Ever since the release of 13 Reasons Why, Tommy Dorfman and Brandon Flynn have been one of the most shipped pairs from the Netflix drama, but according to recent reports, it was never meant to be.
13 Reasons Why became a cultural phenomenon when it debuted back in 2017 (feel old yet?), with its four-season run ending in 2020. Though it faced criticism for its portrayal of sensitive subjects, the Netflix show’s cast members became stars in their own right.
Among the breakout stars were Tommy Dorfman, who portrayed Ryan Shaver, a sharp and self-serving young writer, and Brandon Flynn, who took on the role of the troubled yet charismatic Justin Foley.
Off-screen, both actors – who are openly part of the LGBTQ+ community – have enjoyed a friendship and were seen together at events like NYC Pride in 2018. But their relationship nearly entered romantic territory, according to a new memoir.
Did Tommy Dorfman date Brandon Flynn?
In her new memoir, Dorfman has revealed that she and Flynn enjoyed a “short-lived” romance early on in the production of 13 Reasons Why, but that she couldn’t offer anything serious at that time in her life.
‘Maybe, This Will Save Me’, which was released on Tuesday (May 27), is based on a collection of essays Dorfman wrote in 2020, detailing her experiences with art, addiction, and transformation.
Speaking about her encounter with Flynn, she describes going to his house in San Francisco, where the Netflix show was filmed, on the second night the cast got together.
While the group were “casually drinking” inside, she headed out to the balcony for a cigarette. “Within a few puffs, I looked over to find that Brandon had joined me,” she wrote.
“His boyish tipsy charm was intoxicating, he carried confidence with ease, and his blue eyes sparkled, perhaps this is what people meant when they said star quality. Whatever it was, Brandon embodied it…
“We held each other’s gaze for what felt like forever, and next thing I knew, we were up in his bedroom, ripping each other’s clothes off. It was lusty and fun in the most beautiful, magical of ways.”
Despite the “undeniable charge” between them, Flynn was “open to something more serious,” while Dorfman “couldn’t offer more than casual fun.” This reportedly led to Flynn ending things, but the pair did remain friends.
For the record, prior to this, Flynn and Dorfman never publicly announced any romantic involvement. The same can be said for Flynn and Miles Heizer, a fellow co-star of the binge-worthy TV show.
Heizer, who played Justin Foley’s rival Alex Standall, was long rumored to be dating Flynn off screen, although his rep denied these claims in 2017, telling Page Six, “This is a false report. Miles and Brandon are friends from the show but are not dating.”
However, Dorfman appears to confirm their relationship in the memoir while describing her previous feelings of regret over not taking things further with Flynn.
“Seeing Miles and Brandon so in love sparked an unexpected jealousy in me, a yearning for that excitement and fire, perhaps even more serious feelings lingered for Brandon at that time, but I couldn’t do anything about it,” she wrote.
“My bed was made, and I needed to focus on the task at hand: memorizing my lines.”
Who are they dating now?
In 2023, Dorfman married Elise Williams, but they filed for divorce in May 2025. Meanwhile, Brandon Flynn is with playwright Jordan Tannahill, with the pair tying the knot in October 2024.
Prior to meeting Williams on Hinge, Dorfman was married to Peter Zurkuhlen, but they split up in 2022. Zurkuhlen is the Chief of Staff at Get Help, a platform focused on the healthcare industry.
Flynn dated singer Sam Smith in 2017, but the pair broke up eight months later.
Smith said at the time, “I’m still trying to figure out what I took from that relationship and what it meant to me. It’s still quite raw.”
For more of the same, read about the Tom Cruise and Ana De Armas dating rumors, whether Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell are together, and if it’s new content you’re after, check out the TV shows coming to streaming this month.
