Entertainment

Ashley Iaconetti & Jared Haibon Are Officially A Couple And OMG, It's Finally Happening

by Angela Chen

As one fan on Instagram put it: This is the news that the Bachelor nation has been waiting YEARS to hear! Ashley Iaconetti and Jared Haibon are officially dating, after putting fans through two seasons of Bachelor in Paradise will-they-won't-they limbo.

The two showed off their new relationship on Instagram, simultaneously posting couple pictures on Tuesday night. Haibon, who is 29 years old, posted a close-up of himself smiling down at his girlfriend at Coachella, while Iaconetti, 30, chose to post a picture of the two in formal wear surrounded by a field of yellow flowers that stretched back into the horizon.

"I came here tonight because when you realize you want to spend the rest of your life with somebody, you want the rest of your life to start as soon as possible," Haibon wrote, whereas Iaconetti opted for simpler caption: "I love my boyfriend. 💜"

According to E! News, during season 2 of Bachelor in Paradise, Iaconetti shed a lot of tears over Haibon. What Haibon is revealing now, though, is that he also felt drawn to her earlier than the show let on. “I’m not gonna lie and say that I was in love with Ashley during Bachelor in Paradise...it was a slow build for me,” said Haibon, according to People. "I never felt like it was over between us after Paradise.

The ecstatic couple was recently featured on Iaconetti's own web series The Story of Us, where the couple broke down every detail of the moments leading up to their official boyfriend-girlfriend status in the 44-minute piece.

In the episode, Haibon says when he first saw Iaconetti, he remembered thinking, "Ashley's really hot, but I don't know if I can see myself with a person like Ashley because I've only ever been with very shy, very like, how would you describe...?" Haibon asks, as he turns to Iaconetti.

"Soft-spoken," she says.

"Very soft-spoken, shy," Haibon agrees, "And so I had never been with anybody like Ashley."

"Aka, big personality, puts her emotions all out there!" Iaconetti finishes.

In an interview with People magazine, Iaconetti said, “Bachelor Nation hasn’t seen so many of the important details that make up our story. I thought there was no better way to explain to the people who have followed our love lives for over three years than by filming our own episode of The Story of Us."

Fans on Twitter can't believe it, either.

“Our close friends have watched our relationship evolve and understand how we’ve gotten to this point," said Haibon to People. "But people who haven’t been a part of our day-to-day lives ask us ‘Wait, how did this happen?’ With this show, it gave me an opportunity to elaborate more than just saying ‘I’m an idiot.'”

After everything the pair had been through on Bachelor in Paradise, fans are beyond thrilled that things finally worked out for them. And true fans likely always knew they'd end up together — at least at some point. Though the two had their ups and downs during the show, they still always remained friends through the years.

Sometimes, it can take seeing other people have what you thought you didn't want to realize your feelings. Iaconetti looked for love on The Bachelor Winter Games with Canadian Bachelor Kevin Wendt, and though they were together for a bit, the relationship ended in March. Witnessing the experience, according to Haibon, is what made him realize the depth of his feelings for Iaconetti.

Now, you can prepare to scroll through many more cute Instagram posts from the new couple.