‘Bachelor in Paradise’ Alum Carly Waddell Breaks Off Her Engagement

Carly Waddell will no longer be walking down the aisle.

On Wednesday, Oct. 1, the Bachelor in Paradise alum announced that she and Todd Allen Tressler are no longer engaged.

Waddell shared the breakup news on Instagram, explaining in a candid video that while she was not ready to announce the split, she wanted to be “real” with her fans.

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She began by admitting that she had not been wearing her engagement ring because she ended her engagement to Tressler “about a month ago.”

“It’s not a decision that I personally made overnight,” said Waddell, noting that she now lives in a new city. “It was really bad timing because the kids had just started school and sports and all the things. You know what? It is what it is.”

Waddell said that she feels “very at peace with this decision,” noting that her kids “are loving life in the new place.”

The former reality star shares a daughter named Isabella (born in February 2018) and a son named Charles (born in November 2019) with ex-husband Evan Bass. 

Bass and Waddell announced their separation in December 2020, after three years of marriage. Waddell publicly launched her relationship with Tressler in an Instagram post in March 2024, noting that the two had begun dating a year prior.

In October 2024, Waddell announced on Instagram that Tressler had proposed to her, while also revealing that she had actually proposed to Tressler first a year prior.

Waddell said further on in her video on Wednesday that “honestly, dating after divorce and dating with kids is super difficult.”

“You have to make tough decisions for yourself and for your family. So, that’s where I’m at,” she said.

Waddell further shared her reason for announcing the news in the caption of the post, writing: “Real talk. This is def a post I have been delaying. But so I can feel a little more free. Here we go.”

She received support from many of her Bachelor Nation friends, including Jade Roper Tolbert, who wrote, “Love you and I’m so proud of you for doing what’s best for you and the kids. ❤️❤️.”

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“You’re a good mom and you’re a good human and don’t believe that everybody’s life needs to look a certain way, needs to follow a certain order or needs to ‘follow the rules’… not settling and striving for the best for you and your kids,” Jillian Harris commented. “You should be proud of that!!!”