After more than a decade in a relationship together, Colbie Caillat, 34, and Justin Kawika Young, 41, have called it quits. The now exes — and current bandmates in the four-piece country group Gone West — broke the news to fans on social media late Thursday (April 2).
"This is difficult for us to share, but we want to be honest with you all. After 10 wonderful years, Justin and I have ended our relationship," Caillat writes on her Instagram page regarding her breakup from the Hawaiian musician.
She notes that the split is amicable — the two "started as best friends and will continue to be best friends."
Caillat goes onto say that while the breakup may be tough for both parties, neither one of them will allow their personal decision to get in the way of their professional lives.
"We will continue to work and make music together, as we always have," the Grammy-winning artist says of herself and Young, who have a virtual show scheduled for Sunday (April 5), as part of the UnCancelled Music Festival. "It will be hard, but oftentimes the hard choice is the right choice and the path that will allow each of us to move forward and to grow. We continue to be overwhelmed with gratitude for our love and time together."
Young shared a similarly-worded statement on his Instagram page that features the same light-blue backdrop and black lettering.
Before the couple chose to go their separate ways, they had planned on becoming husband and wife. Young proposed marriage in May of 2015, during a trip to Bermuda to celebrate Caillat's 30th birthday. At that time, they announced the happy news to fans with a photo that showed them enjoying a boat ride together on the water:
“This sweet man asked me to be his lobster ... and I said yes,” Caillat wrote of their engagement, making a reference to the hit sitcom Friends.
Caillat and Young met in Los Angeles in 2007. They began dating two years later, relocated to Nashville and eventually teamed up with married couple Jason Reeves and Nelly Joy to form the harmony-focused country group Gone West.
Gone West released their debut EP, Tides, on January 18, 2019, via Triple Tigers Records. The band will release their debut studio album, Canyons on June 12.
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