Another incredible season of Survivor is over. Our winner has been crowned, taking home $1,000,000 (minus taxes), and now fans just have one question on their lips. Are Dee Valladeres and Austin Li Coon dating?
The pair had an incredible relationship during their time in the game. Sparks began to fly, and they even recognized that their showmance could turn into something beautiful down the line.
So, what’s the deal with Dee and Austin? Have they made their relationship official since the season ended?
Are Dee and Austin still together after Survivor 45?
Dee and Austin are yet to confirm whether or not they are dating. Still, there are some clues online suggesting they’re together after filming. One of the most telling was a comment from Austin’s mother, made on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Dee posted a promo for the season, writing, “I’m just wondering what Mama Coon (Austin’s mom) is thinking after watching this promo.” The promo itself saw fellow competitor Kendra McQuarrie saying, “I think they are, like, secretly in love,” about Dee and Austin.
Austin’s mom responded: “I had trouble catching what Kendra was saying until @austinlicoon told me. But, after last week’s fish eye eating, nothing would shock me! It is a fun and unforgettable journey riding alongside you all!” So, it seems like Mama Coon and Dee already have some friendly banter going.
Host Jeff Probst also signaled how the romance reminded him of Boston Rob, and his now-wife, Amber Mariano. In a clip, he said: “It did feel very similar to their situation,” after Austin compared his romance with Dee to the pair. “I see why Austin said it, not just because of the romance but also, they’re fighting for control of the game. There is a question of, ‘What is going to happen? How would their romance impact the final outcome?’ You saw all of that with Rob and Amber, and you’re seeing all of that with the Reba Four.”
Keeping things “low key”
Speaking with Entertainment Weekly, Dee said, “You’re not going to like my answer.”
She continued: “This has been a whirldwind of emotions and we have decided to keep it low key for now. It’s been too crazy and it’s getting crazier. So we’ve decided to keep it low key for now, only because it’s been insane.”
But what does “low key” actually mean?
“Keep it low key is you’ll see pictures here and there,” Dee explained, “but we’re not going to focus on it right now because so much is happening in our lives, and yeah, we’re just going to keep it low key for now.”
That’s not exactly a denial … I’m going with they’re dating, but don’t want all of the publicity that could come with that just yet!
Survivor Season 45 is available to stream now. Applications for a future season of Survivor are open now, accessible here.
TELL US – DO YOU THINK DEE AND AUSTIN ARE DATING? WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE THEIR ROMANCE GO THE DISTANCE?
