Addison Rae’s mentor is Kourtney Kardashian, but it’s the rest of her family that’s taking a bite out of the Jenner recipe book. And they’ve got Gravy cooking in the kitchen. Sheri Easterling and Yung Gravy made their black-carpet debut at the MTV VMAs on Sunday, August 28, in matching lavender evening wear and on-camera kisses, much to the confusion of the general public. The drama surrounding Rae’s mom and her new boy toy follows a public split with her husband — after Rae’s dad, Monty Lopez, was accused of cheating earlier this summer, her mother struck up an online flirtationship with 25-year-old rapper Yung Gravy, who publicly propositioned the mother of three in TikTok videos and on a podcast. While the social media “It†couple remained in the bowels of TikTok and “Page Six†for most of the summer, whatever “It†is has now made its way to cable television. Inundated with Sheri Gravy (Shevy?) content following an otherwise tame awards show, you might have been asking yourself: “What did I do in a past life that has suddenly forced me to follow the mess that is Addison Rae’s family drama? Why is this happening to me?†We can’t answer those existential questions, but we can gossip about it all.
Who are Addison Rae’s parents, and why are they making headlines too?
In the three years since the third-highest-paid TikToker has been in the public eye, her family members have rode the coattails of her success to carve out some fame for themselves — not unlike the D’Amelios. Her parents each have millions of followers on TikTok … which is just enough clout to cause controversy and create news cycles of their own. After Addison Rae and Easterling both unfollowed Monty Lopez on Instagram last June, fans raised their eyebrows at the gesture — could there be some trouble in family-TikTok-celebrity paradise? Hard-core fans, though, already knew the relationship between Rae’s parents was rocky. In the first episode of her Spotify podcast, Mama Knows Best, which she co-hosts with Easterling, the two shared that Lopez and Easterling’s on-again-off-again relationship left Rae estranged from her father at various points of her childhood until her parents remarried in 2017 (they were married for a year in 2003 but divorced a year later). The couple have three children together (Lopez has an additional daughter from a different relationship). But earlier this summer, a scandal led Easterling to once again separate from her husband, scrubbing “wife†from her Instagram bio and replacing it with the phrase “single mom.â€
Well, why did Easterling and Monty Lopez break up?
By the time July rolled around, Monty Lopez was accused of cheating on his wife with 25-year-old influencer Renée Ash. According to Ash, she had a five-month affair with Lopez, and she claimed that Rae’s father led her to believe their relationship was more meaningful than it was. “Unfortunately, he misled me on his marriage, he lied to me,†she told “Page Six,†accusing Lopez of saying his marriage with Easterling was over when, in fact, it wasn’t. “He even introduced me to his mom, his youngest brother and I thought we had something real. He told me a story of his marriage that convinced me that they were apart and in the process of getting a divorce.†Ash also shared boo-up selfies of herself and Lopez with the publication. She said they broke up after multiple girls accused Lopez of hitting on them in person and over Facetime. Lopez, for his part, removed Easterling from his Instagram bio. Though neither husband nor wife directly commented on the matter, Easterling wrote a note on her Instagram story saying “her biggest concern†is her children.
So she’s rebounding. Good for her! When did Yung Gravy and Easterling start flirting with each other?
Following the June cheating scandal, a rapper with some internet clout, known for sampling Rick Astley’s cheesy bop “Never Gonna Give You Up,†publicly hit on Easterling. In a July 14 TikTok duet with Easterling, Yung Gravy said he would have a picnic date with Easterling “on sight.†The duet wasn’t without context. Hours before, Gravy posted a video to show fans that Easterling followed the rapper on Instagram, indicating a two-sided flirtationship. By July 25, the duo were posting TikToks with “butter the biscuit†innuendos (ew …), with Gravy replying to Easterling’s comments on video. But the fling wasn’t just a TikTok ploy. In an episode of the Jeff FM podcast, hosted by Jeff Wittek, Gravy made it clear that he wants to bring their relationship (or whatever it is) to the real world. “She’s recently single,†he said, noting that they are “going on a date†soon. “I might wait until my New Orleans show. But we’ve talked — we keep in touch. I’ve texted a little bit every day.â€
Yung Gravy’s whole shtick is being a MILF hunter. In an August interview with Billboard after his song “Betty†hit No. 45 on “The Hot 100,†he admitted that he has a thing for older women, which has become a long-running motif in his music. He says the MILF thing is “a little strategic†and is partially inspired by a high-school experience. While he is sincere in his love for moms, his reputation has spiraled beyond anything he ever expected. “It’s gotten to the point people are offering their moms non-stop sending DMs with their pictures and mom’s phone number. Sometimes it’s wholesome like, ‘My mom got divorced recently and she needs somebody, could you take her on a date?’ Sometimes it’s legit,†he told Billboard.
Are Yung Gravy and Easterling actually dating?
All signs point to yes. Between making out on the red carpet and in their seats at the VMAs, it’s clear that there’s something going on. “We met online and we connected right away,†Gravy told MTV’s Nessa Diab in a black-carpet interview before performing the MILF anthem “Betty†at the pre-show. “You know, I’m from the furthest north it gets and she’s from the furthest south it gets. I’m into MILFs and she’s kind of the queen of MILFs, so I figured it was just the perfect match.†Oh, and they might be getting matching tattoos, per their back-and-forth TikTok comments.
In an Instagram post hours after the new couple’s red-carpet debut, Lopez commented on the affair. “Unbothered!†he begins a post to his Instagram story. “Thank you @youngravy for taking the leftovers! I would rather spend time with my daughter and 2 grandkids that SheriNicole made me abandon as a child inorder to be with her!†he wrote, apparently referencing their complicated past. “Never let a woman make you choose between her and or your blood child!â€
Do Monty Lopez and Yung Gravy have beef?
Does Gravy come with beef? Yeah. Lopez challenged Gravy to a boxing match via a TikTok video on August 8. The parent also dragged the rapper in multiple videos, attempting to goad Gravy into a fight. Honestly, watch for yourself … it’s all a bit too embarrassing to explain.
The rapper responded to the challenge in a TikTok video, saying, “I’m a grown man. I’m not going to fight you over TikTok drama.â€
“I didn’t know she was married,†Gravy said on a Barstool Sports podcast on August 19. “I am aware it would be frowned upon. I [would be] pretty mad if I was the husband. I learned afterwards.â€
Has Addison Rae commented on their relationship?
In the wake of the family drama, Addison Rae has unfollowed both of her parents on Instagram. “I’ve really been struggling to post and get out and do things but I love you all and you mean so much more to me than I can ever express,†she wrote in a July 25 tweet, though she did not name what exactly has been troubling her. “My life is forever changed thanks to all of the people who decided to care about me and support me. I love y’all <3 life is weird but worth it.†Though Rae has stayed silent, Gravy went to bat for Easterling on August 29, a day after the VMAs. “She’s newly single and living her life,†Gravy tweeted in response to a video of his and Easterling’s PDA. “Leave her alone lol.†Well, the internet and I remain confused, but we’ll be tuning in to see how this all shakes out.
This post has been updated.