A closer look into Gavin Casalegno’s sexuality and love life

Gavin Casalegno said that he auditioned for Jeremiah because he saw so much of himself in the character. Casalegno even asked Jenny Han, the author of The Summer I Turned Pretty and one of the showrunners, how she found out so much about his life. 

“I actually told Jenny this the first time [I met] her,” Gavin told Popsugar. “I was like, ‘Did you talk to my mom or something? How? Did you read my diary? What’s going on?’ I was like, you know, this character is so similar to who I am, it would be a shame if I didn’t do it.”

Given Gavin and Jeremiah’s similarities, some fans have assumed they have the same sexuality. 

Gavin is likely straight, but he portrays a bisexual character in the series

Gavin Casalegno hasn’t addressed his sexuality, but he’s likely straight. He’s currently in a long-term relationship with Larsen Thompson. 

Fans of The Summer I Turned Pretty know that Jeremiah in the books only had feelings for women, but in the show, he’s attracted to both men and women. Jenny Han told Variety that the showrunners altered Jeremiah’s sexuality to create a series that’s in tune with the times. Han said:

“To me, the essence of the character is still the same. It’s just, how would I write this person in 2022 versus how I wrote them 13 years ago?”

Casalegno told Seventeen that he appreciated the effort to improve diversity on the show, demonstrating his support of the LGBTQ+ community. He added that he enjoyed participating in the push for diversity:

“I was so honored to be a part of that change and that direction of where we were taking it and [bringing] that diversity. And I think it’s so important to have that. I think it’s so special. Jeremiah is always he’s figuring out, more and more, who he is and that’s just a part of him.”

Casalegno and Larsen Thompson have dated for over five years

Casalegno describes himself as a hopeless romantic who’ll go to great lengths to express love. 

The actor said that the craziest thing he ever did was fly to his girlfriend’s birthday party and fake propose to her in front of her parents. He did this one week into their relationship. 

“I secretly bought a plane ticket out to go surprise her for her 16th,” Gavin said. “Her parents brought her to some restaurant at Universal Studios and I jumped out of the corner and fake proposed with a Hershey’s kiss.”

“Little did I know her dad was standing right there, and so that was the first time meeting him. It was hilarious. We laugh about it now, but I haven’t found a length that I wouldn’t go to make a romantic gesture.”

Thompson and Gavin often post photos of each other on Instagram, demonstrating that they maintain a strong bond. In February 2022, Larsen posted a photo of herself and Gavin while promoting a padlock and key dangle charm from Pandora. She wrote:

“To me, this Valentine’s Day the most special gift is @theofficialpandora Padlock and Key Dangle Charm. I can look down to be reminded that I have @gavincasalegno with me wherever I go – and now he can do the same.”