Iris Kendall Sparks New Public Romance With TJ Palma After Pepe Split at Fashion Week

A journalistic expert providing a well-researched, analytical take with key insights and data. Zoe Bennett here to unpack the latest chapter in Love Island USA season seven’s aftermath, where real-life relationships collide with the glare of social media and fashion week flashbulbs. In the wake of Iris Kendall and Pepe Garcia-Gonzalez confirming their breakup about two to three weeks after the season finale, Iris stepped out for a high profile night at New York Fashion Week hand in hand with TJ Palma, a former Love Island club tie that has history dating back to their villa days. The move signals not just a rekindling but a calculated public statement about Iris’s relationship status moving forward.

Iris Kendall and TJ Palma, who were a couple during the Love Island USA run before TJ’s exit in episode 27, posted a joint carousel on Instagram on September 15 that has critics and fans buzzing. The snaps show Iris looking intently at TJ, while the two hold hands and pose closely, with TJ captioning the post with a simple love letter emoji. The public share is notable for what it does not say explicitly about the breakup with Pepe Garcia-Gonzalez, but the timing—less than a month after their final appearances on Peacock’s Love Island USA—speaks volumes about Iris asserting agency in her post-show narrative. The Love Island family quickly chimed in, signaling their support and also social proof that the pair remains a central talking point for fans following the show.

The outing continued with informal PDA that day, as Iris and TJ were photographed holding hands en route to the Luar fashion show. The visible affection is paired with a public endorsement from within their reality TV cohort: Amaya Espinal, the series winner who recently split from Bryan Arenales, commented that Iris and TJ could be “my kids future godparents.” That kind of interconnection—friends rooting for potential new couples—adds a layer of legitimacy to the pairing beyond social media posts.

On the media side, Pepe Garcia-Gonzalez spoke to TMZ about the split, describing the relationship as ending and acknowledging the intense scrutiny that comes with dating in the public eye. He noted the stress and lack of privacy as complicating factors, a common motif for reality TV relationships that are followed by a global audience. Iris, for her part, told E! News that she hoped to keep the breakup private but acknowledged the shared experience and the value of what they had. Her language underscored a mature approach to handling public interest while preserving the personal significance of the connection.

Historically, the Love Island pipeline shows a pattern where contestants navigate post-show life with varying degrees of privacy and reinvention. Iris and Pepe’s breakup situation is not unique in the reality space, but the speed with which she pivoted to a new public pairing with TJ Palma—coupled with a high-profile moment at New York Fashion Week—speaks to a broader media ecosystem that rewards quick public narrative shifts. It also raises questions about how such relationships are managed in the era of instant verification on social platforms and the relentless appetite of fans and commentators for “what’s next” in real time.

In summary, Iris Kendall appears to be mapping a path forward that blends personal agency with strategic public appearances. The Iris-TJ dynamic, reinforced by a joint Instagram post and a glamorous Day One Fashion Week moment, adds a new layer to the post-Villa landscape, while Pepe’s comments remind us that reality TV romances are still fragile, susceptible to the pressures of conventional career and media cycles. The broader takeaway: the Love Island ecosystem remains a powerful launching pad for ongoing celebrity narratives, and Iris Kendall’s next moves will be watched with heightened interest by fans and critics alike.

Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News, TMZ, Us Weekly, People Magazine
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed (GO)