Christopher Briney’s ascent to prominence in streaming dramas has been both steady and captivating. His off-screen life reveals a strikingly different story?one of constancy, loyalty, and a love that has subtly grown away from the spotlight of celebrity rumors?while his portrayal of Conrad Fisher in The Summer I Turned Pretty feeds countless on-screen love triangles. Long before fame found him, he developed a relationship with actress and multi-talented performer Isabel Rose Machado that has been one of Hollywood’s least manufactured romances.

The story of the couple started in the hallways of Pace University in New York City, not at a glitzy industry function. Before romance entered the picture, they were classmates who shared acting classes, screenplays, and eventually a home. “At first, we were friends. We shared a residence and attended college together. In an interview with People, Briney said, “We knew that we could do it.” Although the friendship-to-romance arc has been romanticized in movies for a long time, theirs feels especially real?two people gradually establishing familiarity and trust before moving into something more.
Category | Details |
---|---|
Full Name | Christopher Briney |
Known For | Actor – Best known for his role in “The Summer I Turned Pretty” |
Relationship Status | In a long-term relationship |
Partner’s Name | Isabel Machado |
Relationship Duration | 5 Years |
Partner’s Profession | Actress and Singer |
First Public Appearance Together | Red carpet at the premiere of “The Summer I Turned Pretty” |
How They Met | Met while studying at Pace University’s acting program |
Shared Interests | Theatre, film, music, and traveling |
Public Interactions | Occasional Instagram posts, red carpet events, mutual creative projects |
Notable Support | Isabel attended multiple premieres to support Christopher |
Fan Interest | Their relationship is admired for being private yet enduring |
Machado shares Briney’s creative energy, according to his artistic profile. She is originally from Chicago and holds a BFA in Acting for Film, Television, Voice Over, and Commercial from Pace University. Her resume is a testament to her commitment: she is a trained soprano with a high G, a pianist, a jazz and ballet dancer, and a performer who is equally comfortable in on-screen and theatrical roles. She is a multifaceted, well-prepared, and remarkably versatile performer in the purest sense of the word.
The public perception of Briney and Machado is different, despite the entertainment industry’s fondness for its “it” couples. Their first appearance on the red carpet at the June 2022 premiere of The Summer I Turned Pretty wasn’t a planned publicity stunt; rather, it was the logical next step. Briney shared a touching remembrance of the anniversary on Instagram that same month, writing: “A whole year!? Nothing else could ever satisfy me ?. His casual yet intensely loving remarks suggested a relationship that values intimacy over public display.
They have attended a few high-profile events together over the years, but their interactions are still surprisingly grounded. Briney gave Machado credit for honing his fashion sense at the Women’s Wear Daily Honors in 2023, saying, “The biggest thing [Isabel has told me] is just wear something that you think is cool.” Never do something you believe someone else finds cool. “If it’s a hell yes, it’s a hell yes, and if [one of us] is going to do something, the other is going to support you,” she responded, highlighting their support for one another.
Briney’s promotion of his role in Mean Girls (2024) further demonstrated this reciprocal encouragement. “I couldn’t do it without her,” he admitted in an interview with Access Hollywood. Without her, I couldn’t accomplish anything. Without her, I doubt I could wake up. I wouldn’t know how to breathe. Celebrity declarations of love can come across as performative in the media landscape, but this one rang with genuine sincerity.
A glimpse of their relationship can be found on social media, such as in their TikTok scene as a fictional couple breaking up or in Isabel’s 2018 Instagram post of Briney strolling through downtown New York. These digital snippets strike a balance that many public figures find difficult to attain: they feel personal without being unduly revealing. When Machado shared a modest black-and-white photo of them from the New York Times in February 2025 with the caption, “Love in the Sunday paper,” it exuded a subtle charm instead of a headline-grabbing vigor.
Briney mentioned in an interview with Interview Magazine in July 2025 that one of Machado’s first recollections of him was trying to impress by doing magic tricks at their college bar. “Absolutely absurd,” he chuckled, but their story is relatable because of these glimpses of raw beginnings. Fundamentally, they are two individuals who were acquainted prior to the designer campaigns and Netflix queues.
When Briney wrote, “Thank you for always walking by my side, you make me the luckiest boy in the world,” on Machado’s 27th birthday in February 2025, fans had already pieced together the core of their relationship: unwavering affection, respect for one another, and an unbreakable sense of partnership.
Their relationship provides a stark contrast to the larger Hollywood relationship landscape. Briney and Machado’s relationship is similar to that of Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson?bonded before fame and cemented through shared experiences rather than external validation?whereas many celebrity romances start out quickly and end due to the pressures of public expectations. It is impossible to overestimate the importance of such a foundation in a field where the pace is unrelenting and private lives are mercilessly examined.
A minor but significant cultural shift is also reflected in their relationship. Depictions of love that put emotional security ahead of spectacle are becoming more and more popular among younger audiences, especially those who follow Briney from TikTok fan edits to red carpet livestreams. It’s more fascinating to watch two people balance intimacy and ambition with mutual understanding than it is to watch dramatic public fallouts.
This contemporary relationship model is supported by Isabel Machado’s own professional trajectory. Instead of letting her partner’s celebrity define her, she keeps working at her craft, juggling dance, music, and theater while occasionally stealing the show on TV and movies. By doing this, she builds a reputation on her own terms, following in the footsteps of independent creatives like Emily Blunt prior to her marriage to John Krasinski.
It’s important to note that the couple’s recent appearances, like the cocktail party for the Prada SS25 Campaign in New York, indicate a slow merging of their personal and professional lives. Despite acknowledging the allure of their combined presence, fashion houses and film studios have so far refrained from over-commercializing their relationship. In a time of commercialized relationships and couple ads, this restraint may be the reason their reputation is still so positive.