All summer, America debated the pressing question of our time: were Tyler Cameron and Gigi Hadid
for real?
After first being spotted together in Brooklyn, Cameron and Hadid made quite a splash in the
celebrity scene, and it certainly seemed as if these two were more than just pals.
And then, it shockingly ended as quickly as it began.
Here's the truth about Tyler and Gigi's relationship.
Like any good millennial love story, Cameron and Hadid's reported romance started on social
media.
While it's unclear who was the first to slide into the other's DMs, Hadid was the first
to hit the "follow" button, according to Refinery29, and only minutes later, Cameron returned the
favor.
For normal people, a mutual follow is usually no big deal.
However, considering Hadid is a world renowned supermodel, her sudden interest in a reality
television contestant quickly became headline news.
Of course, fans had plenty to say about the famous follow, with one Twitter user writing,
"Welp, there goes my chance."
Referencing superstar Demi Lovato's flirtation with The Bachelorette's Mike Johnson, another
fan tweeted,
"No one real has a chance with any of these men because women like Gigi and Demi exist."
Still, Cameron claimed there was nothing going on between him and the supermodel, insisting
in late July 2019 on the Almost Famous podcast that they, quote, "just follow each other."
After the dramatic conclusion of Hannah Brown's season of The Bachelorette, fans of Cameron's
relationship with Brown were hopeful that the two reality stars would rekindle their
romance, especially when they saw Cameron happily agree to a date with Brown, who nervously
asked him out on After the Final Rose.
Soon after, when Cameron was spotted leaving Brown's Los Angeles apartment after apparently
spending the night, fans of the pair felt certain that a romantic reconciliation was
in the cards.
However, any dreams of the reality stars giving their relationship a shot in the real world
came crashing down just days later, when Cameron and Hadid were spotted hanging out together
in New York, according to TMZ.
In an interview on the Bachelor Happy Hour podcast, Brown admitted that it was difficult
to see Cameron moving on so publicly and so quickly.
She said that it would've been nice to have gotten, quote, "a little bit more than two
days."
When Cameron and Hadid followed each other on Instagram, many wondered how the Bachelorette
contestant ended up on the supermodel's radar in the first place.
Sure, he might have been the talk of Bachelor Nation, but how did Cameron manage to catch
the eye of one of the world's most recognizable faces?
Well, as a source revealed to Entertainment Tonight, Hadid happens to be a fan of the
reality show.
The anonymous source claimed,
"Gigi is a fan of The Bachelorette and really liked Tyler during the season.
The two connected through Instagram and have a lot in common and decided to meet up.
They had a nice time."
However, according to a source who spoke with E! News, Hadid knew of Cameron long before
the rest of Bachelor Nation.
The source revealed,
"Tyler and Gigi actually have a few mutual friends in the modeling industry.
She knew of him before he got any wind of fame from The Bachelorette."
While Bachelor and Bachelorette leads were once plucked from obscurity, the franchise
now capitalizes upon the popularity of its contestants.
Considering Cameron was one of the most well-liked and popular Bachelorette contestants, the
Florida native seemed like a shoo-in to be chosen as the next Bachelor.
However, after being spotted out and about with Hadid, not to mention his overnight date
with Hannah Brown, many fans wondered if Cameron still had a shot at scoring his very own Bachelor
season.
Host Chris Harrison revealed on PeopleTV's Reality Check that, while he didn't think
any less of Cameron for, quote, "playing the field," he wasn't sure if the former contestant
was in the right headspace to be the Bachelor.
At the time, Harrison made sure to not shut the door on Cameron's Bachelor chances completely,
but Cameron seemed to subtly do so himself by continuing to be seen with Hadid.
"That doesn't make him a bad guy; it may not make him the best Bachelor."
The pressure to make a good first impression with your partner's best buds can be downright
nerve-racking, especially if your rumored beau happens to have some seriously famous
pals.
However, according to reports, Cameron seemed to fit in perfectly with Hadid's famous friends.
On August 20th, Cameron and Hadid were spotted having dinner with Hadid's friend Serena Williams,
you know, the world-renowned tennis champion.
A source told E! News,
"Everyone was in great spirits, laughing together and enjoying their dinner."
Less than a week later, Cameron reportedly accompanied Hadid to an MTV Video Music Awards
afterparty, where he allegedly met none other than her pal Taylor Swift.
A source told E! News that Swift greeted Cameron with a hug, so it seems the pop star approved
of her close friend's rumored new lover.
And hey, now that it's over, maybe Taylor can write a song about the breakup!
While nearly every major celebrity news outlet covered Cameron and Hadid's relationship,
neither Cameron nor Hadid have said much at all about the reports publicly, and at this
point, it's unlikely that these two will be making any kind of public announcement concerning
their reported romance.
"We're just friends, we're just friends."
"Are you sure?"
"Yeah, I mean that's just where we're at, you know.
Our relationship doesn't need to be public."
At the time, media assumed that this was just a case of Tyler blowing smoke to cover up
the romance.
But now, it looks as though he might have simply been telling the truth all along.
In retrospect, the hints were there from the start that the romance may not last.
For instance, regarding the pair's relationship status, a source revealed to E! News,
"They haven't had any official talk yet, but [they] aren't dating other people."
While Hadid has lived most of her life in the spotlight, Cameron is relatively new to
the whole fame thing.
However, the reality star proved himself a pro at dodging relationship questions like
a seasoned celebrity.
"I'm at the point where I don't really want to talk about my relationships, I've dated
publicly so I'm trying to, you know, date privately."
So why did everyone assume their relationship was the real deal?
