Lukas Gage and Chris Appleton are ready to spend the rest of their lives together.
A little less than a month after going public with their relationship, the hairstylist and the White Lotus star are reportedly engaged. And according to a source who spoke to People, the proposal happened weeks ago. “Friends in their circle are definitely shocked at how quick it happened, but they’re happy for them. They seem like the real deal,” the insider told the outlet. A second source added, “Chris has been looking for something real for a long time. This has moved fast but he is dazzled by Lukas.”
It was pretty obvious how smitten the high-profile hairstylist, who works with clients such as Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Lopez, and Ariana Grande, is with the actor when he appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show last month. Discussing their relatively new relationship, Appleton told Barrymore, “I feel very grateful to be able to share my time with someone very special.” He added, “Love is a really special thing, and I think meeting someone you connect with is really, really special so.” The host then gushed about what “a great catch” Appleton is, pulling up a photo of him and Gage four-wheeling in Mexico together. The hairstylist replied, “Yeah, that is Lukas. That’s in Mexico.”
The couple first sparked romance rumors in late February when they both posted photos from their Mexican vacation, sharing a snapshot of themselves four-wheeling together as well as a shirtless selfie of both of them swimming in the ocean. And fan speculation was sent into overdrive after Appleton commented on Gage’s post, “Stud,” with a heart eyes emoji. The actor went on to address the buzz surrounding their relationship in an interview with the New York Times published on March 9. “If they want to think that, they can,” he told the newspaper. “I’m a pretty open book about most things in my life, but I have a problem with the culture of everyone needing to know everybody’s business and nothing can be sacred. It’s a weird line that I’m still trying to figure out.”
Since returning from their trip to Mexico, the couple has also been spotted out together several times in Los Angeles, and even made things red carpet official at Vanity Fair and TikTok’s “Vanities: A Night for Young Hollywood” event. And while Gage is still playing coy about the identity of his boyfriend, earlier this month at the Tequila Don Julio Rosado launch party he did tell People, “You’re going to find the perfect person when you’re least expecting it because I was very single for a long time and never thought I would have that happen and it does. It’s going to happen.” But a few days before that, during an appearance on Today, he did say that he feels “very happy, very lucky and very much in love” with Appleton. “He’s a good-looking man. Something about being in London, I got a taste of the Brits and couldn’t help myself.” When the hosts pulled up a photo of the two of them snowboarding, he added, “Aw, look at us snowboarding. We have fun together. We go on adventures, and it’s the best.”
Representatives for Gage and Appleton have not replied to Vanity Fair’s request for comment.
