'aw' thing, I promise you. We're gonna be great friends forever and I think it was a hard decision to make when you're with somebody for such a long time. I think as women, we have a hard time with change. It was hard for me. But you have to be true to yourself. You have to be honest with yourself. And I think having time on my own gave me that opportunity. I'm so grateful to have girls who love and support me, and we're gonna be OK."
A photo posted by Adrienne Bailon (@adrienne_bailon) on Feb 5, 2015 at 3:16pm PST
Bailon, who previously dated Rob Kardashian from 2007 to 2009, is grateful for the memories and love she shared with Santiago. She honestly believes the time they spent together and the man she learned to love, helped her become a better person on the inside and out. Moving forward can be a tough thing to do, but having a support system can make it so much easier. Bailon is thankful for The Real co-hosts, who have become like sisters to her, for helping her with such an emotional time.
"Life lessons are hard," Bailon said to Us Weekly. "But I'm grateful that I have a platform to share my journey and hopefully encourage, inspire, or just let women know they are not alone and to never give up on finding love. I still believe. I feel so blessed and excited for the new season of The Real and I truly appreciate the support from everyone!"
