Move over, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce − TikTok is obsessed with this tall couple now
Step aside, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce: There's a new it couple people can't get enough of.
OK, maybe they're not an official couple ... yet. But millions online certainly hope they'll be.
TikTok is currently captivated by the budding romance between Gabriella Gonzalez and Tyler Bergantino, two social media personalities whose chemistry felt palpable upon their first meeting, which, in classic 2024 fashion, happened on camera. The two met doing interview-style videos with each other, in which they stifled giggles and flirted while discussing their experiences dating as tall people. Gonzalez is 6 feet, 1 inch, without heels, and Bergantino is 6 feet, 9 inches.
Those two videos racked up 30.4 and 23.4 million views respectively − and ended with Bergantino asking Gonzalez out. A follow-up video, in which they recapped their first coffee date together, got 10.3 million hits.
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Gonzalez and Bergantino are just as giggly in a joint interview with USA TODAY Thursday morning as they were in those initial videos. Speaking on Zoom from separate locations − Gonzalez from bed and Bergantino from his car, with his dog Leia in the passenger seat − the two can't seem to stop blushing or smiling when asked about their unexpected connection and how it's played out online for millions to see.
"I'm a huge believer in energy, and it was just his energy (complementing) my energy," Gonzalez says of what initially drew her to Bergantino. "Before we even hit record... it was good, and it was easy and it just kind of clicked."
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'So, how tall are you?'
Off the bat, Gonzalez and Bergantino bonded over their height. Dating as a tall person isn't easy, they both say. For Bergantino, many women have only wanted to date him because he's tall. Gonzalez laments she's dated guys taller and shorter than her. All "have sucked."
They say it's rare to meet someone else who understands what it's like. When together, they turn heads from onlookers, but to them, no relationship has felt more normal.
"Giving her a hug, I don't have to break my back," Bergantino says. "Especially when she wears heels, I can actually look her in the eyes. ... I'm like, 'OK, this is what normal feels like.' "
Height barely comes up in their conversations off-camera, even though it was the topic of their initial viral interviews together. They've also been able to help each other navigate the small struggles of being tall − like the habit of slouching to make others feel comfortable.
"It's cool to just have someone who understands that," Gonzalez says. "It was just crazy. We watched back (our first joint) video, and, at the same time, we were both like, 'Damn, my postures never looked so good!' (When) we're next to each other, we both are able to stand tall and proud."
What's it like dating with millions of people watching?
The amount of attention and scrutiny on their relationship from millions online has also bonded them.
TikTok commenters are smitten with their love story and want nothing more than to watch Bergantino and Gonzalez ride off into the digital sunset together. The support, the couple says, has been wonderful − but it's also a lot of pressure to put on two people who have so far only been on one official, in-person date.
It's been a strange and stressful experience, but Gonzalez and Bergantino say they're grateful to go through it together.
"To be honest, her and I have been talking a lot, because it's so overwhelming, and there's so much going on that it's almost uncomfortable not to be talking to her," Bergantino says.
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The two talk and FaceTime pretty much all-day, every day, Gonzalez says, adding consistent communication has been a lifeline for both.
Gonzalez says she's still getting used to strangers coming up to her and asking how their relationship is going. When the pressure starts to feel too much, Bergantino helps ground her. One night, when she felt especially anxious, he serenaded her on the guitar until she fell asleep.
"He calms me down," she says. "I don't even know how he knows what to do and how to do it because I'm normally a very anxious, high-strung, stubborn person."
As of now, Gonzalez and Bergantino haven't made their relationship "official." They're still talking and getting to know each other. They don't know where their journey will lead, but both respect and value the other and look forward to making videos about it, something that brings them both joy.
On Friday, Gonzalez is flying to South Carolina to see Bergantino. It will be their second official date.
"This weekend I have literally an itinerary that I have planned out she doesn't know about yet," Bergantino says smiling, making Gonzalez turn bright red. "I'm taking her to all my favorite spots, all the things that I enjoy doing."
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How will it go? You'll probably have to tune into TikTok to find out. If it's anything like their first date, people will be talking about it.
"The coolest part about this is that we're just giving people hope," Gonzalez says. "They're like, 'Wait, this is better than 'The Bachelor.'' And we're like, 'Yeah, this is better than 'The Bachelor.' This is real, duh.' "
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: TikTok wants these tall people to fall in love. The pressure is a lot.
