As the sun set over the romantic haze of The Summer I Turned Pretty’s Season 3 finale on September 17, 2025, Lola Tung—the 22-year-old breakout star who embodies Isabel “Belly” Conklin—dropped a rare and tantalizing hint about her personal life that’s sent fans into a speculative spiral. In a candid moment during a pre-finale interview with Teen Vogue at a Paris café, Tung, typically guarded about her off-screen world, mused on her dating life: “Some men need more time to figure things out—you know, to grow into who they’re meant to be.” The comment, delivered with her signature shy smile and a sip of espresso, was fleeting but electric, sparking a firestorm on X where #LolaTungDating trended with 200,000 posts. Was she shading a past flame? Hinting at a new romance? Or, as some fans theorize, slyly nodding to the love triangle between Belly, Conrad Fisher (Christopher Briney), and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno) that’s gripped 12 million Prime Video viewers?

Tung’s words, layered with ambiguity, landed like a perfectly timed plot twist, just as The Summer I Turned Pretty—Prime Video’s adaptation of Jenny Han’s bestselling trilogy—wrapped its third season with Belly choosing Conrad in a Parisian reunion that broke Team Jeremiah hearts. The timing, paired with Han’s confirmed stunt of fake Paris scenes featuring Casalegno to mislead fans, has only fueled the frenzy. Is Tung single, as her Elle profile from June 2025 suggested? Or is there a real-life Conrad or Jeremiah waiting in the wings, needing “more time”? From her rise as a Carnegie Mellon dropout to Gen Z’s rom-com queen, to the social media storm dissecting her every word, this is the story of Lola Tung’s rare glimpse into her heart, the fandom it’s unleashed, and how her on-screen romance mirrors the mystery of her off-screen life.

The Comment That Lit the Match

The Teen Vogue interview, conducted at Café de Flore during Season 3’s Paris shoot in October 2024, was meant to focus on Tung’s evolution as Belly—her journey from a lovesick teen to a self-assured college student studying abroad. But when the conversation turned to love, Tung’s guard slipped. “I’m young, figuring it out like everyone else,” she said, twirling a lock of her dark hair. “Dating’s… complicated. Some men need more time to grow into who they’re meant to be, and I’m okay waiting for the right vibe.” The remark, nestled between musings on Parisian croissants and Belly’s growth, was a bombshell for fans who’ve scoured her socials for clues since her 2022 debut.

X erupted within hours. “Lola’s out here dropping HINTS,” tweeted @TSITPFanatic, their post garnering 15,000 likes. “Is she talking about a real guy or shading Conrad’s indecision?” Others, like @JellyfishStan, saw a Jeremiah parallel: “‘More time’? Sounds like Jere’s arc—Lola’s Team Jeremiah IRL!” The comment’s vagueness—coupled with Tung’s history of dodging personal questions—made it catnip for a fandom already reeling from Season 3’s emotional rollercoaster. “She’s never this open,” posted @BellysBae, with 10,000 retweets. “Who’s the guy needing time? Spill, Lola!”

Tung’s reticence is no accident. Since TSITP’s premiere, she’s kept her private life under lock and key, telling Elle in June 2025, “I like to keep my world separate from Belly’s—fans deserve her story, not mine.” Her Instagram, with 3.2 million followers, is a curated blend of set selfies, book recs (she’s a Murakami stan), and coy captions that reveal little. Yet, this single line—“Some men need more time”—has cracked open a Pandora’s box of speculation, with fans and tabloids alike wondering if Tung’s heart mirrors Belly’s or if she’s carving her own path in love.

The Context: TSITP’s Finale and the Paris Ploy

The timing of Tung’s comment couldn’t be more cinematic. The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3, loosely adapting Han’s We’ll Always Have Summer, follows Belly post a broken engagement to Jeremiah, fleeing to Paris to study abroad and heal her heart. The finale, “At Last,” sees Conrad surprising her for her birthday, sealing their book-faithful romance with a rooftop kiss under Parisian lights. The episode, streamed by 12 million viewers per Prime Video, was a triumph for Team Conrad but a gut-punch for Team Jeremiah fans, especially after Han’s confirmed deception: fake Paris scenes with Casalegno, filmed to mislead fans into expecting a “Jellyfish” reunion.

