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    1. Culture
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    Are Brittan and James Still Together After 'Too Hot to Handle'?

    The couple stayed strong without any rule breaks—but did their relationship continue after filming?

    Quinci LeGardye's avatar
    By Quinci LeGardye
    Last updated 3 January 2023 In News

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    too hot to handle castmates on beach
    (Image credit: Netflix)
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    Huge spoilers ahead for season 4 of Too Hot to Handle. Season 4 of Too Hot to Handle included a good balance of genuine connections and purely lust-fueled motivations. (*cough* Creed *cough*) Among the couples that populated the Turks and Caicos villa, model Brittan Byrd and personal trainer James Pendergrass were one of the fastest pairings. The Hawaii residents expressed mutual interest at the beginning of the experiment and stayed together through the show, but they did have some bumpy moments.

    While Brittan was down for a good rule break, James gave himself the role of cock blocker, trying (and failing) to make sure no one wasted any of the group's money. Though his goal was honorable, he was so focused on stopping rule-breaks that he unknowingly neglected Brittan, who finally revealed her frustration during a workshop involving punching bags. She then traded her bed with James for the new arrival, tattoo-adorned Ethan.

    Though James felt a bit insulted by Brittan, he also recognized how much he liked her and apologized for focusing more on the prize fund then being affectionate with her. They discussed whether they wanted to stay together on their romantic final date. "I'm really into you and I really like what we have," Brittany told James, with him replying, "There's only been one person the entire time, and I'm sitting with her right now." The sweet moment earned the pair a green light from Lana, and they had their first kiss.

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    Ultimately, the couple aren't included among the finalists, with the two couple spots going to Kayla and Seb and Jawahir and Nick. (Though you would think that having zero rule-breaks should get them a spot. Lana, explain!) Last we see them, the pair were joining in on the experiment's ending smooch sesh before heading back home to Hawaii. Read on to see whether or not Brittan and James are still together months after filming.

    Are Brittan and James still together?

    Yes! The couple actually took a break right after filming, with Brittan saying in the tell-all clip that they didn't know where they stood with each other at the time. However, both the former Hawaii residents then moved to Los Angeles where they proceeded to see a lot more of each other. They are currently in the "dating phase," with James saying that it feels "so good" to go public.

    As for pre-reveal clues, the pair were both active on Instagram, where they follow each other, like each other's posts, and exchange some flirty, quite witty comments. In one of James' pics shared two weeks ago, which the trainer captioned, "Sea no evil," Brittan responded with a fire emoji and the phrase, "Sea no flaws."

    They also both joined the rest of the cast for a reunion and promotion filming in London. While Brittan's shared several posts with the women of season 4, James posted sweet individual shout-outs to Nick, Seb, and Creed. 

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    As for TikTok, the couple actually broke the mold of the season 4 contestants as the only couple to record clips together. James posted several clips directly addressing storylines with Brittan, as well as the constant "are they still together" questions. Now that the couple's gone public, James keeps sharing posts on how gorgeous Brittan is (as he should).

    @james.pendergrass

    ♬ original sound - hard ahh audios fr🤞
    @james.pendergrass

    ♬ original sound - revenge
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    Culture Writer

    Quinci LeGardye is a Culture Writer at Marie Claire. She currently lives in her hometown of Los Angeles after periods living in NYC and Albuquerque, where she earned a Bachelor’s degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. In 2021, she joined Marie Claire as a contributor, becoming a full-time writer for the brand in 2024. She contributes day-to-day-content covering television, movies, books, and pop culture in general. She has also written features, profiles, recaps, personal essays, and cultural criticism for outlets including Harper’s Bazaar, Elle, HuffPost, Teen Vogue, Vulture, The A.V. Club, Catapult, and others. When she isn't writing or checking Twitter way too often, you can find her watching the latest K-drama, or giving a concert performance in her car.

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