TV & Movies
Lola Tung Addressed The Summer I Turned Pretty Engagement Ring Drama
Fans have had a lot of thoughts on Jeremiah’s choice.
Spoilers ahead for The Summer I Turned Pretty Season 3. It’s not TSITP without fan discord. The final season has inspired plenty, especially once Belly and Jeremiah got engaged in the second episode. The engagement ring that he later offered her only dialed up the controversy — so much so that star Lola Tung weighed in with her personal opinion on the much-maligned piece of jewelry.
A “Practical” Choice
Tung, who plays Belly, is very aware of the online chatter about the ring’s size and cost. There are mocking memes and intense debates over its meaning. For her, however, the criticism is “a little much,” she told Pedestrian TV on July 30. While Tung finds fans’ impassioned response “very funny,” she herself loves the ring.
“I think it’s so them,” she said, noting that it’s “practical” considering how young they are and Jeremiah’s contribution to his father’s debt. Calling it “beautiful,” she added, “it’s not about material things.”
Tung expanded on her thoughts in an interview with Popsugar Australia. “Jeremiah was trying to be a little smart, buying a ring that wasn’t crazy expensive and putting his dad further in debt,” she said, “and he knows Belly very well and knows her style, and I think it’s a very practical ring and very beautiful and simple.”
TSITP creator Jenny Han, who was also present during Tung’s Pedestrian TV interview, agreed with her on the practicality element. “To me, it’s a responsible move,” she said.
The Real-Life Ring
Belly’s dainty ring is, in fact, relatively affordable. The jewelry brand Catbird confirmed it is their Diamond Fizz Sparkler Ring, which it sells for $298. The band is made from 100% recycled solid 14K yellow gold and it features a 3-millimeter round recycled white diamond.
Many fans, however, still weren’t sold — but not because of the price tag or the design. They’re bothered by the circumstances of Jeremiah’s proposal. Raising the question of whether he was asking Belly to marry him for the right reasons, they noted that he popped the question after she found out he’d slept with someone else on a trip to Mexico and her brother got hurt in a car accident. After Catbird posted about Belly’s ring on Instagram, one fan quipped in the comments, “his flight to Cabo cost more than that.”
