“I hope he doesn’t mind.”
A Phoenix woman sparked outrage online when she revealed she took her best friend on a date.
On May 1, Jessica Killian (@yungstunna2000) posted a TikTok, which has received over 51,100 views as of this writing, in which Killian and her friend are waiting for a date to arrive.
What happened on Killian’s date?
“Guys, I’m going on a date and I’m bringing my friends,” she said, her friends in the background.
“He’s not here yet,” she added.
Killian clarified in the comments section that she brought her friend “for fun” and that the man did show up, but she didn’t reveal any other information.
The comments section was overwhelmingly filled with criticism from commenters who said they would quit if they were in the man’s shoes.
“Maybe it’s me, but if I ask someone out [on a date] “If they had brought their friends, I would probably have walked out,” one commenter wrote, “out of respect, of course.”
“No!” added another one. “I would ask her if she was staying and if she was, I would leave. It was so disrespectful.”
How does this dating experience reflect modern dating?
The backlash against Killian’s film reflects broader debates about modern dating etiquette, boundaries and safety. While bringing a friend on a first date is far from mainstream, it touches on several trends affecting the way younger generations date.
According to research from the Pew Research Center, many Americans believe dating has become more difficult over the past decade, with a majority of active daters reporting dissatisfaction with their dating lives and reporting difficulty finding compatible partners.
The same study found that most women experience some form of harassing behavior while dating, which helps explain why safety precautions are becoming more common, especially when meeting someone for the first time on a dating app or social media. While simply bringing a friend on a date may feel a bit excessive to many, sharing a location, arranging security checks, and meeting in public places has become widely accepted practice.
The controversial video comes as dating norms among Gen Z are changing dramatically. New trends have emerged that challenge traditional notions of courtship, including group-oriented dating experiences and what some critics call “friend influence,” in which friends play a greater role in romantic decision-making. Dating platforms are even experimenting with features designed around double dates and group interactions, reflecting a growing desire among some young people to make dating feel more social and less intimidating.
AllHipHop reached out to Killian via TikTok’s private messages and comments section for comment. We will update this story if she responds.
@yungstuna2000 I surprised my best friend on our first date! Hope he doesn’t mind @Dallas Cnota #fyp #dating #phoenix #scottsdale #single ♬ Original Voice – Jessica Killian
