Well, it’s official! Emma Chamberlain and Role Model, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury, have hard-launched their relationship in a cover story with GQ. The couple kept their relationship underwraps for almost three years, although they say it was never intended to be a secret. In a reality where most of us are chronically online, they both agreed to keep their relationship private. Their cover story made me fall in love with their relationship, and low-key made me believe in love again.
The photography by Zamar Velez is stunning and perfectly captures the playful dynamic between Chamberlain and Pillsbury. They are clearly best friends, which is exactly what Pillsbury says he didn’t know he needed in a romantic relationship. “I never thought that you could have someone that you feel like is your best friend and you want to sleep with them,” he said.
According to GQ, this was Pillsbury’s first serious relationship. Until he met Chamberlain, he says he was sort of against relationships. “I really was never picturing myself truly being in love,” he said. “Aside from my best friends, I’ve never felt the desire to take care of someone and be there for them.” Then, he met Chamberlain. He said he finally had someone that was like a “best friend that you could make out with.”
The couple spilled all the details on how they got together. In true Gen Z fashion, it all started with a DM. (Celebrities, they’re just like us!) Pillsbury slid into Chamberlain’s DMs to compliment a fire ‘fit pic, and the rest was history. Just kidding, I’m here to give you all the details.
The outfit in question isn’t on her Instagram anymore, but Chamberlain remembers what she was wearing. The bones of the ‘fit that made Pillsbury shoot his shot included a Wilfred maroon turtleneck, black Dickies, and buckled black boots.
But it wasn’t just the outfit that drew Pillsbury in — it was Chamberlain’s TikTok videos (specifically, one where she was “trying to twerk to a Dayglow song in the bathroom and surprising herself that her ass moved a little bit”) and the just-do-it attitude of the pandemic, which had just started. Pillsbury said he freaked out when she replied to his DM and he “called all of his friends,” who ironically had no idea who she was at the time.
The two of them were texting for two months before they agreed to hang out at Chamberlain’s place, where they awkwardly ate pizza and played Fortnite. They didn’t even kiss, and Pillsbury admitted to GQ, “I almost cried on the way home. In my head, I was just like, ‘I fucked that up. We’re done, I got to move on.’” Thankfully, they had mutual friends that helped Chamberlain set up a second chance for them in a group setting.
And don’t worry — Pillsbury’s friends know who Chamberlain is now. “Now she’s best friends with my friends when we go home, they talk, they ask her for girl advice and everything,” he said. “It’s beautiful. It’s like everything I wanted.”
I’m calling it now, these two are endgame. They are giving the Gen Z version of Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively.