Who are Gavin Casalegno’s parents? Family, wife and all we know about Summer I Turned Pretty star amid Dunkin Donuts backlash

Gavin Casalegno, 25, has recently been grabbing headlines, not just for the release of The Summer I Turned Pretty's newest season, but also for featuring in the latest Dunkin' Donuts commercial.

It appears that many netizens have moved over from choosing between "Team Conrad or Jeremiah." Instead, their focus has shifted to criticizing the usage of the term "genetics" in conveying the message for the brand's new launch of Golden Hour Dunkin' refresher.

Amid the major controversy brewing online, his fans are curious to take a peek at the Italian-American actor's personal life. They wish to know his parents, wife, and family members. 

Born to parents Bryan Casalegno and Allyson Casalegno, Gavin grew up with two siblings. Last year, he surprised fans by marrying Cheyanne King Casalegno and hard-launching their relationship on Instagram.

Everything we know about Gavin Casalegno’s loved ones

A look at Gavin's parents and siblings

Casalegno's passion for acting started in his younger days, with his parents, Bryan and Allyson, being his constant support. Recalling how a pastor suggested that his mother let him try modeling, he shared during a 2022 conversation with Daily Front Row, as J-14 cited,

"I always grew up going to church and a youth pastor told my mom that I had a lot of energy and I should try modeling. It went from that to my mom exploring it and looking at agencies. It kicked off when I was 4-years-old and I started doing commercials. It was so much fun and I wanted to do more of it. By age 11, I booked my first film and life was never the same after that. I had a thirst for film. It hasn’t stopped."

Gavin is the eldest of the three Casalegno siblings. He spent memorable moments of his life with his brother Logan and sister Ashlyn. The youngest Casalegno also chose to step into the entertainment industry as an actress. As J-14 confirmed, she has appeared in several popular projects, including Logan and Remnants of the Fallen.

Gavin is devoted to following his religion

The Texas-native has never shied away from expressing his heartfelt thoughts on following Christianity, and often spoke about his faith. According to an August 2023 report by Hope Nation, he often shared content on his religious beliefs and Christ on TikTok. It appears his love and devotion for his religion started at a young age, with his visits to the church and acting in several Christian films. He appeared in the 2012 film, I am Gabriel. In 2014, he was also seen performing in the biblical drama titled Noah.

A look at his love life

Gavin Casalegno has often come under the spotlight for his romances. According to a People report, he dated actress and model Larsen Thompson for over five years, marking one of his widely-publicized relationships. The duo was introduced through a mutual friend. They began dating in 2017 and were often photographed together on red carpets and at several events before the couple parted ways in 2022. 

In 2018, Larson looked back at getting introduced to her ex-beau in an episode of the "RAW" with Krissy YouTube series. Recounting that special moment, she shared,

"We had shot with a mutual photographer, and the next week, Gavin ended up shooting with her, and she's like, 'Oh, my God, you have to meet this girl named Larsen. You guys would be so cute together.'"

While both Casalegno and Thompson often spoke about their romance with the media, they did not comment on their breakup publicly. Amid netizens wondering about their relationship status and whether they called it quits in 2022, the estranged couple deleted their loving pictures from Instagram.

He got married in 2024

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Gavin Casalegno (@gavincasalegno)

On November 19, 2024, Gavin Casalegno dropped a major surprise for netizens by revealing his "Best Kept Secret." On this special day, he confirmed his marriage to Cheyanne King Casalegno. To let the world know this key life update, he shared a carousel of black-and-white glimpses with his wife from their wedding day. She is professionally a registered nurse.

People cited The Vampire Diaries actor's April 2025 conversation with Page Six, where he opened up about keeping his romance with Cheyanne under wraps. Explaining his decision, he noted,

"I've done the opposite [before] where it was more public and weighed the pros and cons. I think your personal life and your work life should be separate. That’s just really something I took to heart."

