Mean Girls Star Daniel Franzese Calls Off Engagement

Daniel Franzese is a newly single man.

On Tuesday, June 26, 2018, the Mean Girls star announced that he and fiancé Joseph Bradley Phillips have called off their engagement.

"Sometimes shooting stars shine so brightly that they burn out and now we must go separate ways, but I hope my path always crosses with his," Franzese released in a statement to Us Weekly. "Joseph Bradley Phillips and I have decided to part ways, break our engagement promise and continue on into the future as friends."

Franzese, 40, had popped the question in 2016 at a Starbucks in North Hollywood where he and his stylist partner first met two years earlier. The proposal took place two years after the Looking actor publicly came out in a touching open letter to his famous Mean Girls character, Damian.

As he continued his recent statement, Franzese noted that the former couple "cared so much for each other that we ignored things that were important to our individual personal growth." While they'd both "taken some time to heal" before revealing their breakup to the world, he added, "I'm grateful to all my friends and family who have shown us support during this time. I'm excited to see what Joseph will offer the world and I can't wait to get back on tour and make people laugh."

Franzese and Phillips are certainly not the only celeb couple to call it quits this year. As Nicki Swift previously reported, recent high-profile splits include the likes of Kendra Wilkinson and Hank Baskett, Channing Tatum and Jenna Dewan, and Real Housewives of Orange County alums Alexis and Jim Bellino. Most recently, Christian Siriano and Brad Walsh revealed that they'd quietly taken steps to end their relationship after two years of marriage.