Jillian Harris and ‘Bachelorette’ beau Ed Swiderski separate

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The ‘fact’ that 50% of marriages end in divorce was pretty much debunked years ago as a false statistic based on a flawed calculation. But switch over to the realm of ‘The Bachelorette’ or ‘The Bachelor,’ and do the math on even getting to the altar successfully, and 50% starts to sound like insanely bullish success.

In keeping with that fine tradition, another reality-TV couple is separating, at least for now: Jillian Harris and Ed Swiderski, who got engaged on ‘The Bachelorette’ in May 2009 and moved into his apartment together last September.

In 14 completed cycles of ‘The Bachelor’ and five of the ‘The Bachelorette,’ only one couple has actually made it to the altar: Trista Reyn and Ryan Sutter, who are married with two kids.

[Updated June 8, 9 a.m.: Jason Mesnick and Molly Malaney also married after meeting on ‘The Bachelor,’ but only after Jason first got engaged to another contestant, Melissa Rycroft, with Molly as runner-up, and then announced on a March 2009 reunion show, six weeks after the rose ceremony, that he was dumping Melissa and taking up with Molly again. Jason and Molly walked down the aisle in March.]

At least Jillian and Ed are playing it classy so far, with an ABC source telling People they ‘are taking some time apart to re-evaluate their relationship’ and neither person running to a tabloid to describe how big or small or fake or real one’s, um, intimate commitment to the other might be.

Maybe it just wasn’t Vancouver native Harris’ dream to shack up in a one-bedroom apartment in Chicago? (Wait, that’s really mean to say, isn’t it? Did we say that out loud?)

So now, we suppose, we’re in the land of ‘it’s not over till it’s over.’

Odds are, however, that it’s over.

-- Christie D’Zurilla

Related dispatches from the Ministry of Gossip:

Vienna Girardi and Jake Pavelka get ugly -- and he gets a new TV gig

Vienna Girardi celebrates her independence from Jake Pavelka in Vegas

Jake Pavelka and Vienna Girardi: We’d break up with them too [poll]