Hunter Schafer Drops Infidelity Bombshell Regarding Past Relationship
By Kelly Coffey-Behrens on August 7, 2024 at 3:00 PM EDT
More than a year after her breakup with "Euphoria" co-star Dominic Fike in April 2023, Hunter Schafer revealed that his infidelity was the reason behind their split.
After discovering her former partner’s infidelity, the 25-year-old actress—who noted that Dominic was the first cisgender, straight-identifying man she had ever dated—initially blamed herself for the breakup.
Looking back, Hunter Schafer eventually understood that the situation with Dominic Fike had nothing to do with her.
Dominic Fike's Infidelity Led To Heart-Breaking Split
Hunter, who described her year-long romance with Dominic as her first monogamous relationship, revealed that she had suspected his infidelity prior to their breakup.
“Part of why the relationship ended is because I got cheated on for the first time,” Hunter said on a recent episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast. “It’s part of my truth, but that fundamentally changed me as a person.”
She later revealed that she had speculated that he was cheating, and she ended up going through his phone. “You always know,” she said. “Because I knew, I went to the phone—which I’m not proud of.”
Hunter Schafer Initially Blamed Herself For The Break-Up
Schafer previously opened up about her journey with gender expression, which began at a young age. By seventh grade, she had come out to her parents as a gay boy, but it wasn’t until eighth grade that she began grappling with gender dysphoria.
Then, in ninth grade, Schafer embraced her true self by coming out as a transgender girl and initiated her transition following a diagnosis of dysphoria.
“As a trans woman, with a man who has never dated that [type of person] before,” she said, reflecting on her relationship with Dominic. “Because of the way I’ve been socialized as a trans woman, it’s been this crux in my life of what life has been so hard sometimes, I was like, ‘Oh, god is this it? Can I just not?’”
The Couple Still Had One Of The 'Cleanest' Break-Ups
Despite the alleged infidelity, Hunter said, "It was one of the cleaner breakups I’ve had."
"We both recognized that ‘This is not working and we can’t do this. We gotta go our own separate ways.’ It was so hard. We loved each other. He was a really special person," she added. “He saw me exactly as who I was, which was amazing.”
Hunter Schafer Tries To Avoid The Word 'Trans' During Interviews
In a recent GQ cover story, Hunter Schafer revealed her efforts to shift public attention away from her transgender identity.
The "Euphoria" star expressed her desire for her identity not to be the sole focus of conversation about her and has occasionally avoided using the term “trans” in interviews as a way to ensure that her career is recognized for more than just her gender identity.
“It has not just happened naturally by any means. If I let it happen, it would still be giving ‘Transsexual Actress’ before every article ever,” Schafer said. “As soon as I say [trans], it gets blastoff. It took a while to learn that and it also took a while to learn that I don’t want to be [reduced to] that, and I find it ultimately demeaning to me and what I want to do."
She added, "Especially after high school, I was sick of talking about it. I worked so hard to get to where I am, past these really hard points in my transition, and now I just want to be a girl and finally move on.”
Hunter Schafer Knows She Is 'One Of The Most Famous Trans People'
Schafer later acknowledged “it’s a privilege” to shift the focus beyond her gender identity. “It’s been very intentional. I’ve gotten offered tons of trans roles, and I just don’t want to do it," she said. "I don’t want to talk about it.”
“I know for a fact that I’m one of the most famous trans people in media right now, and I do feel a sense of responsibility, and maybe a little bit of guilt, for not being more of a spokesperson,” Schafer added. “But ultimately, I really do believe that not making it the centerpiece to what I’m doing will allow me to get further. And I think getting further and doing awesome shit, in the interest of ‘the movement,’ will be way more helpful than talking about it all the time.”