Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Former American Idol contestant Lauren Alaina has called off the engagement to her high school sweetheart.
The 24-year-old singer announced her split from boyfriend Alex Hopkins in an Instagram post Monday after six years of dating.
"While we still have love for each other, we've grown into very different people over the last six years," Alaina explained. "We are now in a place where we are each looking forward to starting our own fresh, new chapters of our lives."
"We both love and respect each other and hope you all will do the same. This has not been an easy decision, but we both feel it is the right decision," she said. "Thank you always for your love and support."
The Season 10 runner-up requested compassion and respect from fans in the caption.
"We ask for grace, compassion, and respect in this time. I don't regret a single second with Alex. I wish him the very best. Please do the same," she wrote.
Hopkins said in a post on his own account that he and Alaina fought to make their relationship work.
"As badly as we wanted to make it work, and as hard as we fought to stay together, she and I just weren't a part of each other's perfect plan for our individual lives. And that's ok," Hopkins said in the caption. "She and I get to focus solely on ourselves and our different futures for the first time since high school."
"Sometimes what we want and what God has for us is 2 totally different things. Just trust that no matter the outcome, everything works out for the betterment of your life," he added.
Alaina had announced her engagement to Hopkins on Instagram in July, writing, "Being yours forever has a nice 'RING' to it."
Alaina placed second behind Scott McCreery in American Idol Season 10. She has since released the albums Wildflower and Road Less Traveled, and is known for the singles "Like My Mother Does" and "Georgia Peaches."