BEFORE the days of social media and #CoupleGoals, us normal folk were looking to the likes of Posh and Becks to see a ‘perfect’ relationship.
But with access to just about anyone at our fingertips, we can now watch people’s relationships play out in real time (straight from the horse’s mouth, too) through TikTok, YouTube and Instagram.
11
11
Couple influencers like Pookie and Jett (real names Campbell and Jett Puckett) have become social media sensations for their flamboyant displays of affection.
Jett appears to be a doting husband who compliments his wife at any opportunity and buys her whatever designer handbag she desires. Her being known as Pookie is solely down to that being his pet name for her.
The duo, who welcomed their first child in November last year, have been lauded for ‘making people believe in love again’.
But all might not be what it seems.
Couples like this, who have made millions from showcasing their seemingly perfect relationship, have also been accused of ‘putting on a facade’ to secure advertisement deals and flog products.
In fact, some have even been accused of ‘preying on single people’ in order to make money – and gain views, followers and likes, which ultimately translates into more money.
And while singletons consuming the content might feel momentarily impressed, it also leaves them vulnerable, one expert has warned.
“Single people who view ‘power couple’ content on social media may experience feelings of inadequacy and loneliness as a result,” Emma Loker, BSc, PGDip, tells Fabulous.
“Constant exposure to idealised relationships on social media makes people compare their own lives and feel like they’re lacking.
“Exposure to this kind of content also reinforces the false notion that personal fulfilment depends on being in a relationship.
“This content sets unrealistic standards for relationships, which can mean people struggle to find satisfaction in their personal dating lives.”
Influencers like this make money through advertising products, flogging stuff with their name attached to it and through social media payment channels, such as the TikTok Creator Fund and YouTube Ads.
Fabulous takes a look at the so-called power couples dominating social media… and the sneaky tactics they might be employing to make single people fund their lavish lifestyles.
Pookie & Jett: PDA or facade?
11
Atlanta, US-based couple Pookie and Jett burst onto the social media scene in the winter of 2023.
Campbell, 33, better known as Pookie thanks to Jett’s, 34, nickname, had been posting lifestyle videos for a while before bringing her long-term husband into the fold.
His apparent doting on her – such as calling her a princess at every given opportunity and gushing over her outfits – rocketed their celebrity practically overnight.
And while having 1.5 million followers on TikTok proves their intense PDA is loved by many, countless social media posts and threads have cropped up criticising them.
Brands now work with couples who represent idealised romance to sell products connected with love and relationships. Singles show a particular interest in these marketing endorsements because they suggest the possibility of romantic connection through product purchase
Emma Loker
There are Reddit forums titled ‘How hasn’t Pookie and Jett’s facade been exposed yet?’, while other posts brand the couple as ‘a walking advertisement utilising the plot from a very poorly written romance novel to gain sales’.
While Jett has a successful career in private equity, the pair also make money through social media advertisements and their clothing brand, Quintessential Love.
The products are emblazoned with common catchphrases from their viral videos, such as ‘I don’t shop, I buy’.
Campbell has previously expressed thanks to her single followers, who she says tell her that her marriage has reinstated their “faith in love” or “finding the right one”.
11
Their expertly-curated public persona might be so successful because it “pulls on the heartstrings” of their single viewers, comments Emma.
“A person in a relationship watching may compare this idealised representation to their own relationship,” she explains. “A single person may watch this content to identify what they want in a partner.
“Brands now work with couples who represent idealised romance to sell products connected with love and relationships.
“Singles show a particular interest in these marketing endorsements because they suggest the possibility of romantic connection through product purchase.”
People naturally question the authenticity of online content, and rightly so, because it often features staged elements or only a part of the whole picture
Emma Loker
The legitimacy of their relationship is often called into question by critics – but this is a natural reaction, says Emma.
“People naturally question the authenticity of online content, and rightly so, because it often features staged elements or only a part of the whole picture,” the expert adds.
“Social media platforms create incentives for individuals to showcase only their life’s most positive aspects, which can give off the impression of falsehood.
“Public displays of relationships can seem authentic but often appear less genuine to outsiders because they tend to be polished and exaggerated.”
Chiara Ferragni: Luxury love and lies
11
When fashion blogger Chiara Ferragni married rapper Federico Leonardo Lucia in 2018, the lavish £1 million ceremony went viral.
The pair whisked 160 friends and family away to Sicily for a long weekend where the influencer, who has over 28.7 million Instagram followers, dazzled her guests and fans with three designer bridal gowns.
At the time, Chiara was running her namesake fashion label and was able to charge over £9,000 for a sponsored post to Instagram.
Fans were invested both in her long-standing career and luxury-stamped relationship, with the Italian influencer reportedly earning around £38 million a year.
11
To most, her life seemed perfect. She had a successful blog, business and social media following, and what appeared to be an equally successful husband.
