Hunter Schafer on surgery recovery, solitude and intimacy
Hunter Schafer, the 27-year-old Euphoria actor, recently spoke to Elle about her life, love and work, disclosing that she had gender-affirming bottom surgery in December. The procedure is intended to alter a person’s sex organs to align with their gender identity, while bottom surgery refers specifically to a procedure on the genitals.
Schafer said she spent the start of the year recovering in a rented apartment where her friends and family could visit. During that period, she was limited to around 150 steps a day. She said she was comfortable being by herself as ‘there are so many thoughts to think’, while relationships bring out a different side of her usual introverted self.
“They defy the introvert because I want to be around them, touching them, all the time. When I’m in love, that’s how I feel. I want to be with you all the time,” the Blade Runner 2099 star said. On the duration of her relationships, she added: “I haven’t had a relationship that’s been longer than two years, and I’ve heard the two-year mark is when it gets more like a partnership rather than some passionate whatever-it-is. Something that feels more sacred and intentional.”
Hunter Schafer’s relationship history: from an unnamed first partner to Dominic Fike
In a 2024 interview with Call Her Daddy, Schafer said her first relationship had been with a trans woman who ‘showed her the ropes’ of dating while trans; she described the experience as ‘complicated’. She did not name her first partner. Schafer said: “To know in my first relationship and in my first really being in this mutual love thing, first time having sex, that I got to do it with somebody who completely understands my gender – I’m so thankful for it.”
Schafer has confirmed several other relationships during her life. One was with Spanish singer RosalĂa, whom she dated for several months in 2019. Schafer told GQ that the relationship did not work out, although they remained very good friends, and she has ‘really beautiful friendships with people that I was once romantically involved with’. In 2020, rumors suggested that she was dating model Massima Desire, but neither of them confirmed the relationship.
In 2022, Schafer began dating her Euphoria co-star Dominic Fike. They appeared to confirm the relationship when he shared a photo of them kissing on social media in February of that year. Fike said they became close on the television set and that things had ‘accelerated because you’re so vulnerable with someone, immediately’.
A year into the relationship, Schafer said they were ‘a safety net for one another’ and that the relationship was ‘deeply worth it’. By July 2023, however, Fike was saying he was ‘done being in relationships right now’ and that he had ‘decided to just be alone for a while’.
What Hunter Schafer said about her breakup with Dominic Fike
In 2024, Schafer explained to Call Her Daddy that one of the main reasons they broke up was because Fike had cheated on her. “I got cheated on for the first time,” she said.
She added: “He’s talked about this, too – in his songs, he writes about it – so it’s fine to be talking about it today and it’s part of my truth.” She continued: “But that fundamentally changed me as a person. And it was this whole process of realizing that cheating has nothing to do with you at all. It has everything to do with that person and whatever kind of pain they’re in, or whatever they’re dealing with.”
Schafer did not provide further details about what happened, explaining that any additional information was between her and Fike and that she wanted to keep it that way.
Why This Matters
Schafer’s Elle interview places her recovery from gender-affirming bottom surgery alongside her experiences of intimacy, betrayal and privacy. It also builds on her previous public discussions with Call Her Daddy and GQ about her first relationship with a trans woman, her friendship with RosalĂa and the end of her relationship with Fike.
For audiences following Schafer’s work in Euphoria and Blade Runner 2099, the interview adds personal context to her public profile. The established timeline shows that her first partner was a trans woman but was not named, Fike’s social media post appeared to confirm their romance, and Fike later said he wanted to be alone. Schafer has drawn a firm boundary over the breakup itself, stating that what happened between them will remain private.
Frequently Asked Questions
What has Hunter Schafer said about love and relationships?
Schafer said being in love makes her want to spend time with and touch her partner, describing this as a contrast to her usual introverted behavior. She also said she had not been in a relationship lasting longer than two years and viewed the two-year point as one when a romance can become a more intentional partnership.
When did Hunter Schafer undergo gender-affirming bottom surgery?
Schafer said the surgery took place in December. During her recovery at the start of the year, she stayed in a rented apartment where friends and family could visit and was limited to around 150 steps a day.
Why did Hunter Schafer and Dominic Fike break up?
Schafer identified Fike cheating on her as one of the main reasons they broke up, saying the experience fundamentally changed her as a person. She declined to disclose further details, saying they were private to the two of them. Fike had previously said he was ‘done being in relationships right now’ and had ‘decided to just be alone for a while’.
