Gay TikToker Matt Armato admits split from Beau Ciolino is ‘deeply painful’
Matt Armato and Beau Ciolino (Instagram/@probablythis)
Matt Armato and Beau Ciolino (Instagram/@probablythis)
Social media star Matt Armato has addressed the “deeply painful transition” he is undergoing after splitting from long-term partner Beau Ciolino.
The pair announced on Friday (15 August) that they were parting ways after 12 years. During their time together, they launched a lifestyle blog, and had a book, Probably This Housewarming: A Guide to Creating a Home You Adore, published.
In the now deleted video, Ciolino said: “It’s been a privilege doing 12 years together as partners and for 10 years sharing that online with everyone.
“I think that you know there’s so much love between us, and really loving someone [means knowing] when to change the format of the relationship, and we’ve decided to just be best friends.”
Armato, who will now manage the couple’s TikTok, while his ex runs their Instagram, then made light of the situation saying: “I want you to know I’m single. I’m going to take a second to lick my wounds and be like, ‘What the f**k just happened?'”
But Armato also told Ciolino: “I’m really grateful to have you in my life. I’m proud of what we’ve done and I’m proud of what we’re doing right now.”
The two then shared an awkward fist bump, prompting speculation on the internet about “who broke up with whom”.
Armato later took to Instagram to defend Ciolino, writing (as reported by Out magazine): “Thank you to everyone who’s reached out with care after our break-up announcement. I know the video has sparked a lot of reactions. This is a deeply painful transition, and while I understand why people are speculating about our dynamic, I don’t want this to become a pile-on against Beau.
“He is not a villain, he is a human, and a really beautiful one at that. Neither of us was confident addressing this publicly but given that we’ve built our career together as a couple, it felt necessary. So, what you might see as someone being carelessly giddy, I see as nervous posturing and, sure, a bit of relief.
“I can’t fault [Beau] for that. I too am relieved to be moving on. As we said in the video, we are still very close and I feel deeply for him. There are no teams here. I see your compassion and I appreciate it, but if your support for me looks like tearing him down, I don’t want it.”
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