If you've been following Alix Earle even a little bit lately, you already know the name, Braxton Berrios. And if you missed it — don't worry, you're about to get the full picture.
Alix Earle reuniting with ex Braxton Berrios has become one of the most talked-about celebrity storylines of 2026. The TikTok megastar and the NFL wide receiver dated for over two years before calling it quits in December 2025. Since then, their post-breakup run-ins have been raw, emotional, and painfully relatable — which is exactly why millions of people can't stop watching.
Whether you're a die-hard Alix fan or just trying to catch up on the drama, this article breaks down every key moment in detail: how they met, why they split, what's happened every time they've crossed paths since, and what it all means heading into the second half of 2026.
Who Are Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios?
Alix Earle is one of TikTok's biggest stars, known for her unfiltered "Get Ready With Me" videos, brand partnerships, and the kind of relatable honesty that turned her into a household name almost overnight. She has tens of millions of followers across platforms and built her brand on authenticity — even when that authenticity is messy or emotional.
Braxton Berrios is an NFL wide receiver who previously played for the Miami Dolphins and now plays for the Houston Texans. He gained mainstream visibility partly through his relationship with Alix, though he had already been in the public eye through his earlier high-profile relationship with model Sophia Culpo.
Together, they became one of the more recognizable influencer-athlete couples of the mid-2020s — which is exactly why their breakup became such a widely followed story.
How Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios First Met
Their story started the way a lot of great stories do — at a party. Alix revealed on a December 2023 episode of Hot Mess that she first crossed paths with Braxton in Miami in February 2023. She described him as "super cool, super nice." Two weeks later, she was at the Super Bowl.
What made the beginning extra complicated? Braxton had just come out of a high-profile relationship with model Sophia Culpo. In fact, Alix mentioned that at the Super Bowl that year, he actually left early to go talk to his ex. She was cautious going in — and for good reason.
Still, something clicked. Over the next few months, Alix teased her growing connection with a mystery man on TikTok, coyly calling him "NFL Man." It was coy, it was fun, and it drove her followers absolutely wild trying to figure out who she was talking about.
Their Relationship: From Secret "NFL Man" to Red Carpet Couple
The slow burn was deliberate. For months, Alix kept her relationship ambiguous on social media — a signature move that made her audience feel like they were slowly solving a mystery alongside her.
Everything changed in July 2023 when they made their red carpet debut at the ESPY Awards. Even then, Alix still wasn't using the word "boyfriend." It wasn't until she appeared on the Call Her Daddy live podcast in November that host Alex Cooper finally pried it out of her.
"We've gotta ask the question — Alix, do you have a boyfriend?"
"I mean… yes."
The crowd went wild. And so did the internet.
From there, the relationship became more public. They attended events together, appeared in each other's content, and became one of the more recognizable celeb-athlete couples in their lane. Alix gushed about Braxton on multiple occasions, calling him "the best" just two months before their split.
Why They Broke Up in December 2025
On December 6, 2025, sources confirmed to People that Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios had split after more than two years together. The breakup was described as mutual.
Alix didn't stay quiet for long. In an emotional TikTok that went viral within hours, she spoke directly to her followers. "I wanted to give you guys an update on my life," she began. "I know I'm gonna be speaking for both of us, and it's just been really hard to process in general."
The core issue? Distance — in every sense of the word. After Braxton moved from the Miami Dolphins to the Houston Texans, the couple had been doing long distance since roughly June 2025. On top of that, Alix had joined the cast of Dancing with the Stars Season 34 that September, which required her to relocate to Los Angeles for filming.
"We haven't gotten to see each other that often," she explained. She also admitted she felt she couldn't "be what Braxton needs" given the circumstances. By December, they had made their decision.
The content creator wrapped her DWTS run as a finalist — a huge career win —, but her personal life was going through something much harder to celebrate.
The First Post-Breakup Run-In: "Really Weird, Really Hard"
Just a few months after the breakup, the internet got its first real look at what Alix and Braxton looked like in the same room again.
In late February 2026, Alix posted a TikTok admitting she had seen Braxton in person for the first time since October — nearly four months after their split. They had both attended the Palm Tree Music Festival in Aspen, Colorado, as well as a pre-party hosted by SipMARGs, a beverage brand in which both of them are investors.
"It was honestly just really hard for me — really weird, really hard," she said.
