“The Summer I Turned Pretty” fans got an unexpected plot twist off-screen Friday night when actors Sean Kaufman and Christopher Briney shared a playful kiss on the Jumbotron at Madison Square Garden.
The co-stars and real-life best friends attended the Nov. 28 New York Knicks game against the Milwaukee Bucks, sitting courtside as the arena cameras made their usual rounds. What began as a routine celebrity spotlight quickly turned viral when the screen briefly flashed a clip from the hit Prime Video series before cutting to the two actors smiling in their seats.
At first, Kaufman and Briney waved to the crowd. But the moment escalated when Kaufman stood, cupped Briney’s face with both hands and planted a dramatic kiss right on his lips. Briney immediately burst into laughter as the Garden crowd reacted, and the moment was captured by several onlookers.
The Knicks’ official Instagram account wasted no time joining the fun, posting the clip with the caption, “Belly you have some competition,” adding, “Everyone is Team Conrad.” Fans flooded the comments with shock, joy and memes, quickly propelling the moment across social platforms.
The staged smooch comes months after the conclusion of the teen drama’s messy third season, which finally settled the love triangle among Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung) and the Fisher brothers, Jeremiah (Gavin Casalegno) and Conrad (Briney). Season 3 included an almost-wedding, international travel and plenty of heartbreak, eventually resolving Belly’s long-debated romantic storyline. Meanwhile, Kaufman’s character, Steven, rekindled his relationship with longtime love interest Taylor (Rain Spencer).
Despite the fictional tensions, Kaufman and Briney have maintained a close friendship. The show’s final episodes saw Steven lashing out at Conrad for confessing his feelings to Belly at an inopportune moment, a decision that drew strong reactions from fans. In interviews, both actors defended their characters’ perspectives.
“This is the first I’m hearing of it,” Briney told Entertainment Weekly when asked about backlash to the rift. “Steven is her brother. I feel like it’s his job, or maybe he feels a responsibility to be protective.”
Kaufman joked, “All you have to do is meet Chris in real life, and then you’ll understand why I was yelling at him.” He later added that Steven’s dedication to Belly motivated much of his character’s emotional arc. “Steven just has a lot of love for his sister, and he looks out for her more than anybody.”
With a finale movie for “The Summer I Turned Pretty” in development, fans may soon see how the fictional tension between Steven and Conrad resolves. But based on their courtside antics, Kaufman and Briney have no trouble keeping things light — or keeping the internet entertained.
