Haley Lu Richardson reflects on her breakup with ex-fiancé Brett Dier

Haley Lu Richardson is breaking her silence about her painful split with her ex-fiancé Brett Dier.

In November 2022, the “White Lotus” star announced in a post on her Instagram story that she and Dier privately parted ways two years before.

Now, the 28-year-old actor is opening up to People about the couple’s breakup, revealing that she had believed her romance with the former “Jane the Virgin” star would last “forever.”

“It was hard, but I got through it— that’s important and what matters. I was in a really long relationship. I spent a lot of life with someone, and it was very special,” Richardson said, trying not to cry. “I thought it could be forever, but it wasn’t. I had thought the whole time we were together that if it wasn’t going to be forever, my life would just stop.”

Brett Dier and Haley Lu Richardson (Matt Winkelmeyer / Getty Images)

Richardson, who proposed to Dier in 2019 after seven years together, added that she was proud of herself for the strength she showed during heartbreak. She credited therapy, in part, with helping her to process her emotions.

“The perspective of time to be able to be like, ‘Wow, I got through that, and I was capable of getting through something like that, and I’m capable of being on my own,’ . . . that’s been an amazing thing to learn,” she said.

Richardson also shared details about the qualities she would look for in a future partner.

At the top of the list? Someone who supports her, chooses her, makes her feel safe and also loves being chosen by her, she told the magazine.

“All the time, no matter what,” she added.

Back in July, Richardson shared a candid message on Instagram about her experience having a “painful” couple of months.

“Up and down and generally feeling things a lot. Feeling things a lot is vulnerable and heavy and exhausting and also the absolute coolest most deeply expanding thing about my experience of life so far,” she wrote at the time.

She went on to say that she “debated” whether she should post such a vulnerable message on social media, adding that it had taken her “months” to tell those closest to her that she was feeling down.

“Something kept calling me to post this. Maybe for my own self expression and release… maybe to remind anyone reading this that you aren’t alone,” she explained.

She concluded by telling her followers, “Stay open, we are capable. Sending out a lot of love today.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com