'The Bachelor' Australia 2016 latest news: Richie Strahan and Alex Nation slam breakup reports, claim it’s a ‘massive stab in the back’

Even after finding love on “The Bachelor” Australia 2016, Richie Strahan and Alex Nation continue to face negative rumours and harsh criticisms on social media. While the two may have been used to the nasty words being thrown their way online, the couple refused to let one media outlet get away with a report claiming they’ve already separated.

Last week, Richie and Alex were caught blindsided when they spotted the cover of Woman’s Day magazine, featuring them with the headline, “Shock split… and the heartbreaking reason why.” The publication posted a snapshot of the cover on its Instagram account, captioning it, “Happy new issue Monday. Pick up the magazine for your latest gossip on #TheBachelorAU.”

The lovebirds admitted that they were shocked – and a little bit annoyed – because they gave the magazine exclusive photos and interviews. “We’d finished the show, we were on a high, we’d given them some really lovely pictures of us in Bali, having the time of our lives, and they used that exclusive to have a headline that we’d split,” Richie told Popsugar Australia.

“We’d bent over backwards to help them, and then it was a massive stab in the back,” he continued. “We were just frustrated…We don’t give that much of a s--t about it, it just would’ve been nice if we had a bit more of a backing there but they’d kind of thrown us under a bus, which is just a shame.”

Alex, on the other hand, said she was looking forward that day to see their exclusive story. She couldn’t wait to see their beautiful photos from Bali and to read about their love story that transpired on television. “[T]hen we saw it and it was like, ‘Shock Split!’ It was just like . . . One of those moments where we'd given everyone our all. We'd done our absolute best to accommodate everyone and then to see that, it was like, ‘gosh.’”

In the shocking and dramatic finale of “The Bachelor’ Australia 2016 earlier this month, Richie chose single mum Alex over fan favourite Nikki Gogan. While his unpopular decision earned the ire of the reality show’s fans, it’s apparent that he’s not regretting his choice. Richie took to Instagram to express his thoughts about his lady love. “I found her, my love, my co-pilot, my partner in crime, my everything,” he wrote. “I followed my heart and I've never been this happy. Alex to me you're perfect, you're everything I could of ever wished for. You make me the happiest guy in the world, I love you.”

Contrary to negative reports, Richie and Alex claim they’re “very happy,” enjoying their time together. “We've been through a pretty crazy six months and it's just so nice to do normal things together,” Alex told Popsugar. The couple also spent time catching up with their respective families and friends.