Years after passionate debates between fans of The Vampire Diaries over Team Stefan vs. Team Damon, the adaptation of Jenny Han’s bestselling YA novels, The Summer I Turned Pretty, has ignited a fresh rivalry within the fandom: Team Conrad or Team Jeremiah?
This new rivalry between the two brothers has been intensifying since Amazon Prime introduced its adaptation in June 2022.
The streaming series, which just concluded its second season, chronicles the journey of Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung) as she navigates the affection of the captivating siblings Conrad (Christopher Briney) and Jeremiah Fisher (Gavin Casalegno).
In the season 2 finale that aired on August 18, Belly definitively aligned herself with #teamjellyfish by choosing Jeremiah, prompting fans to inquire about TVD star Paul Wesley’s stance during his Instagram Live stream on the same night. Wesley, aged 41, responded to this curiosity about his personal allegiance.
Despite his familiarity with on-screen love triangles, Wesley provided a humorous and straightforward response when admitting that he had never watched The Summer I Turned Pretty. When asked about the Team Conrad and Team Jeremiah dynamic, he comically remarked, “What is this, Bible teams?”
Recently, PEOPLE had the opportunity to catch up with the actor at the Tennis Channel’s 20th Anniversary celebration in New York City, granting him a second opportunity to express his thoughts on the matter.
“I didn’t even know what that [conversation] was,” he reiterated.
Somerhalder, 44, appeared just as oblivious to the famous show as he chimed in, “What?”
Wesley explained, “I did a Q&A on my Close Friends list, and someone asked me if I was team — I forget the name — someone or someone.”
When reminded of the “Team Conrad vs. Team Jeremiah” divide, Wesley continued, “OK, perfect. I had no idea, and I was like, ‘What is it?’ I made a joke and I guess somehow that joke that I made went viral.”
“I definitely don’t have a side yet,” he acknowledged. “I’ll try to figure that out.”
To the delight of fans, Somerhalder offered his help in making the critical choice, suggesting, “Let’s watch it together!”
