Nicole Zanatta Dating Clues Point to a New Girlfriend in Subtle Instagram Reveal
Fans of 'The Challenge' have always been obsessed with Nicole Zanatta's dating life.
Published April 10 2025, 12:47 p.m. ET
For fans of The Challenge, Nicole Zanatta’s love life has always been a topic of interest. Whether it's her on-screen flirtations or her real-world relationships, people have long kept tabs on who the Staten Island native is seeing. So naturally, anyone curious about who Nicole Zanatta is dating in 2025 might have noticed a quiet but unmistakable Instagram reveal on her profile.
Over the years, Nicole has built a reputation as a bold, flirty, and at times chaotic castmate. Her most recent Instagram activity suggests a different approach — one that feels more private, low-key, and intentional.
Nicole Zanatta’s dating history has played out in public — and fans are always watching.
When diving into Nicole’s dating history, there are two names that come up: Laurel Stucky and Lauren. Nicole and Laurel met during The Challenge: Invasion of the Champions in 2016 and quickly became one of the franchise’s most talked-about couples. Their chemistry was undeniable. The relationship, however, came to an end in 2017, surrounded by rumors of infidelity and emotional fallout.
Nicole later moved on and eventually got engaged to her long-term partner Lauren in March 2022. The proposal was documented in a now-archived Instagram video that showed a softer side of Nicole — and fans were genuinely happy for her. By late 2023, their relationship appeared to fade from public view, with no posts and no official update. By early 2025, it was clear that something had changed.
A February 2025 Instagram post may have quietly revealed Nicole's new girlfriend.
On Feb. 28, 2025, Nicole posted a multi-photo carousel from what appeared to be a Carnival celebration in Rio de Janeiro. Bright colors, friends, music, and fun — it looked like a dream trip. It was the fourth swipe that caught some everyone’s attention: Nicole, in matching jerseys, affectionately kissing a woman on the cheek and wrapping her arms around her waist. Subtle, sweet, and buried just enough to make it feel personal.
She tagged two women in the post, including @jennyjenn. While the caption didn’t mention anything about her relationship status, a comment beneath the post seemed to confirm what many suspected. One follower wrote:
“I loved meeting you and your girlfriend and her cousin.”
It didn’t take long for fans to do the math. It may not have been a hard launch, but it was certainly a soft one.
Nicole has kept her current relationship low-key — but not invisible.
As of April 2025, Nicole hasn’t posted much publicly about her relationship. Likewise, she still hasn’t outright confirmed @jennyjenn as her girlfriend. Furthermore, there is always the very real possibility that between February and April, they could have broken up.
Unfortunately, the post from February is still the only real indication of a new romance since Nicole deleted a separate post in early 2024 where she captioned a photo, “This is what a healthy relationship looks like.”
That now-deleted post had briefly stirred rumors that her Challenge: All Stars: Rivals partner Melissa Reeves might be her new flame. Melissa and Nicole were pictured in a close and affectionate pose in an Instagram post from January 2025. Furthermore, it didn’t help that the playful banter between the two in the comments almost felt a bit flirty.
Melissa jokingly claimed that she was both the “brains and the beauty” of their duo. For some, it certainly felt like there was some chemistry there. Others, however, speculated that it was just a clever promo of the series.
Nicole and Melissa’s dynamic goes back to the 2018 Vendettas season, and their pairing on Rivals had just the right amount of tension and comedy to make them a fan-favorite team. Viewers even gave them the nickname “Team Subtitles” due to Nicole’s thick Staten Island accent — claiming they needed subtitles just to understand her. Despite the selfie and their chemistry, it’s clear they’re just friends, and any romantic speculation was just another example of fans doing what fans do best: reading into every detail.
As of April 2025, Nicole has not officially named her current girlfriend. She, however, isn’t completely hiding her either. For now, fans will have to wait and see if Nicole decides to be more open with her current love life.