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Season 3 of The Summer I Turned Pretty opened with a bombshell moment that left fans divided: Jeremiah admits to sleeping with another girl during Spring Break, sparking a heated breakup with Belly. The drama unfolds in the final moments of the July 17 premiere, when Belly overhears a girl bragging about hooking up with Jeremiah in Mexico. When confronted, Jeremiah explains he thought they were broken up at the time. Belly, devastated, slaps him and runs away as Taylor Swift’s “You’re Losing Me” plays.
While viewers were quick to label it cheating, series creator Jenny Han has a more nuanced take. Speaking to People, she said it’s “debatable” whether it qualifies as betrayal since their relationship status was murky. “It’s really how different people see it,” Han explained. “I have to have empathy for all the characters… I feel protective of them.”
Flashbacks in Episode 2 show the fight that led to the confusion. Belly was upset that Jeremiah chose to go to Cabo instead of visiting his dad, and the argument escalated fast. Jeremiah stormed off, saying they should just “end it,” and Belly, hurt and unsure, responded, “Okay, fine.” To her, it didn’t feel like a real breakup, but to Jeremiah, it did.
Despite the fallout, Jeremiah stays close, supporting Belly at the hospital after her brother Steven gets into a car accident. The two later have a heartfelt conversation where Belly acknowledges the miscommunication and Jeremiah insists his fling meant nothing.
Then, in a twist that stunned audiences even more, Jeremiah proposes to Belly, with no ring, and right outside the hospital. The emotional rollercoaster left fans reeling. One viewer tweeted, “Jeremiah cheats on Belly TWICE. Then PROPOSES. With NO RING. While her brother is in the hospital. I’m supposed to ship this??” Another added, “Belly forgives Jeremiah for cheating, but couldn’t forgive Conrad for being distant at prom while his mom was dying?”
Still, Team Jeremiah defenders point out that even Belly and the other girl, Anika, admit it wasn’t technically cheating, because they had broken up. “So please don’t start with that nonsense of calling Jeremiah a cheater btw,” one fan wrote.
With emotions high and relationships even messier, Season 3 is off to a fiery start, and it’s clear that The Summer I Turned Pretty isn’t holding back.