The pair’s social media posts showed a charmed life of luxury. But Chiara now claims that Federico was cheating on her for the duration of their relationship.
She even claims that he admitted to calling his girlfriend minutes before walking down the aisle to say ‘I do.’
Amid his infidelity, they were getting richer and richer with more brand deals and more sales to Chiara’s brand.
I have never been in an open relationship (it was obviously open only to the other party without me knowing) and despite all that, I am proud to have loved unconditionally
Chiara Ferragni
The pair announced they were separating after six years of marriage and two children in February 2024.
It came just two months after Chiara was fined more than £930,000 by Italy’s anti-trust authority for claiming the sales of a Christmas-edition cake would raise money for children with bone cancer.
She agreed to pay at least 1.2 million euros to a children’s charity to settle the case, but now faces a criminal conviction which could result in a sentence of between one to five years.
In her statement, Chiara blasted her ex-husband for “abandoning” her at the lowest point of her career, proving that you really can’t believe that someone’s relationship is perfect based solely on aesthetic Instagram posts.
11
She wrote: “I didn’t say anything even when I was being abandoned from one day to the next during my first period of difficulty last February, when I could barely get out of bed.
“I heard many times that I kicked him out of the house, but it was never said that I kicked him out of the house after discovering a betrayal in those days (one of many, of course). I have remained silent on many topics and slanders to continue pretending as if nothing had happened, my relationship with Federico was real to me.
“I have never been in an open relationship (it was obviously open only to the other party without me knowing) and despite all that, I am proud to have loved unconditionally. I am sorry that for the other party I have been a person to be mocked and used as desired, but sometimes it is good to open your eyes, understand the consequences, suffer, stand up and understand that you deserve something different.
“A love that may not be perfect but at least true and experienced equally by both parties. I wish it for myself.”
The SacconeJolys: A family ‘who live online’
11
Anna and Jonathan Saccone Joly have been broadcasting their relationship on social media for over a decade – and their co-stars are their four children.
Posts on Anna’s Instagram page are flooded with #CoupleGoals praises, including a recent video she shared celebrating Jonathan’s birthday in Cyprus.
They were featured on Stacey Dooley’s 2019 BBC sleepover show as the “family who live online”, where she likened their practice to The Truman Show.
Known online as The Saccone Jolys, they record and post a video of every other day in their lives, showcasing inside their home and their routine with their children.
11
Interestingly, Stacey picked up on fans of the couple commenting on their YouTube videos that they wished they “could find their Jonathan” and have a relationship akin to the pair’s.
But the truth, as revealed by Anna, was that while their relationship might seem perfect in their massive Surrey countryside mansion, she has experienced periods of extreme loneliness due to the nature of their work.
“Maintaining a specific image becomes essential when your relationship forms your public identity,” comments Emma.
“Couples who have developed their professional lives around showcasing a perfect relationship find it dangerous to reveal personal struggles.
Couples who have developed their professional lives around showcasing a perfect relationship find it dangerous to reveal personal struggles. What’s more, social media sometimes doesn’t feel like a safe place to share this kind of vulnerability
Emma Loker
“That’s because doing so threatens both their personal identity and their career.
“Anna’s hesitation to share openly appears to come from her concern about harming their constructed public image and the exposure that comes with revealing imperfections in their ostensibly flawless relationship.
“What’s more, social media sometimes doesn’t feel like a safe place to share this kind of vulnerability.
“The documentary environment probably offered her a secure and private space to express herself sincerely.”
Andre Rebelo: Murderous ‘Millionaire’
11
On Instagram, Australian couple Andre Rebelo and Gracie Piscopo looked like the perfect couple living a life of luxury with their son.
They showed off trips to the Maldives, driving a blacked-out Range Rover all while Gracie posed with her favourite designer bag of the moment.
But behind closed doors, away from their thousands of fans, the pair struggled to keep up with their spending.
The financial struggle, it seems, led Andre to kill his own mum, 58-year-old Colleen Rebelo, on May 25, 2020, to get her life insurance. Gracie has not been accused or found to be involved with his crime.
11
Prosecutors told a jury in Perth, Australia that while Grace’s career was taking off, Andre, with whom she shares a child, was failing in his cryptocurrency investments and had bankrolled his social media profile.
Debt collectors were circling, and the pressure was on to cough up. So, he came up with a plan to make money fast.
His mum’s body was found in the shower of her Perth home, but her cause of death could not be determined. It was deemed not suspicious for months, until an insurance company raised the alarm when Andre tried to claim off her policy.
Andre’s lying to the police and his siblings about visiting his mum that day didn’t help his case.
He later admitted he was there, but denied killing her at first claiming he was ‘in shock’, and revealed to the court he had discussed insurance policies with her and then left.
In November 2022, Andre was charged with his mother’s murder.
Leave a Comment