Alix revealed that on the first night, they were in the same space but didn't approach each other. She didn't want to "annoy him." She could see him out of the corner of her eye all night. If you've ever been through a breakup, you know exactly how that feels — and that's why this moment resonated so deeply with her audience. The forced casualness. The hyperawareness. The rehearsed indifference. Millions of people immediately recognized themselves in it.
The F1 Miami Reunion: "Mixed Emotions"
Fast forward to late April 2026, and the pair crossed paths again — this time on a much more public stage.
On April 30, Alix and Braxton were both spotted at Sports Illustrated's F1 Miami party. Alix arrived in a red minidress, looking every bit the influencer superstar she is. Videos circulated on TikTok showing her inside the packed venue, posing by the Sports Illustrated backdrop.
The two reportedly chatted at the event. According to a source who spoke to Us Weekly, the run-in sparked "mixed emotions," but there were no signs of rekindling. Just two people navigating the awkward reality of running in the same social circles after a breakup.
This kind of situation isn't unique to celebrities. As anyone who follows celebrity culture closely will know, the pressure of shared social worlds — events, brand relationships, mutual friends — makes post-breakup life particularly tricky when you're famous. If you're curious about how celebrity relationships play out in the public eye, this behind-the-scenes look at entertainment culture offers some fascinating context.
The Miami Club Night: Alix Earle Cried to Her Dog
This is the one that really broke the internet.
On May 24, 2026, Alix and Braxton both showed up at the Sips Margs party at Palm Tree Club in Miami. She went in optimistic. "I saw my ex tonight, but we're on good terms, so it was like, normal and fine," she said in a TikTok posted the following day.
Except — it wasn't entirely fine. While recording video with her friends on the dance floor, someone noticed she was getting emotional. "And crying, I was," she admitted with characteristic honesty. "But sometimes, you just can't help it. Sometimes you're just a girl, and sometimes water just falls out of your eyes, and sometimes that happens, and it's OK."
She did what many of us would do in that situation: she called herself a cab and went home. "I did the responsible thing and called myself a cab home and cried to my dog," she said. "But I'm fine."
That line — cried to my dog — became a rallying cry for anyone who's ever held it together in public only to fall apart the moment they got home. It's exactly the kind of raw, unfiltered moment that made Alix Earle famous in the first place. Her TikTok racked up millions of views within hours, with comment sections flooded by people sharing their own versions of that exact cab ride home.
Alix Opens Up on Her New YouTube Series
Away from the parties and run-ins, Alix has been processing the breakup more intentionally through her new YouTube interview series, Get Real with Me.
In one episode, she sat down with fellow content creator Jake Shane and opened up about the details of her relationship with Braxton. Among the revelations? She said she never once went through his phone because she "trusted him" completely. She also admitted that in past relationships, she had gotten "in trouble" when an ex went through her phone — specifically because of a girls' group chat that apparently caused quite the stir.
This kind of candid vulnerability is a big reason why Alix connects with her audience the way she does. She doesn't just talk about the aesthetic parts of her life. She talks about the real, messy, uncomfortable stuff too — and people show up for it every single time.
The Tom Brady Chapter: Moving On or Moving Too Fast?
No recap of Alix Earle's post-Braxton life would be complete without mentioning the Tom Brady saga.
On New Year's Eve 2025 — just weeks after the breakup became public — Alix was spotted dancing with Tom Brady at a party in St. Barths. The footage spread instantly. By the time she posted her own Instagram recap of the trip, the rumors were already snowballing.
She captioned it: "Rumor has it we're still dancing." Classic Alix.
The two were spotted together again at a private party during Super Bowl LX weekend in San Francisco in February 2026, where a source later told People they were "hooking up." Neither party officially confirmed anything. Brady's camp reportedly had mixed feelings about the attention, with an insider suggesting the retired quarterback was wary of the situation.
As for Alix? She wore a shirt reading "On to Better" shortly after. Whether that was a comment on Brady, Braxton, or just a general vibe is anyone's guess. It's a reminder that celebrity relationships — especially post-breakup situations — rarely follow a straight line. For a broader look at how these high-profile romances compare, the story of Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet is another recent example of celebrity coupledom playing out entirely in the public eye.
What Fans Are Saying About Alix and Braxton
The fan reaction to Alix's post-breakup journey has been overwhelmingly supportive — and deeply invested.
