6 hours Ago By Miranda Siwak
Survivor alum Bret LaBelle and Chris Stanley , paid no mind to the criticism surrounding their age-gap relationship. LaBelle started dating Stanley, who is 27 years his junior, in 2020. The twosome were candid about their age difference throughout their romance.
“Sometimes people think he’s actually my dad. Other people think I’m just with him for money,” Stanley told The Advocate in August 2023. “They think he’s my sugar daddy, which obviously isn’t true.
” He added: “Sometimes people make the outrageous claim that I was ‘groomed’ or something, which not only isn’t the case. In reality, I am the one who pursued him. They think we’re both weird.
” Related: Celebrities Share Their Coming-Out Stories In April 2025, LaBelle announced that he and Stanley called it quits after four years of dating. Keep scrolling for LaBelle and Stanley’s complete relationship timeline: 2016 Nearly four years before LaBelle started dating Stanley, he publicly came out as gay during a conversation with fellow competitor Zeke Smith on season 33 of Survivor . (Smith is also a member of the LGBTQIA+ community and married Superstore alum Nico Santos in 2023.
) “I didn’t grow up in a time when it was normal to talk about being gay, and the millennials do not care,” LaBelle shared in a Survivor: Millennials vs. Gen X confessional. “Zeke finds comfort in being himself, and I think that’s great.
And I’m hoping that as my life goes on, from here on out, I can be that way.” 2020 Stanley sent LaBelle a message via Instagram amid the coronavirus pandemic, and they quickly hit it off. Courtesy of chrisandbret/Instagram January 2023 They became Instagram official three years later.
“Great seeing @realdavewright and sharing a few beers and laughs in San Diego,” LaBelle, who also competed on season 31 of The Amazing Race in 2018, wrote via Instagram while sharing photos with Stanley and a pair of friends. Related: Celebrity Couples Who Have Surprisingly Big Age Differences April 2023 “A very happy birthday to this amazing guy!! 🎈🎂😘 ,” LaBelle wrote via Instagram , penning a celebratory tribute to Stanley. One month later, LaBelle and Stanley started the joint @ChrisAndBret Instagram page to chronicle their relationship milestones.
Courtesy of chrisandbret/Instagram December 2023 When LaBelle and Stanley went to pick out their Christmas tree, a store employee mistakenly thought they were father and son . “As I was checking out yesterday buying this beautiful tree — yes, it’s real — my boyfriend is handing the cashier his credit card, but I’m like, ‘No, no, no. Let me pay for this.
’ So, I get out my credit card and I hand it to her,” Stanley recalled in a TikTok video. “She’s like, ‘Oh yeah, nice.’ And I’m like, ‘Why is she so excited that I’m paying?’ And she’s like, ‘I believe the more you give, the more you get this holiday season.
’” Thank You! You have successfully subscribed. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from Us Weekly Check our latest news in Google News Check our latest news in Apple News Stanley ultimately decided against correcting the woman. “I’m left wondering what the look would have been like on her face if I had told her [the truth],” he added.
April 2025 LaBelle took to Instagram to share the news that he and Stanley had split. “Sometimes love means letting go. Chris and I have shared so many memories, laughter, and growth together, and I will always be grateful for that,” the reality star captioned a photo of him and Stanley embracing.
“While our paths are now going in different directions, the care and respect remain. Wishing him nothing but happiness, love, and success on his journey. Thank you for the memories.
”.
