The social media platform has long been a dating tool for everyday users. Now, more high-profile singles are finding lasting love there, too.
As the official start to summer approaches, many singles are on the hunt for a romantic partner to spend the season with. Some may be on the prowl at parties or swiping through dating apps, others may be shooting their shot on Instagram.
For celebrities in particular, Instagram has become an unexpectedly successful matchmaker, with a growing number of high-profile couples crediting their love stories to private messages sent on the app.
In December 2022, the country singer Kelsea Ballerini sent a direct message on Instagram to the actor Chase Stokes at 1:07 a.m.: “hiii chase stokes.” A little over two hours later, the actor responded, “Hey there how u doin.” They’ve been in a relationship for more than two years.
Kyle Kuzma, the stylish N.B.A. player, sent the model Winnie Harlow a message on Instagram in 2019 and reached out again in spring 2020. She hadn’t seen his first message, but she saw the second and replied. In February, they became engaged.
The actress Vanessa Hudgens sent a message to Cole Tucker, a former baseball player, after spotting him in a virtual meditation session led by Jay Shetty. “I get on the Zoom, and I’m like, ‘Who is that?’” she shared on “The Drew Barrymore Show.” “If I want something or someone, I’m going after them. I fully just slid into his DMs and was like, ‘Hey, it was nice to meet you.’” They married in November 2023.
Natalie Joy DM’d the former “Bachelor” Nick Viall in September 2019, after one of Mr. Viall’s Instagram photos popped up on Ms. Joy’s Explore page: “You’re unreal,” she wrote. In April 2024, they married.
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