Woman with lymphedema says first date was going great, until a young woman’s comment to her date leaves her baffled: ‘What is going on?’
It remains unclear what made the woman say what she said.
A lot of unexpected things can happen on first dates—from getting catfished by a date to enduring conversations about exes. But for one woman, her first date was going extremely well until a stranger suddenly approached them and made unsolicited comments to her date.
Bella (@bella_does_whatever) shared her first date experience in a video that has since garnered over one million views on TikTok. She told viewers that from the moment she met her date, she knew “it was going to be a good date” based on his profile, the way he spoke, and how he carried himself.
Looking back on the experience, Bella never felt bored during her conversations with her date, so it’s no surprise that two hours passed by without them noticing. But what stood out to Bella was that her date asked about her lymphedema, a topic her past first dates never touched on. “It made me feel so comfortable,” Bella said.
Bella’s date gets criticized by a stranger
Lymphedema is a chronic condition that causes swelling in areas around the body, often on the arms and legs, due to excess fluid buildup from a damaged or blocked lymphatic system, per the Cleveland Clinic. In Bella’s case, her condition is rare, as she was born with lymphedema, and it affects her entire body.
They were chatting around Central London when Bella asked her date if he wanted to get food before they decided on eating at Wok to Walk. As they were eating, Bella claimed a fan recognized her, but that didn’t affect her date, as he was aware she had quite the following on social media. Her next interaction with a stranger, however, was what left both her and her date baffled.
“A kind of weird experience happened,” Bella said. According to Bella, a young woman, whom she guessed was around 21 or 22 years old, came up to the couple and asked, “Are you guys on a first date?” When they said yes, the woman allegedly turned towards Bella’s date and gave him a dressing-down.
“[She] turns to him and is like, ‘She’s way cooler than you,’” Bella said. “And just starts kind of berating him. And I was just there, like, ‘What is going on right now?’” Bella wasn’t initially worried because she’s used to strangers coming up to her, but having a stranger berate a person she’s interested in was something she said she’d never experienced before.
She says they exchanged numbers
Bella described the experience as “strange,” noting that the woman didn’t appear to recognize her from social media, making it unclear what prompted the woman’s comments. Not wanting the encounter to ruin the rest of her day, she said she made sure to “hype” up her date. “Don’t let people like that destroy [the] conversation we’re having,” Bella told her him.
Despite the small hiccup the couple encountered, viewers were happy that Bella met someone who seemed genuinely interested in getting to know her. Some even expressed their surprise at the man, saying, “he ASKED about your lymphedema??? i didn’t think men like that existed, i’m so impressed!”
Those who have been followers of Bella noted her growth. One commenter wrote, “I’m just so proud of you Bella!!!! I feel like every upDATE we get, you have so much more clarity around what you appreciate about the experience. GO YOUUUU!!!” While others thought the stranger was “so uncomfortable and weird.”
Fortunately for Bella, the rest of her first date remained “lovely, genuine,” and she had nothing but praise for her date’s intelligence and passion. Bella and her date exchanged numbers, and she said she was “just excited to see where it goes.”
Have a tip we should know? [email protected]
Follow The Mary Sue:
