How TikTok helped several women realise they dated same man?

 

‘West Elm Caleb’: How TikTok helped several women realise they dated same man.

 

Although the women on the app are not all related to this particular Caleb, they are all using the hashtag to share their own stories about meeting some "West Elm Caleb" through dating apps.

 

In an unusual incident, several women in New York City discovered they were dating the same man. What better way to find out than on TikTok?

 

After a video on the platform went viral, the realisation hit. While it was initially thought to be just another relatable video, it turned out to be the opening of a can of worms. The women realised they had been 'ghosted' by the same man who had taken them on dates in a similar manner.

 

Mimi Shou, a jewellery designer, took to TikTok to document her experience of having an amazing first date with a man named Caleb but never hearing from him again. People asked if it was "West Elm Caleb" in the comments, referring to a man who worked for West Elm, a home-furnishings store.

 

Many women soon banded together to tell their stories about the tall man and how he followed a similar pattern while dating women, sometimes at the same time. TikTok was inundated with videos of young women discussing their dates with the #WestElmCaleb.

 

While some use the hashtag to highlight how men have mistreated them, others use it to warn women on dating apps like Hinge and Bumble about his profile.

 

"I matched with him, and he said he wanted to decorate an apartment with me," one woman wrote in the comments section of Shou's video. According to one source, Caleb's first words to her were, "Marry me."

 

According to one woman, who goes by the TikTok username @kellsbellsbaby, she received "really cute messages" from Caleb, but she became suspicious when she discovered he was creating identical Spotify playlists to send to different women.

 

As the women began to publicly criticise the man, his social media handles became public knowledge. "Screenshots of his dating profiles, as well as some of his conversations, were leaked." Insider reported that "his LinkedIn page was also discovered."

 

According to the report, after becoming an internet sensation, Caleb sent apology messages to a number of women. "He explained that he was looking for'validation' on the apps and apologised for'ghosting' them." "In at least one apology, he stated that he was 'actively seeking help,'" according to the report.