Some fans are rooting for a reconciliation. Others think the run-ins are proof that Alix needs a clean break — including stepping back from the shared social circles. A fair number have simply used her content as a mirror for their own experiences.
What's clear is that the internet cares. And Alix, to her credit, gives them something real to care about. The line between influencer and friend feels remarkably thin when she talks about her life — and that is exactly the dynamic she's built her entire platform on.
How Alix Is Handling Single Life in 2026
Alix has been surprisingly open about the growing pains of being single again after a two-year relationship.
In a People interview, she reflected on the first month post-split: "I was very sad. But I also was just, like, so fresh and high off emotions." She described the moment things really hit her — when Dancing with the Stars wrapped, the adrenaline faded, and she was left sitting with the quiet. "I feel like when things really started to slow down and settle in, I was like, 'Oh, oh, I'm alone.'"
She's been learning to sit with that feeling rather than run from it. At one point, she stated she wasn't going to date anyone in 2026 — that she wanted to dedicate the year to being okay with being alone. Whether that held after the Brady situation is unclear, but the intention was genuine. It's a lesson that resonates far beyond celebrity circles.
Expert Tips for Navigating Post-Breakup Run-Ins
Whether you're Alix Earle or just a regular person who's run into an ex at a bar, these situations are genuinely hard. Here's how relationship experts generally advise handling them:
- Have an exit plan. Alix did this right — when she felt overwhelmed at the Miami club, she called a car and went home. Knowing when to leave is a skill.
- Don't perform. You don't have to pretend you're fine. Being polite and being okay are different things.
- Lean on your support system. Whether it's your dog, your best friend, or a phone call on the way home — don't process it alone.
- Permit yourself to feel it. Alix said it best: "Sometimes you're just a girl and sometimes water just falls out of your eyes and sometimes that happens, and it's OK."
- Protect your healing. Staying in the same social circles can slow down recovery. Consider which events are worth attending and which ones you can skip while you rebuild.
- Avoid social media spirals. Don't check their page right after seeing them. Nothing good comes of it at 1 a.m.
Common Mistakes to Avoid After a Public Breakup
Oversharing too soon. Alix waited a few days before posting about the Miami club night. That breathing room made her message feel considered rather than reactive.
Chasing closure through contact. Every run-in Alix has had with Braxton has come through shared social spaces, not deliberate seeking out. That distinction matters.
Letting others define your narrative. The Brady rumors took on a life of their own. Alix controlled what she could — her own content, her own words — and let the rest go.
Comparing your timeline to someone else's. Alix said clearly that healing isn't linear. She was "sad" one day and "fine" the next, and then crying at a club a few months later. That's normal. That's human.
Jumping into something new to avoid grieving. Whether or not the Brady situation was real, Alix was also vocally committed to working on herself first. Those two things can coexist.
FAQs
Are Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios back together?
No. As of June 2026, there is no indication that Alix and Braxton have reconciled. Their post-breakup run-ins have been described by sources as friendly but not romantic, with "no rekindling plans."
Why did Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios break up?
The split was described as mutual. The primary factors were long-distance strain — Braxton had moved to the Houston Texans, and they hadn't seen each other much since June 2025 — and Alix's demanding schedule filming Dancing with the Stars in Los Angeles.
How many times have Alix Earle and Braxton Berrios run into each other since the breakup?
At least three notable times: the Palm Tree Music Festival in Aspen (February 2026), the Sports Illustrated F1 Miami party (April 30, 2026), and the Sips Margs party at Palm Tree Club Miami (May 24, 2026).
Is Alix Earle dating Tom Brady?
Neither Alix nor Tom Brady officially confirmed a relationship. Sources told People in February 2026 that the two were "hooking up" after being spotted together on New Year's Eve and at Super Bowl LX weekend, but nothing further has been confirmed.
How is Alix Earle doing after her breakup?
By her own account, she's doing the work. She's been honest about the emotional difficulty of post-breakup adjustments, has leaned into her content and new creative projects like Get Real with Me, and has spoken openly about learning to be comfortable being alone.
What is Alix Earle's Get Real with Me series?
It's Alix's YouTube interview series where she sits down with guests for candid, unfiltered conversations about relationships, personal growth, and real life. Several episodes have touched directly on her breakup with Braxton and what the healing process has looked like.