Han’s gambit—flying Casalegno to Paris for a staged Seine-side hug with Tung—set the internet ablaze last October, with a TikTok leak racking up 2 million views. “I wanted to keep surprises for the audience,” Han told Entertainment Weekly. “If Gavin never showed up, the ending would’ve been too obvious.” The ruse worked, amplifying the finale’s shock when Jeremiah stayed stateside, finding love with Denise (Isabella Briggs). Tung’s “some men need more time” comment, dropped days before the finale, feels eerily tied to this narrative. Is she echoing Belly’s patience with Conrad’s indecision? Or hinting at a personal story we’ll never fully know?

The comment’s resonance with TSITP’s themes—love’s timing, growth, choice—has fans dissecting it like a Taylor Swift lyric. “Conrad needed time to grow up,” tweeted @ConradEndgame, linking Tung’s words to his Season 3 arc. “Lola’s basically saying she gets it.” Others see Jeremiah’s shadow: “Jere’s the one who wasn’t ready,” posted @TeamJellyfish4Ever. “Lola’s living the book IRL!” The ambiguity, paired with the finale’s emotional weight, has made Tung’s words a Rorschach test for fans’ hopes and heartbreak.

Lola Tung: From Carnegie Mellon to Cultural Phenom

Tung’s ascent is the stuff of Hollywood dreams. Born October 28, 2002, in New York City, she was a Carnegie Mellon musical theater student when TSITP cast her as Belly in 2021, her first professional role. Dropping out to film Season 1, she became Gen Z’s rom-com darling, her chemistry with Briney and Casalegno fueling the show’s 10 million-viewer debut. By 2025, she’s a red-carpet regular, gracing Hadestown on Broadway and starring in a 2024 Vogue shoot. Yet, she remains an enigma, telling Nylon, “I’m a private person—Belly’s the one who wears her heart on her sleeve.”

Her dating history is a blank slate—or so she’d like us to think. A 2023 Seventeen profile called her “single and focused,” with Tung joking, “My love life’s mostly coffee and scripts.” Rumors swirled in 2022 when she and Briney were spotted grabbing tacos in LA, but both laughed it off, with Briney telling E! Online, “We’re just pals—Conrad’s drama stays on set.” Casalegno, too, has been linked platonically, their Paris filming sparking “Jellyfish” hopes until Han’s fake-scenes reveal. Tung’s Teen Vogue comment is her boldest yet, a crack in her armor that’s left fans hungry for more.

Her reticence mirrors Belly’s Season 3 growth—an independent young woman navigating love’s complexities. “Belly’s learning to choose herself,” Tung told People. “Paris is her reset, her chance to grow.” Fans see parallels: “Lola’s ‘some men need time’ vibe is so Belly,” tweeted @TSITPGuru. “She’s living that independent queen energy.” Others speculate a real romance, with TMZ baselessly linking her to a “mystery NYU grad” spotted at her 2024 birthday bash. Tung’s team shut it down: “She’s focused on work,” her rep told Us Weekly.

The Social Media Storm: X, TikTok, and Theories Galore

X is a cauldron of theories. #LolaTungDating trended alongside #TSITPFinale, with 300,000 combined posts by September 18. Fans parsed her words like literary scholars. “She’s hinting at a patient love, like Belly with Conrad,” posted @BellysBae, with a clip of the finale’s kiss. Others saw shade: “‘Need more time’? Sounds like she dumped a guy who wasn’t ready,” tweeted @SleuthSummer, earning 8,000 likes. A TikTok montage, syncing Tung’s Teen Vogue quote to Taylor Swift’s “Evermore,” hit 1.5 million views, with comments like “Lola’s got a Conrad IRL, I’m calling it.”

Reddit’s r/TSITP, with 50,000 members, is a hotbed of detective work. User u/LolaSleuth posted a 2,000-word thread: “Is Lola’s ‘some men’ about a real guy or a PR move to hype the finale?” It sparked 3,000 comments, with u/Conrad4Life arguing, “She’s channeling Belly—Han probably coached her to stay vague.” Others, like u/JellyfishDreamer, insist it’s personal: “Lola’s too real to fake that vibe. She’s seeing someone who’s not ready.” A fringe theory ties it to Casalegno, whose 2024 breakup with model Larsen Thompson was public; “Maybe Lola’s his rebound,” mused @GossipGuruX, though no evidence supports it.

