It seems that Lana Del Rey does not really have a “type” in the traditional sense. In recent years, she’s dated a cop, she got engaged to a guy who was in a YouTube cover band, then she dated a different musician, and then she got engaged again, this time to a musician and agent. Sure, you might look at that and think, Sounds like she likes musicians, actually. But Del Rey is going to zig when you want her to zag. Her latest rumored beau is a guy who gives alligator tours on an airboat in Louisiana.
In August, Del Rey was spotted holding hands with Jeremy Dufrene backstage at Leeds Festival in the U.K. The moment was captured by an excited fan who seemingly couldn’t care less about Dufrene.
@chrislloydart #lanadelrey just walked past me and i lost it !!! #lana @Lana Del Rey #readingfestival #lanadelreyedit
♬ original sound - Chris Lloyd Art
The Daily Mail reported that the couple was also spotted shopping at Harrods in London and eating together at a local pub. The r/LanaDelRey sub-Reddit supplied photos of the outing and was quick to deliver judgments about the singer’s new man and his appearance (he looks like what you imagine a Louisiana gator professional might look like).
“I love her but she really has the weirdest taste in men,” wrote one commenter. “She’s cosplaying swamp so she has a reason to use it for the album,” wrote another, referring to Del Rey’s upcoming country album, Lasso.
Now, how does Lana Del Rey meet a guy who gives alligator tours? Beside the fact that she seems like the kind of person who would be into that kind of man, the answer is pretty simple. Back in 2019, Del Rey went on an alligator tour given by Dufrene. In a Facebook post from the time, she wrote, “Jeremy lemme be captain at Arthur’s Air Boat Tours” alongside a photo of her driving the boat with Dufrene at her side (the company is actually called Airboat Tours by Arthur, but who cares). So these two actually go way back.
It looks as though the pair reconnected earlier this year, when Del Rey went back on the alligator tour in May ahead of her appearance at Hangout Music Festival in Alabama. She even tagged him in her caption on Instagram, referring to him as “my guy.”
Last week, TMZ shared a video of Dufrene on one of his tours. In the video, he lures an enormous gator onto the boat with a piece of raw chicken before giving it a little kiss on the snout and sending it back to the water. “I’m gonna shit,” says one of the terrified passengers. Dufrene, meanwhile, is cool as a cucumber. I do see how you could watch this man do his job and think to yourself, That’s hot.
Over the weekend, Del Rey (sort of) addressed the rumors that she’s dating Dufrene. The Instagram account @thejustnlife, which posts a mix of celebrity news and lifestyle content, shared a post with the headline “Further Details About Lana Del Rey’s Latest Boyfriend, Jeremy, Have Been Revealed.” It included a screenshot from someone who had gone viral claiming to be Dufrene’s daughter on X, saying, “I barely talk to my dad let alone care about his love life life. i’m just shocked WHO he’s dating.”
In the comments of that post, Del Rey just wrote, “No.” She followed that up with, “Also, that’s not his daughter on Twitter.” It’s unclear if “No” means that she’s not dating him or that she objects to the post in general. I wonder if she got served this post on her “Explore” page and felt the need to comment.
Whatever the case may be, I’m sending all my love to Lana in her new, possibly romantic endeavor. More importantly, I’m intrigued by this alligator tour. It’s so good that she went back a second time years later? The Daily Mail said that Kate Hudson went on it recently and that Glen Powell has also gone. The website promises “one of the most unique and individualized swamp rides in Louisiana.” (It also notes that it is “minutes away from plantations.”) What is so special about it? Is it Jeremy’s charm? And who is Arthur? If the LDR redditors could stop bashing Dufrene’s looks and start answering these questions, I’d really appreciate it.
This post has been updated.
