Chris Harrison has proposed marriage to girlfriend Lauren Zima and now they're engaged!
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"I love you @laurenzima," Chris captioned a slideshow of three photos featuring Chris down on one knee at the edge of a cliff and subsequently celebrating over two glasses of champagne.
"The next chapter starts now!" he added.
Meanwhile, the Entertainment Tonight personality posted similar photos on her own Instagram account.
"We tell each other this all the time, and we said it again in an unforgettably beautiful moment this weekend: I didn't know love could be like this," she wrote.
"You are the most incredible partner. Thank you for loving me, championing me and asking me to marry you. Here's to the next amazing chapter, and all the rest."
Congratulatory messages poured in from Bachelor Nation including Ben Higgins, Kaitlyn Bristowe, Jared Haibon, Raven Gates, JoJo Fletcher, Peter Weber, Carly Waddell, Ashley Iaconetti, Colton Underwood and more.
Chris told Us Weekly after his marriage proposal that he and his new fiancee are "both incredibly happy" and they shared an "amazingly romantic weekend" together in wine country.
"I proposed to Lauren at a very special spot that means a lot to both of us in Napa Valley at Brand Vineyard," Chris explained.
Chris and Lauren began dating in August 2018 although they had been acquaintances for quite some time.
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"I DM'd him," Lauren told Nick during a July 2019 episode of "The Viall Files" podcast, confirming she had made the first move. "I will say, I DM'd after a bit of a vibe."
After interacting in an "incredibly professional" atmosphere for years, Lauren reportedly revealed that Chris had given her "a different vibe" that was "fairly overt" at a craft services table, according to Us.
"He mentioned something about picking his kids up or something. He somehow brought up being single, I think," Lauren recalled.
"And then I said something like, 'I'm single now,' and he was like, 'Oh.' But I said it in a more eloquent way. God, I don't know. Somehow it was communicated... I opened the door and he walked through."
Lauren said Chris asked her out for drinks after she initiated conversation with a direct message on Instagram.
The couple then made their red carpet debut in January 2019 at Entertainment Weekly's pre-SAG Awards party.
Chris and Lauren went on to spark secret-marriage speculation in April 2021, when Chris posted an Instagram photo of Lauren wearing a beautiful seemingly-white dress in Dallas, TX.
"'I'd stop the world and melt with you' @laurenzima there's no one I'd rather celebrate love with and I'll be your plus one anytime," Chris captioned the image at the time.
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Lauren, however, confirmed she was just wearing a bridesmaid's dress.
"Wow you attend one wedding together... do one chicken dance and your hitched!" Chris joked in the comments section. "I do love this bridesmaid though."
Chris and Lauren's relationship clearly survived Chris' racism controversy that went down earlier this year.
Chris came under fire during Matt James' The Bachelor season after he defended Season 25 contestant Rachael Kirkconnell's racially-ignorant and racially-insensitive actions in the last several years during a controversial interview he had in February with Extra's Rachel Lindsay, who starred as the first Black Bachelorette.
Chris initially adopted a dismissive attitude towards photos of Rachael that resurfaced from an antebellum-plantation themed "Old South" fraternity party at Georgia College & State University in 2018.
Chris had called for "grace" and "compassion" for Rachael and also criticized the "woke police" and the "unbelievably alarming" response of anger and frustration to the young woman's actions.
After issuing multiple apologies, Chris "stepped aside" from his hosting duties to educate himself on racism in society on a "profound" level.
"What Chris said was wrong and disappointing," Lauren wrote on her Instagram Story on February 13.
"Defending racism can never happen. Accountability comes first, what's next is learning and growth."
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' COUPLES NOW: WHO DID 'THE BACHELOR' STARS AND THEIR BACHELORETTE PICKS ACTUALLY END UP MARRYING? (PHOTOS)
ABC and Chris publicly declared in June that Chris' voluntary leave of absence from The Bachelor franchise would become a permanent one and he would not be returning as host for any future seasons.
Chris wrote in a June 8 statement on Instagram how he was "excited to start a new chapter" and "so grateful to Bachelor Nation for all of the memories," but multiple sources told E! News around that time Chris was "saddened" and "frustrated" about his The Bachelor departure and the show was his "whole life" and he really wanted to come back.
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But Variety subsequently reported Chris only received $9 million as his supposed big payout.
While permanent host replacements have yet to be announced, The Bachelorette alums Kaitlyn Bristowe and Tayshia Adams have been hosting The Bachelorette, and Season 5 The Bachelor star will be hosting The Bachelor's 26th season in early 2022.
As for Bachelor in Paradise, the show's seventh season was hosted by celebrity guests this past summer, with bartender Wells Adams serving as the "Master of Ceremonies."
Before getting romantically involved with Lauren, Chris was married to Gwen Harrison with whom he welcomed two sons, Joshua and Taylor.
Chris and Gwen reportedly divorced in 2012 after 18 years of marriage.
RELATED LINK: 'THE BACHELOR' FRANCHISE COUPLES NOW: WHO IS STILL TOGETHER?? (PHOTOS)
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About The Author: Elizabeth Kwiatkowski
