Several celebrities have earned the title of “The Internet’s Boyfriend,” but some have stood out more than others throughout 2023.
The slang term of endearment is used in reference to a popular male celebrity who fans obsess over online. “They stand for something good, whether that be just kindness, whether that be challenging gender norms, whether that be fighting racist systems, they have an element of them that is wholesome to a certain degree,” entertainment journalist Esther Zuckerman, author of A Field Guide to Internet Boyfriends: Meme-Worthy Celebrity Crushes From A to Z, told Observer in December 2020.
One such celebrity is Wonka star Timothée Chalamet, who has won over fans with his performances in films such as Call Me by Your Name, Little Women and Dune.
“In a way, most internet boyfriends have a little soft boy to them. Soft boys project vulnerability in a way that makes them seem both admirable and approachable,” Zuckerman told the outlet before declaring Chalamet as the “king” of soft boys (a.k.a. men who unapologetically show off their vulnerable sides).
Keep scrolling for Us Weekly’s ranking of the best internet boyfriends of 2023: