Alexis Ren and Alan Bersten have called it quits. The Dancing with the Stars couple, whose brief showmance played out on the most recent season of the ABC celebrity ballroom competition, have reportedly ended their relationship over distance.
An insider confirmed to Us Weekly that the DWTS fourth-place finishers are now firmly in the friend zone just two weeks after the ABC reality show wrapped.
“She’s in Japan working and he’s going on tour in a couple of weeks, but they are still talking and still consider each other friends,” the source told Us of Ren and Bersten. “They aren’t in the same country for a while, which makes a relationship hard, but they are open to whatever the future might hold.”
Another source confirmed to Entertainment Tonight that the Dancing With the Stars lovebirds are on a break.
“Alexis is in Japan working and Alan is in L.A. rehearsing — he’s about to be traveling cross-country for the DWTS tour, so the distance makes it hard to be in a relationship. But they still talk and are definitely still friends and on good terms. They won’t be in the same place at the same time for a little while because of their schedules, but they’re planning on staying in touch and staying in each other’s lives.”
Alexis Ren opened up about her feelings for Alan Bersten on the Oct. 29 episode of Dancing With the Stars , describing their chemistry as “the elephant in the room.” While the pro dancer was reluctant to reciprocate his feelings at first, one week later Bersten admitted he was “falling” for Ren and the duo shared an onscreen kiss ahead of their Country Week dance.
But some viewers didn’t buy the couple’s perfectly choreographed showmance and accused them of faking it to get votes. Others felt ABC producers forced the relationship. One Twitter user wrote, ‘They ruined my Alan/Alexis feels. Now it feels fake with Alexis confessing her feelings for Alan on camera like that. Why couldn’t they just continue to have chemistry without everyone blowing it up and exploiting it on tv???”
As previously shared by the Inquisitr earlier this week, Alexis Ren strongly hinted that her relationship with Bersten was done. After an Instagram user asked about the status of Alexis’s relationship with Alan, the Maxim model replied with, “Feelings aren’t black and white and neither is life. We’re focused on our careers and growing as individuals. He’s an amazing person and I’m grateful he came into my life. He’s on his own journey and I respect that.”
Alan Bersten made a similar comment that hinted the couple’s red-hot romance had chilled. When asked by Entertainment Tonight about his romance with Ren, Bersten, who is set to hit the road for the Dancing With the Stars: Live! A Night to Remember tour, shrugged it off.
“You know, we’re talking,” the Dancing With the Stars pro said. “She’s in Japan right now and I’m about to go on tour, so we’ll see.”