For Conrad Fisher, it was always Isabel Conklin. And for Chris Briney, there’s another Isabel who’s captured his heart. All throughout his time filming The Summer I Turned Pretty, Briney has been in a long-term relationship with his college sweetheart Isabel Machado. And they have more in common with Conrad and Belly than just a coincidental shared name. Much like the beloved romance characters, Briney and Machado built a strong friendship before taking their relationship to the next level.
“We were friends first,” Briney told People, with Machado adding another important layer to their backstory: “We were roommates first.” The two were close friends when they attended Pace University together in the late 2010s, and started dating after they graduated. “We went to college together and we lived together. We knew that we could do it,” Briney said.
Briney admitted that the versions of himself and Machado who were besties in college would have never see a romance coming. “Eighteen-year-old us would be so confused,” he told Teen Vogue. “They’d be like, ‘Wait, wait, wait, wait! What’s going on? What are you guys doing? Stop it!’ But it feels right. Your friends know you, and you know them.”
Here’s the full story of Briney and Machado’s adorable friends-to-lovers tale.
2018: Chris & Isabel Are Close Friends & Roommates In College
Briney and Machado attended Pace University in New York City together from 2016 to 2020, both studying acting. They grew to become close friends, going on lake trips and collaborating on film projects together. In their later college years, the two became roommates, living with two other close friends. It was in this living situation that Chris found out he was a Charlotte from Sex and the City watch parties with his three besties.
June 2021: They Start Dating
As Briney confirmed in a 2022 anniversary post, he and Machado elevated their friendship to a romance one year after they both graduated from college.
February 2022: It’s Instagram Official
Though they shared some romantic-seeming photos after they started dating, it wasn’t until the beginning of 2022 that Briney and Machado truly hard-launched on Instagram. Machado posted a shot of her and Briney kissing at her birthday celebration.
June 2022: The Red Carpet Debut
As Briney embarked on what would become his career-making role, he brought Machado along with him to the premiere of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
September 2025: Engagement Rumors Are Sparked
In an interesting bit of timing, gossip site DeuxMoi claimed that Briney and Machado had gotten engaged just one day after the series finale of The Summer I Turned Pretty aired (which actually didn’t conclude with the wedding fans had been expecting). Since neither of the pair have spoken on this yet, the rumored engagement is just speculation at this point.
