It started with a song and a look. If you watched Euphoria Season 2, you know the vibe. Elliot, the new guy with the face tattoos and the guitar, sliding into the middle of Rue and Jules. It was messy on screen. Off-screen? It turned out to be just as intense, though for different reasons.
Hunter Schafer and Dominic Fike weren't just a "PR couple." They were real. For a while, they were the "it" couple of a certain corner of the internet—the cool, slightly edgy, fashion-forward pair that seemed to actually like each other. But then, as it usually does with young stars in the pressure cooker of Hollywood, it all fell apart.
How it Actually Started
They met on set in 2021. Hunter was already the heart of the show as Jules. Dominic was the newcomer, a musician-turned-actor playing Elliot. There’s this thing that happens on sets—actors call it "accelerated intimacy." You’re forced to be vulnerable with a stranger for 12 hours a day.
Dominic actually talked about this with GQ. He mentioned how shooting those heavy, emotional scenes basically speed-ran the "getting to know you" phase. It didn’t take months or years. It took days. By January 2022, they were spotted holding hands at The Nice Guy in West Hollywood. A few weeks later, they were Instagram official with a photo of them kissing at a dinner table.
By the time the 2022 Vanity Fair Oscar Party rolled around, they were the couple everyone was watching. Hunter in that custom Rick Owens gown, Dominic with the blue hair and the glittery blazer. They looked like they were winning.
💡 You might also like: Kellyanne Conway Age: Why Her 59th Year Matters More Than Ever
The Breakup and the "Codependency" Issue
Fast forward to July 2023. The rumors had been swirling for months. They hadn't been seen together. The Instagram posts stopped. Then, Dominic went on Apple Music with Zane Lowe and confirmed what everyone suspected. They were over.
Dominic was pretty raw about it. He didn't blame Hunter. Instead, he talked about his own "struggle with codependency." He admitted that he's a person who feels uncomfortable being alone. He’s the type who needs a relationship to feel okay, and he realized that was a problem. He told the LA Times he just needed to be alone for a while to figure out how to exist without leaning on someone else.
It sounded like a mature, "it's not you, it's me" situation. But as we later found out, that wasn't the whole story.
Hunter Breaks Her Silence
For a long time, Hunter stayed quiet. She didn't post subtweets. She didn't give "tell-all" interviews. That changed in August 2024 when she went on the Call Her Daddy podcast with Alex Cooper.
📖 Related: Melissa Gilbert and Timothy Busfield: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
Hunter confirmed it was a "clean parting" in the sense that they both knew it wasn't working. But she also dropped a bombshell: she had been cheated on. For the first time in her life.
Honestly, hearing her talk about it was heavy. She mentioned having a "gut feeling" and eventually looking through his phone—something she said she wasn't proud of. Finding out about the infidelity "fundamentally changed" her. As a trans woman dating a cis-gender man for the first time in a monogamous setting, she admitted to blaming herself. She questioned if her identity was the reason.
But then she reached this really powerful conclusion: cheating has nothing to do with the person being cheated on. It’s about the other person’s internal mess.
Where They Stand Now
It’s 2026, and the dust has mostly settled. People still ask if they'll ever get back together. Short answer: don't hold your breath.
👉 See also: Jeremy Renner Accident Recovery: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
Hunter has been vocal about how hard it is to date other famous people, especially musicians who are always on tour. She’s focused on her career—starring in movies like Cuckoo and Kinds of Kindness. Dominic is still making music, with songs on his album Sunburn clearly reflecting the highs and lows of their time together.
They still have to work together, though. Euphoria Season 3 has been one of the most delayed projects in history, but both are expected to return. Dominic told Zane Lowe he thinks it’ll be "fine" because they’re "all adults, kind of."
Lessons from the Fallout
If you’re following this saga, there are actually a few real-world takeaways that aren't just celebrity gossip:
- Trust Your Gut: Hunter mentioned that "you always kind of know." If the energy shifts, it usually means something has changed.
- Alone Time is Mandatory: Dominic’s realization about codependency is a huge green flag for personal growth, even if it came at the cost of the relationship. You can't love someone properly if you can't stand being by yourself.
- Separating Worth from Betrayal: Being cheated on is a trauma, but it isn't a reflection of your value. Hunter’s evolution on this point is a masterclass in emotional intelligence.
If you're going through a similar breakup, the best move is to do what Hunter did: take the time to "figure your sh*t out" and realize that your worth isn't tied to someone else's inability to be faithful. Focus on your own growth, your own "era," and let the rest of the noise fade out.