Photo:Craig Sjodin/abc
Craig Sjodin/abc
The Bachelorette’s Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko are putting their love in the spotlight.
After meeting on the ABC reality show,the couple got engagedwhenLawson gave Olubeko her final roseon the season 20 finale on Aug. 21.
Since then, the two have given fans a look into their happy relationship, both in interviews and on social media.
Speaking withPEOPLE after their engagement, the couple reflected on their love story and how they made history as the franchise’s first monoracial Black couple.
“Once me and Dotun really started to solidify our connection and it became firm that this man very much could be my husband, I recognized the importance, but it really didn’t truly hit both of us until end of proposal,” Lawson told PEOPLE, with Olubeko adding, “It’s something that’s really beautiful.”
Now Olubeko is set to cheer Lawson on asshe competes in the upcoming seasonofDancing With the Stars.
Read ahead for their complete relationship timeline since filmingThe Bachelorettetogether.
March 2023: Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko meet while filmingThe Bachelorette
Afterbeing announced as the new Bacheloretteduring the Women Tell All special in March 2023, Lawson began filming her season later that month. On March 30,host Jesse Palmerconfirmed filming was underway ashe shared a photoof him and Lawson on the beach, with the caption, “And she’s off!!! 🌹 Charity is on her way to finding love!!!”
June 26, 2023: Charity Lawson’s season ofThe Bachelorettepremieres
A few months after kicking off filming, Lawson’s season ofThe Bachelorettepremiered on ABC, showing the first time Lawson and Olubeko met.
July 31, 2023: Charity Lawson meets Dotun Olubeko’s family onThe Bachelorette
A month later,Lawson’s hometown dates episodeaired, showing her first interaction with Olubeko’s family. Lawson and his mother hit it off, with the latter warmly welcoming Lawson to the family.
“I adopted you already,” she said to theBachelorettestar.
August 21, 2023: Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko get engaged onThe Bachelorette
A month after their hometown date aired,Lawson and Olubeko got engagedon national television duringThe Bachelorette’s season 20 finale.
When presenting Olubeko with the final rose, Lawson pointed to their time in Oceanside, California as when she saw their connection really start to bloom.
“We shared that incredibly special moment that changed my life truly forever,” she said. “When I looked in your eyes in that moment, I saw the man that respected me, that valued me, that adored me, [and] a man that I can love forever.”
“The love that we have is perfect,” Olubeko replied before getting down on one knee and proposing witha 3-carat diamond ring.
August 21, 2023: Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko make their first appearance as a couple on After the Final Rose
“We truly wish him nothing but the best,” Lawson PEOPLE. “We saw how much of a lover boy Joey is and how much he wants his person. I do believe that he is going to have no problem finding that. He is an incredible person. We’re both rooting for him and rooting for his success.”
“He’s very intentional,” Olubeko added of Graziadei. “And I think that’s going to lend very well to the show. We’re both excited to watch that journey.”
August 22, 2023: Charity Lawson posts about her engagement on Instagram
On Aug. 22,Lawson went “Instagram official” with Olubekoas she posted aboutThe Bachelorettefinale, sharing behind-the-scenes glimpses of her engagement to Olubeko.
“Within all my senses, I knew. How grateful am I to discover a love that cannot be replicated,” she wrote on Instagram. “This was in no way an easy journey. But through it all - grace. You have shown me, in the most healthy way, how to receive and love fully again. I cannot wait to take on this life with you. Here’s to living out our very own real life fairytale!!! I love you 💍❤️🌹”
August 22, 2023: Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko talk with PEOPLE about wedding planning
While they noted that they haven’t settled on a wedding date yet, Lawson said she wanted to have a year-and-a-half engagement and thinks she and Olubeko will tie the knot in 2025 or 2026.
“We’re not really trying to have a super incredibly 17-year length engagement,” she told PEOPLE. “We obviously came here to find love, and we have successfully done that. So [we’re] super happy to get our lives started.”
August 31, 2023: Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko attend the US Open
Eugene Gologursky/Getty
In one of their first public appearances sinceThe Bachelorette, Lawson and Olubeko stepped out at the US Open together, where they were seen sipping on drinks as they watched the match from the stands.
September 6, 2023: Charity Lawson and Dotun Olubeko visit the Empire State Building together
Days after their US Open appearance, the couple kept the fun going as they posed arm-in-arm for photos at the top of the Empire State Building in N.Y.C.
September 15, 2023: Charity Lawson tells PEOPLE Dotun Olubeko will be her No. 1 fan as she performs onDancing With the Stars
While speaking to PEOPLE ahead of her debut onseason 32 ofDancing with the Stars, theBachelorettestar opened up about how she’s been living life as an engaged woman and howher fiancé has been her greatest support.
“Dotun has been great,” she gushed. “Obviously, we have been celebrating engagement and life after the show, so that’s been a lot. But it’s been all good. Honestly, we’re really thriving.”
“He is truly my No. 1 fan,” Lawson added, noting how he’s affected all areas of her life. “He’s been helping me with my diet, my wellness, all those things. Also, the mental and emotional too. He’s always checking in, so I’m super grateful for him.”
source: people.com
