Robby Hayes reportedly wasn't being truthful to JoJo Fletcher when he denied rumors on The Bachelorette about breaking up with his girlfriend back home to appear on the show.

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Prior to competing on The Bachelorette, Hayes, 27, was seriously dating fellow Jacksonville, FL, resident Hope Higginbotham, 24.

According to a production source, Hayes called it quits on his significant four-year relationship with Higginbotham in January, when the season's casting process was occurring, Us Weekly reported in its June 27 issue.

"He dumped her to go on the show," the source told Us.

Higginbotham has reportedly taken the break-up hard. Even though it's been five months since the split, a friend told the magazine "her heart is broken."

News that Hayes allegedly broke up with his girlfriend for the reality TV opportunity first surfaced when The Bachelorette aired an extended trailer of Season 12 last month on ABC.

The preview clip showed Fletcher confronting Hayes about rumors he had dumped his girlfriend to compete on the show, and the former competitive swimmer flat out told her, "No! Not even close."

Fletcher reportedly got wind of the story because her bachelors were getting very competitive and decided to tattle on Hayes after he allegedly shared details of his shady past with them.

"Robby says some things to the guys about having a girlfriend. He says when he got cast on the show, he broke up with her," an insider said.

The episode in which Fletcher addresses the girlfriend issue with Hayes has yet to air on ABC.

The last picture Hayes has with Higginbotham on Instagram is from 32 weeks ago. Ironically, she's a dead ringer for Fletcher. 

Robby Hayes/Instagram
About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski

Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.