Well, everyone knows that actions speak louder than words, and the fact that the supermodel
was seen clinging to the reality star while attending her beloved grandmother's funeral
made many think their relationship was very serious indeed.
On August 31st, Hadid took to Instagram to post a touching tribute to her late grandmother,
writing,
"OUR QUEEN ANGEL fought cancer six times in her life with courage, strength, and grace
while being the greatest mother and grandmother."
Just a few days later, TMZ revealed that Cameron had flown all the way to the Netherlands to
comfort Hadid at her grandmother's funeral, and the pair was spotted cozying up to each
other.
In September 2019, a source from Cameron's camp revealed to People that the Bachelorette
star felt he'd, quote, "really connected" with Hadid.
The insider added,
"He was glad to be by her side at her grandmother's funeral, that meant a lot to him."
On September 8th, both Cameron and Hadid attended the Tommy HIlfiger fashion show as part of
the New York Fashion Week, according to Harper's Bazaar.
However, in true Cameron and Hadid fashion, the two were careful to avoid feeding into
relationship rumors by appearing together at the event.
Instead, Hadid arrived and posed for photos with her sister, Bella, while Cameron flew
solo for the evening.
The pair's outing, while technically separate, was seen by many as particularly notable due
to Hadid's professional connection to Tommy Hilfiger, as well as Cameron's own budding
modeling career.
It's possible that Hadid, a collaborator of Hilfiger's, was just helping Cameron make
connections in the fashion industry by introducing him to some of the most in-demand designers.
However, an insider told People that Cameron wasn't looking to use his rumored relationship
with Hadid to make money moves.
The source explained,
"Tyler's new to New York City, and exploring business opportunities.
He's taking advantage of his new fame, but he doesn't want to come off as an opportunist
with Gigi."
Cameron is a former football player from Jupiter, Florida who found fame in 2019 on a reality
dating show.
Hadid is an internationally successful supermodel and the daughter of The Real Housewives of
Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid.
So, aside from their respective connections to the modeling industry and their reality
television backgrounds, some fans might find themselves wondering what exactly these two
had in common, if anything at all.
As it turns out, Cameron and Hadid both seem to feel passionately about helping to better
the lives of children who live in underprivileged communities.
In 2018, Hadid used her celebrity platform to partner with UNICEF and bring attention
to the Rohingya refugee crisis, which left thousands of children without homes, sanitation,
clean drinking water, and proper medical care.
For his part, Cameron is a founding member of ABC Food Tours, a New York City-based organization
that aims to educate underprivileged children on, quote, "how to live healthy, active lifestyles"
by taking them on tours and introducing them to new restaurants and food.
Apparently, Hadid isn't the only one in her family who knows how to set the internet abuzz
with a simple Instagram follow.
On September 4th, 2019, Hadid's younger sister, Bella, followed Cameron on the social media
platform, and the news quickly sent Cameron and Hadid shippers into an excited frenzy.
One Instagram user commented,
"He is officially part of the family."
Another user questioned the timing of the follow, writing,
"It took that long??"
Considering the social media follow happened the day before Cameron was spotted with the
Hadid siblings at their grandmother's funeral, it's safe to assume the former Bachelorette
contestant was able to bond with Bella, but did Gigi ever get to meet Cameron's family?
No one knows for sure, but on September 8th, one observant Reddit user noticed that Cameron's
mother had followed Hadid on Instagram.
Another Redditor commented,
"I can't wait for Gigi to make the trip to Jupiter, [Florida]."
Cameron may be rubbing elbows with A-listers in New York City, but that doesn't necessarily
mean he's living like an A-lister himself.
In an August 2019 interview on the Bachelor Party podcast, Cameron revealed that he was
sleeping on a friend's futon in NYC before The Bachelorette began filming, and eventually
returned to that futon once his time on the show came to an end.
At the time of the interview, Cameron confirmed that he and his friend, Matt James, who runs
ABC Food Tours and owns that futon, were in the process of finding an apartment in the
big city to rent together.
According to reports, Hadid took it upon herself to help Cameron and James find an apartment.
The fact that it happened to be so close to hers was seen by many as just more proof that
the two were getting serious, especially after a source told E! News in September 2019,
"Tyler has been looking at apartments that are in the same area as Gigi's in NYC.
She suggested a few to him and he wants to be nearby."
So what went wrong?
Though everything seemed to add up to a big time romance, behind the scenes sources insisted
all along that Cameron and Hadid were not actually in a serious relationship.
In September 2019, an insider told People,
"The media attention has been hard on Tyler and Gigi.
They're trying to navigate it right now because they know how the press can pick apart every
date they have and turn it into something bigger."
"My dating life, I want it to be private now, whether it's with, whoever it's with, you
know?"
The source told the publication that Cameron and Hadid are, quote, "still just getting
to know each other."
The insider added,
"They don't want that pressure to push them further than where they are."
That pressure apparently proved to be too much in the end.
On October 1, Cameron appeared on Watch What Happens Live and teased the breakup.
"Are you single right now, for the single ladies?"
"I…may be single!"
Just two days later, on October 3, Us Weekly confirmed that he and Hadid had indeed ended…whatever
it is they had.
"Tyler is single.
He and Gigi Hadid are no longer together.”
So were they ever really in a relationship?
Or was it all wishful thinking from fans and media?
One thing is certain: we're all going to be heartbroken about it…until the next rumors
hit.
See you then!
Check out one of our newest videos right here!
Plus, even more List videos about your favorite stuff are coming soon.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and hit the bell so you don't miss a single one.