The comment’s timing—pre-finale—has some crying publicity stunt. “Han’s team planned this,” posted @TSITPTruth. “Lola drops a cryptic line to keep us hooked post-Paris fake-out.” Han, no stranger to narrative games, hasn’t commented, but her TheWrap plea against fan bullying—“Love the show, not the hate”—suggests she’s aware of the chaos. Tung’s stayed mum, her latest IG post a Paris sunset with the caption, “Grateful for this chapter.” Fans read into it: “Chapter? Like a new guy?” commented @LolaStan22, with 5,000 likes.

The Cast Connection: On-Screen Chemistry, Off-Screen Bonds

Tung’s chemistry with Briney and Casalegno is TSITP’s heartbeat, making her comment a lightning rod. “Lola’s magic with Chris and Gavin makes you believe in love,” Han told Variety. Off-screen, the trio’s tight-knit, sharing Paris dinners and late-night script reads. “We were giggling through the fake scenes,” Casalegno told EW, recalling the Seine hug. Briney echoed, “Lola’s like our little sister—she keeps us grounded.” Yet, fans project romance, with @TeamConrad tweeting, “Lola’s ‘more time’ is SO Chris—he’s got that brooding Conrad energy IRL.”

Both actors are spoken for—Briney with Isabel Machado, Casalegno newly single—quashing rumors. Still, Tung’s comment feels like a nod to the show’s themes. “Belly waits for Conrad to grow up,” Tung told People. “Love’s about timing, not rushing.” Her Teen Vogue line mirrors this, blurring lines between actress and character. “Lola’s smart—she knows fans will connect it to Belly,” says PR guru Mark Borkowski. “It’s a tease that keeps the show alive.”

The Bigger Picture: Love, Timing, and a Movie on the Horizon

Tung’s comment taps into TSITP’s core: love’s messy timing. Season 3’s Paris arc—Belly finding herself, Conrad catching up—echoes her words. “Some men need more time” could describe Conrad’s arc, Jeremiah’s growth, or a mystery man in Tung’s life. The show’s 12 million viewers, per Prime Video, and Han’s confirmed 2026 movie—likely adapting the trilogy’s wedding epilogue—keep the stakes high. “Belly’s story isn’t over,” Han told Today. “The movie’s a new milestone.” Fans speculate a 2027 release, with X buzzing over Tung’s role: Will her dating comment inform Belly’s next chapter?

The comment’s cultural ripple is undeniable. TSITP has redefined teen drama, blending nostalgia with raw choice. Tung’s rise—Carnegie Mellon to Coachella 2024 performer—mirrors Belly’s growth, making her words resonate. “Lola’s our voice,” tweeted @GenZFangirl. “She gets love’s not a sprint.” Industry insiders note her savvy: “She’s private but strategic,” says Vogue editor Lila Chen. “That line keeps her relatable, not tabloid fodder.”

The Emotional Core: Lola’s Heart, Belly’s Echoes

Tung’s comment, though brief, reveals her depth. “I’m figuring it out,” she told Teen Vogue, echoing Belly’s Paris journey. Whether single or waiting for “the right vibe,” Tung’s words reflect a young woman balancing fame and feeling. “She’s not giving us her diary,” says fan Ellie Harper, 24, who runs @TSITPDaily. “But she’s giving us enough to feel seen.” The finale’s impact—Conrad’s win, Jeremiah’s peace—amplifies this, with Tung’s performance earning Emmy buzz.

Her castmates feel it too. “Lola’s heart is huge,” Briney told E! Online. “She says stuff like that and you feel it.” Casalegno, post-Paris ruse, added, “She’s wise beyond her years—knows love’s a marathon.” Han’s proud: “Lola’s Belly because she gets it—love, growth, timing,” she told Variety. The comment, intentional or not, has cemented Tung’s bond with fans, who see her as both star and sister.

The Future: A Star Rising, A Fandom Waiting

As TSITP gears up for its movie, Tung’s comment lingers like a cliffhanger. Is she single, patient, or playfully trolling? Her next projects—a Netflix rom-com, a Hadestown tour—keep her busy, but fans want answers. “Lola, who’s the guy?!” tweeted @LolaSleuth, with 7,000 likes. Her silence, like Belly’s Paris pause, is her power. “I’ll share when it’s right,” she told Nylon. For now, she’s letting fans dream, just as Belly did under Parisian stars.