Expressing how both of them wish to "grow in private and not in the public eye," he further added,

"sometimes when you’re in the public eye, you can’t get out of it. So why not just make the most of it and deepen that relationship rather than let the public have their opinions?”

Why are netizens judging the new Dunkin' Donuts commercial featuring Gavin Casalegno?

The globally famous American multinational coffee and doughnut company is making headlines for speaking about genetics in its latest launch video. Featuring Casalegno, the team reportedly unveiled its latest refreshing drink in its 35-second video commercial on social media platforms with the caption,

"Dunkin' Crowns Gavin Casalegno 'King Of Summer' with the new Golden Hour Dunkin' Refresher."

The now-controversial video captures the actor relaxing by a poolside while sipping a drink. He sways around in the clip, saying,

"Look, I didn't ask to be the King of Summer. It just kind of happened. This tan? Genetics. I just got my color analysis back. Guess what? Golden summer. Literally."

At the last few seconds of the commercial, he can be seen chilling on a lounger and enjoying the drink, further stating,

"I can't help it. Every time I drink a Dunkin' Golden Hour Refresher, it's like the sun just finds me. So, if sipping these refreshers makes me the King of Summer? Guilty as charged!"

Although the much-talked-about video continues amassing views, it has already triggered an uproar online. Many internet users are unsatisfied with genetics being added to the video script. Interestingly, many netizens drew a comparison between Gavin Casalegno's commercial for Dunkin' Donuts and Sydney Sweeney's American Eagle ad, according to a TODAY report. 

From TikTok to X (formerly Twitter), social media surfers' outrage continues to slam the quick service restaurant chain for its arguable marketing strategy. According to Distractify, a TikTok user highlighted the recent campaign by Sweeney and reacted to the Dunkin' commercial, remarking,

"IT HASNT EVEN BEEN 7 BUSINESS DAYS SINCE THE LAST EUGENICS AD."

Pointing out the brands' decision to add an approach of genetics to their marketing campaigns, another netizen asked curiously,

"Why are genetics such a common theme in commercials right now? Why do they think this makes me want to buy Dunkin'??"

A TikTok user responded, adding,

"What in the Sydney Sweeney did I just watch"

It seems a noticeable section of people has connected the resemblance between American Eagle and Dunkin' Donuts' creative idea to publicize their products. X user @plantysnatcher commented,

"Why are advertisers actually advertising genetics?? Something fishy is going on."

A comment by @aipattern read,

"Feels like a bootleg Sydney Sweeney ad"

Judging the donut brand hard, @TruthorConseq12 wrote,

"This is not organic. These companies are fanning the flames."

The admin of American AF 🇺🇸 (@iAnonPatriot) expressed their thoughts, sharing, 

"Dunkin’ Donuts just released an ad featuring Gavin Casalegno.. Gavin has been CRITICIZED by liberals in the past for liking tweets that were anti-mask, anti-tr4ns, pro-Jan. 6th, and pro-Christianity.. We are WINNING."

Several coffee aficionados chose to skip their usual orders at Dunkin', writing on social media,

"K so skipping my Dunkin for today"

Someone commented,

"i’ll go to starbucks today ig"

Amid the intense judgment and pessimistic reactions, many netizens stood in support of Dunkin' Donuts and voiced their opinions strongly. Defending both Gavin and Sydney, @JoaquinMQ7 stated,

"First Sydney, now Gavin — the outrage pipeline stays busy 😭
It’s denim and donuts, not a manifesto
why does everything trigger a meltdown these days??"

Asking others to take the commercial lightly, @TheWorldVoices noted,

"It is just a coffee brand running a summer promo with a popular actor. Not everything needs outrage. Let people enjoy their iced coffee and move on."

Before the association with Dunkin' Donuts, the actor came under the radar in 2023 for liking an anti-vaccination and anti-feminist X post, according to SCREENSHOT Media. Over time, he was also cancelled on social media for liking content on s*xism, homophobia, and transphobia.

Follow Primetimer for more such updates.