If you’ve spent any time on TikTok in the last few years, you’ve seen the edits. The slow-motion clips of Gavin Casalegno and Lola Tung looking at each other during press junkets, the "Team Jeremiah" vs. "Team Conrad" wars, and the endless speculation about whether that on-screen chemistry ever leaked into real life. It’s the classic The Summer I Turned Pretty dilemma. We want the romance to be real. We want the Cousins Beach magic to exist outside of a soundstage in Wilmington.
But honestly? The Gavin Casalegno and Lola Tung relationship is way more complicated than a simple "are they or aren't they" tabloid headline.
While their characters, Jeremiah and Belly, were busy navigating a messy, sun-drenched love triangle, the actors themselves were living totally different lives. In fact, by the time the final episodes of the series aired in late 2025, the gap between their fictional romance and their actual reality couldn't have been wider. Gavin wasn't just "off the market"—he was a whole husband.
The Reality of the Gavin Casalegno and Lola Tung Relationship
Let’s just rip the Band-Aid off: Gavin Casalegno and Lola Tung never actually dated.
I know, it’s a bummer for the shippers. But while fans were busy dissecting every "eye contact" moment in 2023 and 2024, Gavin was actually deep in a very private, very serious relationship with someone else entirely. In November 2024, Gavin shocked pretty much the entire internet by hard-launching his marriage to Cheyanne King.
They didn't even announce they were dating first. They just dropped the wedding photos. Talk about a power move.
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Gavin later told Page Six that keeping his personal life separate from the show was intentional. He’d seen how the public eye could mess with a good thing. He and Cheyanne—who is a registered nurse and fashion designer—actually connected over their shared faith and, randomly enough, beach volleyball. By 2025, they were buying their first home together while fans were still arguing about whether Jeremiah or Conrad was better for Belly.
Why the "Off-Screen Tension" Rumors Started
So, if they weren't dating, why did everyone think there was drama?
It’s kinda interesting, actually. During the Season 3 press tour, some fans started noticing what they called "off-screen friction." There was a Vanity Fair Lie Detector test that went viral where Lola was asked if Sabrina Carpenter’s song "Manchild" applied to any of her co-stars. She said yes. The internet, being the internet, immediately decided she was talking about Gavin.
Then there were the reports about their different political views. In 2025, several outlets noted that the two stars didn't exactly see eye-to-eye on certain social issues.
It wasn't necessarily a "feud," but it definitely wasn't the cozy, romantic vibe people expected. It was professional. They were coworkers who had spent years playing lovers, and by the end, they seemed ready to move on to different chapters. Lola even mentioned in a Nylon interview that "dating in 2025 is hard" and that she prefers to let things happen naturally rather than forcing a connection.
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Where is Lola Tung Now?
While Gavin was settling into married life, Lola was busy becoming a fashion icon. She spent most of 2025 appearing at Chanel events and crushing it in the final season of the show.
As for her dating life? She’s been way more low-key than Gavin.
Rumors swirled for a bit in late 2025 about her and Ransom Canyon star Garrett Wareing after they posted some cute polaroids together. But Lola has always been "Team Private." She told TODAY back in the day that both Gavin and Chris Briney were "wonderful people" to work with, but she’s stayed firm on keeping her romantic life out of the headlines.
Basically, she’s doing exactly what Belly would do: choosing herself.
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We often mistake "great acting" for "real-life attraction."
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The Gavin Casalegno and Lola Tung relationship worked on screen because they have a great professional shorthand. They spent years filming in North Carolina, growing up together on set. But just because Gavin can look at Lola like she’s the only girl in the world when the cameras are rolling doesn’t mean he’s not going home to his wife at the end of the day.
- The Marriage Factor: Gavin married Cheyanne King in November 2024. They celebrated their first anniversary in late 2025 with a private watch party of their wedding video.
- The Professional Divide: Lola and Gavin have different personal lives and values, which became more apparent as they got older and the show ended.
- The New Romances: Lola has been linked to Garrett Wareing, but nothing has been "hard-launched" like Gavin's marriage.
The Actionable Truth for Fans
If you're still looking for the "Belly and Jeremiah" magic, you'll find it in the episodes, not in the actors' Instagram comments.
The best way to support the cast in 2026 is to respect the boundaries they've worked hard to set. Gavin is happy in his marriage, and Lola is thriving in her career. The "relationship" everyone keeps searching for was a beautiful piece of fiction created by Jenny Han, and it's okay to let it stay that way.
Instead of hunting for clues in old interviews, check out Gavin and Cheyanne’s clothing line Kai Lo or follow Lola’s latest fashion ventures. They’ve both grown up, and honestly, we should too.
The summer might be over, but their real lives are just getting started.