Fans of “The Bachelor” got to know Alicia Holloway very briefly after she was eliminated on the first night of Matt James’ season 25. However, she’s since amassed quite a following on social media, sharing both her professional life as a New York City ballerina and her personal life, including her love story with Juan Matallana, with whom she began dating in 2021.
Holloway and Matallana announced their engagement in September 2025, but in a new post, the former reality TV star revealed she had made the heartbreaking decision to end their relationship. Fans quickly flooded the emotional video with messages of love and support as Holloway navigates this challenging chapter.
Alicia Holloway Announces Heartbreaking Split From Fiancé Juan Matallana
GettyAlicia Holloway is opening up about the difficult decision to end her engagement to her longtime partner Juan Matallana. In an Instagram post, Holloway shared she initially wanted to keep their split private, and did so for months. However, because she has shared countless updates about their relationship, she believed it was only right to share it with her nearly 300,000 followers.
“I was engaged. I ended my engagement, and I quite literally never in a million years thought that I would be making this video,” Holloway began. “I think when you have a decent-sized following, especially for someone like me who shares so many intimate parts of my life with you guys, it is extremely hard to keep certain things private.”
“It’s been really hard,” Holloway said through tears. “It’s a time in your life that’s supposed to be so wonderful and full of joy and happiness. It just isn’t.” The professional ballerina said that taking the time to grieve privately has “allowed me to take the past few months and try to begin the process of healing and figuring out what my life looks like now.”
She continued, “When you’re with somebody for a long time, like myself who was with my ex for six and a half years, most of the time you picture your entire life with that person. The family, the wedding, the babies, etc. And so just to have that taken away from you can be really, really difficult.”
“Ending my engagement was something that I never thought I would have to do. It honestly was the hardest decision of my life,” she added.
In her emotional post, Holloway didn’t provide any details as to what led to their heartbreaking split. However, she appeared to be hopeful about her future, telling her followers, “I am a believer that everything does happen for a reason, even though I might not be able to see what that reason is right now.”
Holloway Receives an Outpouring of Love & Support from Her Followers
By opening up about her breakup, Holloway inspired many fans to share their own experiences with heartbreak, reassuring the former “The Bachelor” star that healing is possible and others have emerged stronger after similar journeys.
“Girl this was me 8-9 months ago and it was the best decision I could’ve made for myself. Forever is way too long to sit in something you’re not fully happy in. So proud of you for choosing you. ❤️,” a comment read.
“Sending hugs to you beautiful 🫂❤️ his loss! And yes, someone 1000x better for you is on his way in due time. Hold strong to that belief babe. I’ve experienced this a couple times myself and it’s never failed me. And I promise it’s so worth it ❤️❤️❤️✨,” another comment read.
“Sending you so much love. ❤️ I also ended my engagement after realizing we weren’t truly aligned, and I just want you to know there really is a light at the end of the tunnel.One day you’ll look back on this with peace and be grateful you had the courage to walk away. I know it doesn’t always feel like it now, but it truly does get easier,” a fan shared.
