Joey Badass, rapper, actor, and aspiring heartthrob, has had fans flustered for the past four months trying to determine if he and actress Serayah McNeill have been dating or not. He first appeared to tease the relationship with a February Instagram post (just a few weeks after Valentine’s Day, mind you), breaking the hearts of women everywhere. Then, he amplified their disappointment with the video for “Show Me,” in which McNeill appeared as his romantic interest.
But then, a few weeks later, Joey denied their relationship in an interview with Complex. “Honestly, it wasn’t anything that was anticipated at first, but when we got back all the assets, like the photos, I started to [think], ‘Oh, it’s something that could be done with these,” he said. “This could tell the story. So, you know, that’s kind of what I wanted to do. I knew it was gonna catch people, like, you know, by surprise a little bit. That was the hardest part — waiting 48 hours.”
Now, though, it appears he’s doubling back (quadrupling back?) on those previous statements with a new post celebrating McNeill’s birthday. In a Reel apparently featuring an unreleased snippet of a song called “Passports & Suitcases,” Joey documents a romantic getaway where the couple lounged on a beach and kissed beneath a cabana canopy. So, it looks like fans were right all along — congrats and condolences.