On Wednesday, July 16, 2025, Prime Video released the first episode of the third and final season of acclaimed young adult series “The Summer I Turned Pretty.” Jenny Han, the renowned American author, screenwriter and showrunner behind the series, has been closely involved in its adaptation. Fans were ecstatic to finally see the beloved book series come alive on screen, to the extent that they disregarded Prime’s community guidelines. Ahead of the season’s release, Amazon released a statement telling fans to “be kind” to the cast and crew of TSITP due to the amount of hate the actors were receiving.
The show follows Belly Conklin, played by actress Lola Tung, as she navigates a complicated love triangle between brothers Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher, who are played by Christopher Briney and Gavin Casalegno respectfully. The fanbase is torn between the two brothers. People on social media have been divided between two teams, often being referred to as “Team Conrad” and “Team Jeremiah.” In the past, fans have joked around and mocked the on-screen choices the characters have made online, but recently the posts and videos made on the subject began to take an unexpected turn.
“I think that in some ways it’s kind of toxic because people are targeting Jeremiah in certain ways and they’re kind of like threatening [Gavin Casalegno],” FHS sophomore Livia Isaksson said, referring to the hate and death threats that Casalegno received for his role as Jeremiah.
Many small businesses also began to follow the trend, making videos showing their dislike for the characters, with one business depicting making a well-made coffee for Conrad, and a sloppy one for Jeremiah. This began to translate over to the actors, and fans started to harass them about the show’s events. In an interview with People Magazine, Tung mentioned her experience with online toxicity.
“I promise you, it’s not that serious,” Tung said. “People can take it too far.”
In recent interviews, Casalegno has shared that his interactions with fans have not been positive. He feels that viewers project their feelings about his on-screen persona onto him in the real world, often bordering on bitterness. FHS junior Hila Pelled weighed in on the recent publicity regarding the love triangle.
“I see [the fandom] as supportive if you’re on what they call the ‘right side,’” Pelled said. “I feel like if you pick [one side over the other] you may get hated for, like, forever.”
While fandom drama has long accompanied television shows, it has become more prominent in recent years, especially circulating “The Summer I Turned Pretty”. Increasing internet accessibility has escalated debates into harsher, more visible conflicts. While this energy can increase anticipation for the release of the new episodes and engage viewers, it has resulted in bullying and harassment of the cast. “The Summer We Acted Normal Online,” a statement posted by Prime Video, has been openly defied by fans upon the release of the finale.
