Upon asking their partners who their celebrity crush is, many women are looking to TikTok to come to grips with the fact that the crushes look nothing like them.
On Aug. 27, Kylei Halbakken (@kylei.ann) took to the digital platform to reveal that her boyfriend’s celebrity crush is Dua Lipa, who she believes bears no resemblance to her.
“I just begged my boyfriend to tell me who his celebrity crush was. It will keep me up at night. Dua Lipa,” Halbakken says, who TikTok users note is a redhead, while Lipa is a dark brunette. “My celebrity crush? Harry Styles. Let’s go back to his celebrity crush. At least him and Harry Styles are in the same genre.”
‘Mine is Megan fox *cries in asian*’
Halbakken’s video has prompted discourse, including several other videos of women sharing similar conversations with their significant others, pertaining to the idea of a celebrity crush and what exactly it means if your partner’s crush looks virtually nothing like you.
“No fr because we at least pick ones that have the same vibe (or genre as you put it) and they choose literally the opposite of you every time???” @tameinpaula wrote.
“Girl you’re just as gorg as dua lipa please stop stressing,” @jjkh101 assured her.
“Mine is Megan fox *cries in asian*,” @chiscaake replied.
On Aug. 31, in response to watching Halbakken’s video, Cydney Jordan (@cydneyjordan) recalled a “very similar” conversation she had with her ex-partner four months into their relationship regarding celebrity crushes.
“My ex kept asking me who my celebrity crush was, and I was like, ‘I don’t know. I don’t have one,’ because that’s just true,” Jordan explains. “But he wouldn’t drop it and I was like, ‘OK, fine. Who’s your celebrity crush then?’ and he immediately was like, ‘Ariana Grande.’ I was like, OK. She is a 5-foot-nothing 90-pound redhead girl and I am a 5-foot-10 big brunette bitch but you know what? That’s fine. You could’ve at least paused and thought about it for a second.”
While she admits to her feelings being “a little hurt,” Jordan expected her boyfriend’s fixation on Grande to stop there — except it didn’t.
“He would always put on the music video channel for his dog whenever we’d go to dinner and she’s gonna be home by herself,” she says, revealing that he selects an Ariana Grande music video. “So I’m like, ‘Oh, look it’s your girlfriend. …It’s your little girlfriend on TV, go have a look … and he’s like, ‘Oh, I’ve had plenty of looks at that.’”
Added Jordan, “Why would you divulge that information to me?”
Given the unattainability, having a celebrity crush seems more like a fantasy than anything else — so does it actually pose a risk to a real-life romantic relationship? Ryan Sultan, a psychiatrist, psychotherapist and assistant professor of clinical psychiatry at Columbia University, provided additional insight into the psychological phenomenon. Sultan notes that while a celebrity crush may start off as innocent, it can actually serve as a form of escapism. Relying on parasocial relationships, then, can occur as a means to “cope with stress, anxiety, or dissatisfaction” in actual relationships.
“Having a celebrity crush is generally harmless and can even be a fun way to engage with pop culture,” Sultan told In The Know by Yahoo via email. “However, if it begins to overshadow real-life relationships or serves as an escape from deeper issues, it may cause concern. It’s essential to strike a balance and ensure that a celebrity crush does not negatively impact real-life partnerships.”
‘Idk let him have a crush it doesn’t hurt they’re celebrities’
Based on Jordan’s comment section, it appears that several TikTok users either have had similar conversations with a current or former partner or are equally disgusted by her ex’s comments about Grande. Other creators, however, believe people are entitled to have a crush on whichever celebrity they choose without any judgment.
“My ex had a folder of images of beabadoobee saved on pinterest and would save images to that folder in front of me,” @poliitoed wrote.
“The concept of having a celebrity crush like THAT when you are in a relationship it’s so weird to me idk, maybe I’m just too devoted,” @itsginneth replied.
“My celebrity crush is Tom Holland and my bf only has his height in common but idk let him have a crush it doesn’t hurt they’re celebrities,” @clavepop argued.
