Ben Higgins & Ashley Iaconetti on Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe & Shawn Booth Split: “They’re Soulmates”

Fans are clearly heartbroken following the news of Bachelorette Kaitlyn Bristowe and Shawn Booth’s split, but their Bachelor Nation family is just as sad.

Former Bachelor, Ben Higgins, and Bachelor in Paradise star, Ashley Iaconetti, opened up about the split on their Almost Famous podcast and revealed they knew there was trouble prior to the split announcement.

“I did know that there was trouble in paradise, but there always is on some level, right?” Ben explained.

“You never really believe that it could come true. I was there for this whole love story … and I really thought they were meant to be.”

Though Kaitlyn and Shawn have officially called it quits after three years together, Ashley still believes they are meant to be together.

“I truly still believe, honestly, that they’re soulmates. I feel like they are … Maybe I’m just an optimist, but I really do hope that they split and realize how much they miss each other,” she said.

“Because watching them on TV and in person together, you’re just like, ‘That’s electric. That’s goals.’ Honestly, [fiancé Jared Haibon] and I have always named them as the couple that … we always wanted to be like.”

She continued, “Because they were so fun and playful together, and you just felt the magic around them. That’s something special. That’s not your average couple.”

Ashley also believes they both may have gotten a little too busy with work to focus on their relationship.

“This is just my personal opinion — I could be totally off — but I feel like they’ve gotten lost a bit in work. I think both of them have a lot of separate things going around,” she said.

“He has his business, she has her podcast and, like, a zillion other things. And I just feel like they let work get the best of them, and they were spending so much time apart that they weren’t finding ways to reconnect with each other.”

She continued, “They just didn’t have enough time. They were not living a life that was conducive to having a romantic personal relationship.”