Texans wide receiver Braxton Berrios and social media star Alix Earle have called it quits after dating for over two years. Multiple sources confirmed that the couple has split and that the break-up was mutual, PEOPLE reported. The news has come as a surprise to fans who closely followed the high-profile romance. With the split, fans have lost one of the famous NFL celebrity couples.
Meet cute to romance
The NFL wide receiver, 30, and the influencer, 24, first met at a Gatsby-themed party in February 2023. She revealed on Hot Mess about their meet cute and said, “As we’re standing around the bar, this guy comes up to me, and he’s like, ‘Oh, you should really go talk to my friend over there,’ and he points to this guy. I’m like, ‘Yeah, OK, whatever.’” “He’s super cool, super nice, and flash forward two weeks, I get invited to go to the Super Bowl,” she added. They remained friends until March, when Berrios asked her on a date. For months, Earle playfully kept her fans guessing about being in a relationship with an ‘NFL man’ in her popular TikTok videos. Later, the two were spotted together in a fan-shot TikTok video at a restaurant in Miami. Fans, however, were quick to connect the dots. Their romance stirred up some controversy, especially as he had just ended a two-year relationship with Sophia Culpo, sister of Olivia Culpo. In June 2023, Culpo revealed the ‘real timeline’ of their breakup on TikTok and accused Berrios of infidelity. “We broke up after the Drake concert Super Bowl weekend where he was seen making out with another girl,” she wrote. She added: “Not bitter, in fact I know the situation has been one of my biggest blessings.” In July 2023, Berrios and Earle finally made their red carpet debut at the ESPY Awards. Their red carpet moment confirmed that the relationship was serious and also put an end to the speculation.
Challenges of long distance
In Sep. this year, Earle stepped into a new professional phase when she joined Season 34 of Dancing with the Stars. Earle and her partner, pro dancer Val Chmerkovskiy, delivered several standout performances and eventually reached the finale. She finished as one of the runners-up behind winners Robert Irwin and Witney Carson. During the 11-week competition, however, Berrios didn’t appear at the live episode tapings. At multiple press events, Earle explained that her boyfriend was ‘stuck in football world’. Despite not being physically present, the NFL star showered his support via social media. Later, amidst the DWTS and NFL seasons, Earle still found a way to make Berrios’ 30th birthday memorable. She surprised him with a grand celebration in Los Angeles. She secretly flew in his closest friends and family for the occasion. In a TikTok video, she revealed details about the birthday celebrations and elaborated on how Berrios had been under the impression that they wouldn’t commemorate the occasion ‘until the off season’. “I wanted to plan something special for him. All of his best friends flew out to L.A. just to surprise him and be here for this night,” Earle wrote. She also posted glimpses of the birthday and wished him: “Happy birthday baby.” Meanwhile, the couple is yet to confirm the split.
