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Fans hail Bachelorette's Gabby Windey's decision to distance herself from Erich Schwer months after engagement

As a result of Gabby's evasive response to a question about the state of their engagement on Monday, Erich and Gabby have fueled breakup rumors

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Gabby Windey got engaged to Erich Schwer on Season 19 of 'The Bachelorette', but their romance had its ups and downs, as do most in Bachelor Nation. When asked if she was still with fiancé Erich, Gabby, who is also participating in 'Dancing with the Stars', answered, "life is just really busy for the both of us right now."

Gabby Windey prompted breakup rumors on a Halloween episode of 'Dancing With The Stars', where she said that she and her fiancé, Erich Schwer, are supporting each other from a distance owing to their hectic schedules. During the Season 19 finale of 'The Bachelorette', Gabby gave Erich her final rose and proposed to him. Gabby was announced to be joining the 'DWTS' Season 31 cast shortly after her season ended. Erich was visible at the start of the season but was noticeably absent for the last two October live performances. Gabby has also not worn her engagement ring throughout these episodes.

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Gabby provided an update on her and Erich's relationship status during a post-show interview with Fox News after the Halloween episode of 'DWTS'. When asked if she and Erich were still together, Gabby responded, "Yeah, I think life is just really busy for the both of us right now. So I understand [Bachelor Nation’s] concern, but we’re just kind of, you know, going forward with each of our individual interests and supporting each other from afar." Gabby previously stated that Erich supports her during her time on the show and isn't bothered by the dreamy dances and steamy chemistry they must display for certain genres, like the Rumba.

Erich was not present in person, but he expressed his support online. Erich encouraged his fans to vote for Gabby and her interim partner, Alan Bersten, via Instagram stories. Gabby's regular partner, Val Chmerkovsky, was missing from the 'DWTS' floor during Halloween week owing to a positive COVID-19 test. Gabby noted that Val is doing well, but did not say whether he will be ready for next week. "Tune in and find out," Alan teased.

Fans will not just be looking for Val in the Nov 7 episode, they will also be watching the studio crowd to see whether Erich finally makes his reappearance. Gabby and Erich's social media fans have also noted that the couple hasn't been posting to each other in recent weeks. It remains to be seen if this is merely owing to Gabby's time-consuming practice schedule, or whether it is an indication of anything more. Bachelor Nation has witnessed countless major men's and women's engagements fail post-show and is all too aware of the red flags.

Zachary Reality, a Bachelor Nation expert, tweeted that "it’s on the verge of over between Gabby & Erich," but he added that he's still hanging onto "hope."

Several 'Bachelorette' fan accounts shared the video and speculated that Gabby's answer indicated they had officially joined the abundance of Bachelor Nation couples that haven't worked out, with followers commenting on how they wanted the couple to work out for the sake of 'her' happiness. A fan tweeted, "I want to make it clear i only ever supported erich and gabby as a couple because SHE was happy. i never individually supported him and i never will, my girl deserves better." Another fan shared how they trust Gabby in making the right decision for herself, "Gabby and erich supporting each other from a far does make me sad but gabby is probably one of the most emotionally intelligent people ever so i trust her decisions AND this is just the beginning for her." A not-so-big fan of Erich tweeted, "If Gabby and stupid Erich really broke up I’m going to be sad. I didn’t even like him that much but I want Gabby to be happy and loved and don’t want this to set her back at all." One Twitter user went on to slam Gabby and accuse her of using her engagement to her five minutes of fame, "So Gabby all the sadness of not having a mother’s love, and how Erich made you feel safe and loved was all fake, or you are literally seeking that 5m of fame."

Another fan deduced how Gabby's closeness with her 'DWTS' dance partners could have given rise to Erich's insecurities, "Imo erich is immature and insecure. Gabby swears they are okay. But I can totally see him being jealous of Val/Alan and that being an issue." In the meanwhile, a very hopeful fan tweeted, "It always amazes me how everyone jumps up conclusions. Ever think that Gabby and Erich trying to keep as much private as they possibly can. I’ve heard them both say in interviews that they are not big into social media." Another fan while feeling sorry for Gabby wrote on Twitter, "I feel sorry for Gabby if they broke up but for what we watched, Erich was never really, really into her. Definitely not on the same level." Calling Erich a 'player' for leaving his ailing father behind to be on a reality show, a fan wrote, "Erich is an obvious player so good for Gabby if he is gone. If your dad was dying would you go away to be on a reality tv show in his last months on earth?"

‘Dancing with the Stars’ Season 31's new episodes release every Monday and Tuesday at 8 pm ET on Disney+.

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