Every love story has its own unique beginning. For Trinity Tatum and Bryce Alakai, it involved agreeing on their favorite sexual position on the Season 8 premiere of “Love Island USA.”
The two of them were paired up from then on, choosing to stay together over the entire 35-episode run. Tatum, a 22-year-old from Newport News, Va., who previously worked at a hardware store, and Alakai, 30, a D.J., model and handyman from Los Angeles, initially struck viewers as an odd couple. But their affection for each other won them a passionate social-media following, the “Brinity” portmanteau and ultimately the season and its $100,000 grand prize.
Though Alakai and Tatum were confident in their relationship coming off the show — during its run, they declared themselves boyfriend and girlfriend and told each other “I love you” — they have been pleasantly surprised by the lack of criticism from fans.
“It’ll be 99 positive comments for one negative one,” Alakai said, “which for reality TV is unheard-of.”
Since they were named the winners in July, they have been reacclimating to the real world, traveling, posing for magazine covers and filming the show’s reunion episode, which is set to air on Monday.
“I hope that it gives a lot of clarity, to the viewers and the islanders,” Tatum said.
Over a video call from Palm Springs, Calif., Tatum and Alakai discussed their favorite sports, the importance of self care and, of course, each other. These are edited excerpts from the conversation.
Trinity Tatum on Her My 5
Travel
I’ve been traveling all my life. That’s something that’s really big to me. Where I’m from, there’s not a lot of things going on, and you get tired of all the things that have been there. My friends and I, when we actually started getting good-paying jobs and became of age, we would always travel.
Getting Pampered
I love getting girled up and I love being dolled up. I think it’s just a thing of me being tuned and tapped into my femininity, that I just love feeling good. I love to take care of my nails, I like getting my feet done, and I like making sure my hair looks good. It’s a part of self-care.
Trying New Food
I’m such a big foodie. I love going out — I love the ambience of the restaurant. I love seeing what they have to offer. I love the drinks. I love the hospitality.
Talking to My Family
My family is definitely the dearest to me because I feel without them I wouldn’t be in this position. My family played a really big part in helping me get on “Love Island,” helping me mentally prepare and physically prepare and make sure I had the things that I needed. They’ve always supported me. They’ve supported Bryce. They’re very happy for the relationship and connection that we have.
Bryce
Whenever I’m down or sad, he never hesitates to make sure I’m feeling OK and that I have that reassurance for whatever the issue is. Even if I’m hungry, he’s like, “What do you want to eat?” He’s so quick with it. He’s sweet. I have moments where I’m being a little brat and he’s always there to make me smile. He’s the best person to have on your team.
Bryce Alakai on His My 5
Trinity
We’re talking about the most important things in my life — she’s obviously No. 1 on that list. Before I make any decisions, even business-wise, I have to vet it through her. I feel like we’re each other’s comfort zone. I’d be devastated to not have her with me.
Surfing
I’ve been surfing for 10 years. It’s physically my favorite activity. Southern California has really good surf year-round, and I was born in Hawaii, so I feel like it’s tradition that you have to know how to surf. I took Trinity surfing two weeks ago. She caught a wave and I pushed her into it and her foot got stuck on the leash and she got launched off.
Tennis
I think tennis is the hardest sport. The mechanics are so difficult — to be able to put a topspin on a ball that’s coming at you 80 miles an hour and locate it on the court. I just love mental stuff. I love chess, things like that. So tennis is a combination of both mental and physical.
Music Production
It’s my escape and also one of my favorite things to do. I have a bunch of unreleased songs and collaborations that I’m working on right now — by mid-September I’ll have another release coming out.
A USB Stick Loaded With Music
At a recent party, I wasn’t even planning on D.J.ing, but I had someone at the after-party say, “Oh, do you want to spin right now?” And I had my USB, so I just popped up there and started D.J.ing. You never know when you’ll need it.
The post ‘Brinity’ Won ‘Love Island USA.’ These Are Their Favorite Things. appeared first on New York Times.
