If you thought single life was tough for Carrie Bradshaw and friends in the early aughts, today’s dating landscape is more Sex(less) in the City than ever.
The most current Census reports that only about half of Americans are married, with about 75 percent of young adults being single.
“A boy who’s nice that breathes / I swear he’s nowhere to be seen,” Sabrina Carpenter sings on “Slim Pickins”: if one of the hottest and most successful pop stars of today can’t find a viable match, how are we expected to?!
“For many people, whether they are celebrities or not, dating can feel complex,” Moe Ari Brown, Hinge’s Love and Connection Expert, told Us Weekly. “We’re trying to stay hopeful while carrying the weight of our past — the heartbreaks we’ve lived through, the disappointments we haven’t fully named… They don’t just disappear when we match with someone new.”
Brown suggests prioritizing authenticity in a dating profile, as well as focusing on quality over quantity. (No, dating is not a “numbers game” like the common mythology will have you believe.)
“A positive mindset in dating isn’t just a bonus; it’s a practice,” Brown said. “It helps quiet the noise of self-doubt and makes space for your authenticity to lead. When you believe in your worth, you show up with more intention, joy and capacity to cocreate the kind of connection you truly want.”
Not everyone wants to be in a relationship, though. Take Jenna Ortega, for example, who has opted to focus on her career instead: “Maybe I am too obsessed with my work, but the idea of relationships stresses me out,” she told Elle in 2023.
But at the end of the day, to love and be loved is a basic human need, and Us has broken down the sexiest single stars in different categories across the media. To swipe or not to swipe — that is the question:
Sabrina Carpenter
Sabrina Carpenter Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for AEG
Age: 26
Height: 5’0”
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Interests: Coffee (preferably espresso), platform heels, vintage cars, movies about pregnant teens, sex jokes
What We Can Learn From Their Exes: Chemistry isn’t everything: Physical attraction was more than evident in Carpenter and Barry Keoghan’s relationship (see her “Please Please Please” music video). Yet despite their “Bed Chem,” the pair couldn’t make it work long-term, ultimately ending things last December.
Joe Jonas
Joe Jonas Darren Gerrish/Getty Images for One&Only
Age: 35
Height: 5’7”
Zodiac Sign: Leo
Interests: Local coffee shops, tequila, tattoos, TikTok, city views, cake by the ocean
What We Can Learn From Their Exes: Decide where you want to live before saying “I do”: Location was a big factor in Jonas’ split from Sophie Turner, especially after the duo welcomed two daughters. “It felt as if my life was on pause until I returned to England,” Turner told Harper’s Bazaar following their divorce, which was finalized in 2024.
Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X Shannon Finney/Getty Images
Age: 26
Height: 6’2”
Zodiac Signs: Aries
Interests: Nicki Minaj, Chowder, pole dancing, hot pink, Y2k fashion, cowboy hats
What We Can Learn From Their Exes: The Grammy winner said that every ex he wrote songs about on his 2021 debut studio album, Montero, attended its release party, proving it’s entirely possible to remain on good terms post-breakup!
Bad Bunny
Bad Bunny Frazer Harrison/Getty Images for Coachella
Age: 31
Height: 5’11”
Zodiac Sign: Pisces
Interests: Fashion, horses, wrestling, Adidas sneakers, activism, Latin music
What We Can Learn From Their Exes: Trust your first instinct: Following his December 2023 breakup with Kendall Jenner, the rapper was spotted getting cozy with the model again in 2024 before ending things… again. Just goes to show that second chances may not always be a good idea.
Michael B. Jordan
Michael B. Jordan in ‘Sinners’ Courtesy of Everett Collection
Age: 38
Height: 6’0”
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Interests: Boxing, anime, the New York Giants, long night drives, sea moss drinks
What We Can Learn From Their Exes: Timing is everything: “I’m so work focused. I would want somebody to fit in the flow of my life,” Jordan told GQ about the status of his love life after parting ways with Lori Harvey. “I think the person that’s going to be right for me lines up with the timing with who she is as a person [and] where I’m at in my life.”
Glen Powell
Glen Powell Courtesy of Glen Powell/Instagram
Age: 36
Height: 6’0”
Zodiac Sign: Libra
Interests: BBQ, UT Austin football, dogs, shotgunning beer, aviation
What We Can Learn From Their Exes: Long distance doesn’t always work: Powell has been booked and busy as one of Hollywood’s most coveted leading men, and being overseas (in Australia for Anyone But You, for example) for months on end was a contributing factor to his 2023 breakup from model Gigi Paris.
Keke Palmer
Keke Palmer Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Age: 31
Height: 5’6”
Zodiac Sign: Virgo
Interests: Celeb impressions, music, haircare, comedy, writing, fashion, memes
What We Can Learn From Their Exes: Know when to leave: Palmer requested a restraining order against ex (and the father of her 2-year-old son, Leo) Darius Jackson in 2023, claiming instances of violence took place during their romance. While Palmer says they now peacefully coparent, she maintains that “walking away is the only way.”
Khloé Kardashian
Khloé Kardashian Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Age: 40
Height: 5’10”
Zodiac Sign: Cancer
Interests: Organization, fitness, conspiracy theories, motherhood, athleisure
What We Can Learn From Their Exes: When people show you who they are, believe them: Kardashian forgave Tristan Thompson after he was caught with another woman in 2018 — only for him to continue to cheat, even while they were expecting baby No. 2. They split for good in 2021.
Mark Estes
Mark Estes Courtesy of Mark Estes/Instagram
Age: 25
Height: 6’1”
Zodiac Sign: Libra
Interests: Weight lifting, fishing, horseback riding, football, beach days, TikTok, thirst traps
What We Can Learn From Their Exes: Age gaps don’t always work: The Montana Boyz member made headlines when he hooked up with The Hills alum Kristin Cavallari in 2023. Following their split, the 38-year-old mom of three admitted that even though Estes was “the best boyfriend” she’d had, “I just know long-term he needs to experience life.”
Amelia Dimoldenberg
Amelia Dimoldenberg Taylor Hill/FilmMagic
Age: 31
Height: “Average,” according to her X account
Zodiac Sign: Aquarius
Interests: Chicken, flirting, pinot noir, roasting celebrities
What We Can Learn From Their Exes: Don’t make dating your day job: The content creator takes celebs out for fast food on her YouTube show, Chicken Shop Date, and while Andrew Garfield isn’t an actual ex, her professional life may have prevented them from becoming an item IRL. “Do you think this has f—ed up the fact that we could actually have gone on a date at some point, maybe?” the actor once asked her on the series.
Angel Reese
Angel Reese Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images
Age: 23
Height: 6’3”
Zodiac Sign: Taurus
Interests: Basketball, modeling, fashion, podcasting, makeup
What We Can Learn From Their Exes: Look out for yourself: “I do what’s best for me, that’s it,” Reese said on Instagram Live of her split from college basketball player Cam’Ron Fletcher after a year of dating. “Don’t attach me to no man. That’s all I’mma say.” Sometimes, maintaining your independence has to be your No. 1 priority!
