Gigi Hadid and Tyler Cameron Have 'Connected' But Are 'Trying to Navigate' the Spotlight
All eyes have been on supermodel Gigi Hadid and Bachelorette runner-up Tyler Cameron ever since they were first photographed together last month. But while they’ve been enjoying getting to know one another, a source tells PEOPLE that Hadid, 24, and Cameron, 26, find dating in the spotlight to be a challenge.
“The media attention has been hard on Tyler and Gigi,” the insider tells PEOPLE. “They’re trying to navigate it right now because they know how the press can pick apart every date they have and turn it into something bigger.”
Right now, the two are “still just getting to know each other and have fun,” the source says, adding, “They don’t want that pressure to push them further than where they are.”
The source close to Cameron says: “Tyler said they’ve really connected. He’s a really nice guy and Gigi sees that in him. He was glad to be by her side at her grandmother’s funeral — that meant a lot to him.”
Hadid and Cameron have both been hitting the New York Fashion Week circuit since returning from their trip to the Netherlands for the model’s grandmother’s funeral. While the two were photographed separately on the red carpet at the Zendaya x Tommy Hilfiger fashion show, Cameron was spotted solo at The Daily Front Row Fashion Media Awards, OK! Magazine’s NYFW party and Sprayground’s runway show. But the Bachelor Nation star’s party hopping doesn’t bother the model at all.
“Tyler’s new to New York City, and exploring business opportunities. He’s taking advantage of his new fame, but he doesn’t want to come off as an opportunist with Gigi,” the insider says.
Although Cameron has landed modeling gigs since ending his stint on Hannah Brown’s season of The Bachelorette, he isn’t using Hadid’s platform or fashion industry connections to grow his own career.
“He doesn’t discuss business with her. Tyler respects that she’s ‘The Gigi Hadid‘ and knows that her career is important to her,” the source says. “He doesn’t want to jeopardize their relationship at all.”
Hadid and Cameron were first photographed together at SoHo House in Brooklyn in early August. Later that month, they were seen driving around N.Y.C. together, Hadid behind the wheel and Cameron taking a nap in the passenger’s seat.
Things really heated up between the pair when Hadid brought Cameron along to the Republic Records party at The Fleur Room in N.Y.C. after attending the MTV Video Music Awards. According to E! News, Taylor Swift gave Tyler “a big hug” when he arrived with Hadid, and “Tyler and Gigi shared a kiss.”
A different source recently told PEOPLE that the duo is “being purposefully coy,” when it comes to the status of their relationship. Added the source, “Their dates are definitely real and he’s having a good time.”
— with reporting by Dave Quinn
