Yesterday, the news that Jake Paul and Erika Costell might have broken up shook us all. And now, the YouTube star has unfortunately confirmed that the fake-turned-real couple are in fact over.

“I am reluctantly writing this message & can barely hold it together as I do so, but I have been waiting for the right time to make a statement about mine & Erika’s relationship,” Jake wrote in a Twitter statement.

“Sadly, Erika and I broke up a while ago and since then, we have been doing our best to work it out and find a solution,” the 21-year-old continued. “After many discussions and some serious soul searching, it became apparent to us weeks ago, that we could no longer be boyfriend & girlfriend. While it was a truly heartbreaking decision, it is the healthiest thing for both of us.”

He then went on to describe Erika as a “beautiful soul,” and a “powerful, smart, & independent woman, who has such a bright future ahead of her.”

“She truly changed my life,” he added. “[She] has helped me become a better person on multiple levels. The times we had together are irreplaceable and I will be forever grateful that she was part of my life.” Our hearts truly cannot take it.

“I ask that you please respect our privacy,” Jake concluded. “We’re both at different points in our lives and having a relationship in the public eye is so hard. But this is our decision and I ask that you please support both of us through this tough time.”

As J-14 readers know, the pair have a long history together. Starting off as a fake relationship, flaunting their staged PDA all over social media, it was hard to process when it eventually blossomed into something real. The two even had a fake wedding and vlogged all about their pretend honeymoon in Hawaii. But in the end they did fall for each other and later admitted that although it had been fake at first, it did turn very real.

Youtube star Keemstar started the breakup rumors yesterday when he uploaded a video to his YouTube channel Drama Alert, where he claimed that he talked to an Instagram model named Nikki Banner and that she had recently hooked up with Jake. He also said that as far as he was aware, “Jake Paul has been hooking up with girls left and right.”

He also went on to explain that he even talked to Erika, 25, herself, who seemed pretty heartbroken, telling Keemstar that she’s “been through so much the past month with this,” and “feels like a fool.”

“I don’t care about what the internet thinks about me,” she continued. “I just wanna move on and get through this s–t privately. You can say whatever you want.”

The reason why our favorite YouTube couple called it quits could possibly be linked to Shane Dawson‘s docuseries The Mind of Jake Paul, which exposed Jake and his Team 10. Keemstar believed that the docuseries put a strain on Jake and Erika’s relationship, and eventually is what caused it’s demise.

It’s certainly a sad day in the YouTube world, but here’s to hoping the two can patch things up in the future.

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