When I was 10 years old, Maroon Five’s “She Will Be Loved” played on repeat on my iPod touch at all times. The only member of the band I ever actually recognized was Adam Levine, the band’s lead singer, and that was mostly due to his tattoos and high-pitched voice. Since then, the band hasn’t been on my radar, but as I was consuming news via TikTok the other day, Levine’s name flashed across the screen.

Sumner Stroh, an Instagram model and University of Texas graduate, uploaded a video to TikTok exposing suggestive direct messages from Levine. Levine was clearly expressing interest in her photos online, and Stroh explained that this was just the beginning of a multi-month entanglement. This comes as a major shock, given Levine’s marriage to Behati Prinsloo, a Victoria’s Secret model and the mother of his children. 

In her video, Stroh cites Levine as having an “utter lack of remorse and respect” and blames her choice to engage in the affair on her recent move to Los Angeles. She explains that she “wasn’t in the scene like she is now”, so she was manipulated by the allegedly exploitative Levine. Stroh claims that long after the affair had ended, Levine messaged her again, asking if she would be comfortable with him naming his next child after her. Allegedly, she only publicized her story due to the fear that her friends might sell the story to the tabloids. 

Stroh’s story has some obvious holes, and TikTok users were quick to point out their criticisms. The original video now has 24.5 million views and 81.5 thousand comments — not to mention the numerous stitches and videos made by other creators commenting on the scandal. People question her story and wonder about its validity because of the clear publicity it is giving Stroh, who could be seeking attention given her career path. Few people feel remorse for Stroh, instead of defending Levine’s wife. Since the original video, other women have come forward with claims that Levine had reached out to them in an unsavory way, as well. 

This story has blown up rather quickly. For as much attention as it’s received, the story isn’t that remarkable at its core. We’ve all heard of married men cheating on their wives with younger, possibly more exciting women (although Behati Prinsloo is uniquely stunning, making the internet confused as to how Levine’s head could be turned). In my opinion, Stroh is really just taking hold of an opportunity to get her name in people’s consciousness. She wants to pursue a career in social media in the public eye, and being attached to a star of Levine’s caliber and a story that’s gained so much attention — albeit negative — would certainly help her climb the social ladder. 

The buzz around the story is seemingly dying down, and people are quickly moving on to newer, more exciting tales and trends. We’ll have to see what else we hear from Stroh in the future, and whether this whole ordeal was just a blip in everyone’s radar or something truly significant.