When Sydney Summers, Metro's sex columnist, started dating a man named Jim*, she didn't anticipate his obsession with Princess Diana would lead to a bizarre and ultimately short-lived relationship. The tipping point came when Jim, after meeting her friends, suggested she would look prettier with a haircut like the late Princess.
A Date with a Diana Fan
Summers met Jim on Hinge, where his profile featured a photo of him wearing a Princess Diana t-shirt. She replied with 'Love Princess Di!', sparking a conversation that started with fashion and TV shows like The Crown. As the relationship progressed, she noticed Jim's fixation with Diana went beyond admiration.
He didn't like the rest of the Royal Family and believed in conspiracy theories about them. On their second date, he seemed upset she didn't wear cycling shorts and a sweater, an outfit she wore on their first date as a nod to sporty Di.
The Obsession Deepens
On their third date, he insisted on visiting Kensington Palace, where he stared at Diana's statue. By the fifth date, at his apartment, he showed her a wardrobe full of t-shirts with Diana's face. Summers described this as feeling like 'the part of a horror film where you know the pretty girl is about to die.'
After a month, she wanted out, especially after he made a sexist comment about women being 'demure' like Diana in front of his friends. The final straw came when he suggested she cut her hair to look like Diana, prompting her to scream at him to shut up about the Princess.
The Breakup
Jim, shocked, claimed he 'rarely spoke about her' and left, slamming the door. He blocked her number, and she never heard from him again. Summers messaged her friends, who were either relieved or sad they wouldn't hear more 'creepy Diana stories.'
She concluded that he didn't want her for who she was, and she needed someone who did. Her next relationship, she said, adored her for herself.
