YouTuber and TikTokker StanChris and his boyfriend, former Survivor contestant Bret Labelle, have been opening up about their relationship. Besides sharing some YouTube videos together, the men chatted with Bear World Magazine, which describes them as a Bear “It Couple”.
Labelle, 49, featured in The Amazing Race but is better known for his stint on a 2016 season of Survivor (Millennials vs. Gen X). Although appearing at first to be a stereotypically loud, beer-drinking, sports-loving police officer, he surprised many by coming out as gay during the show’s run.
He is now a Lieutenant in the Boston Police Department.
StanChris (real name Chris Stanley), 23, has picked up over a million followers across social media platforms. He often posts videos where he questions people on the street or larks around with fellow twinks.
He is also, it’s clear, into big ole bears.
How they met
The men will celebrate their second anniversary this year. They revealed they met after DM’ing each other on Instagram.
“I was binging Survivor during quarantine,” Chris explained. He says he watched Bret’s season and noted he was from Boston.
“I was in New Hampshire, so it wasn’t that far away.”
Chris was blown away when Bret came out and realized he was in with a chance.
“So I just shot my shot with him on Instagram. And it’s kind of weird because he had actually messaged me on Instagram before…”
Bret confirmed this.
“I got this message from him, and he already had a lot of followers at the time. Instagram has the three message boxes, the primary, general and the crazies. Usually, if you don’t follow someone, they’re in the crazies. All of a sudden, he’s in my primary. I go, ‘How is he in my primary?!’
“So, I started going through the pictures and I get to the end, and I realized about six or seven months earlier, he popped up on my feed because a very good friend of mine who used to be my roommate, followed him. They lived near each other, and I was like, oh, he’s totally my friend’s type and I just assumed they had dated. So, in my drunken stupor, I sent him a message.
“We think this is a really cool story. It means that we both sought each other out at different times.”
Age gap
They began slowly dating. However, both said they had some concerns about their 27-year age gap.
“But as we got to know each other and as the relationship formed, it got to the point where I still was worried about it, he was becoming less worried about it,” says Bret. “But then, I said, well, who cares? This is working.”
On social media, they’ve had plenty of nasty comments regarding their relationship and the age gap. To them, it’s become water off a duck’s back.
Although both have other guy’s sliding into their DMs, they don’t really get jealous. They know it’s inevitable when you have a certain public profile. That said, Bret admitted he felt a little weird filming a recent “kiss or slap” video in Provincetown. He doesn’t usually act as cameraman for Chris but does so if there’s no-one else available.
“It’s not that I get jealous,” Bret said. “A lot of people know who I am now when I’m sitting there holding the camera. It just feels a little weird. So I’m just saying, maybe if I’m the cameraman that day, don’t do that one. That’s all,” he laughed.
Making content together
Bret said that because of his public sector job, he’s been wary of taking part in Chris’ videos. However, he has recently agreed to take part in a couple, in which they talk more about their relationship and romance.
“We’re seeing how it goes,” Bret said. “I enjoy how it’s going now. This is his thing. He really likes doing it. I’m in the background. I wanna be the guy in the back.
“I think when I retire in a few years, I would be more open to doing whatever he wants to do, which is coming fast. You might see more of me in the future.”
Here’s a recent video in which they answered more questions about their relationship.
The men also recently started a joint Instagram account: @chrisandbret
H/T: Bear World Magazine
Related*
Tom Daley addresses age gap with husband Dustin Lance Black… and how to deal with haters
He also reveals the secret to getting his abs. (It’s not much of a secret.)
Derek Northcutt
Nice story yet I hope that one day they’ll put their telephones in a cupboard and live authentic lives.
Bengali
Chris makes a great living off of YouTube so I’m really sorry that form of income might give you the impression that making their lives public is a detriment…TO ANYTHING.
mossolbtraf
Doing what makes you happy IS living authentically …
abfab
The bigger ironic moment here is Derek, on his telephone, living authentically. Mess.
correctio
somehow I just know they’re both hung
dwick
you can check out StanChris OF page to see him
correctio
can you see his d * ck tho? I don’t use only fans at all, but my impression is that it’s relatively easy for people to leak photos onto the internet once they’re up on OF. also, he has a youtube video where he said it’s a PG13 only fans — does this mean people pay just to see, like, shirtless pics and no hole & pole?
dwick
I’m not paying money to look to see at his d*ck.
LumpyPillows
His OF is pretty much a tease, but there are some shots of his wang in his pay posts, which I hate.
badbusiness
You can find his naked and dick pics on the internet. and no, he’s not ‘hung’. 😉
Kangol2
Somehow I just know you’re wrong. GAG!!!!
barkomatic
It’s amazing how the pandemic was the catalyst for so many YouTubers. I’ve seen these guys blow up on social media quite a bit recently along with Artiom. Lots of fun content and I’m glad they’re happy together.
Bengali
To those who don’t know, Artiom is a very close front of StanChris. They often film together along with other young lgbtq youtubers.
quantum
ACAB
Tim212
Bret is a Trumper.
abfab
F u c k you Bret.
Bengali
do you have proof of that?
seakayak904
Anyone who votes for ANY Republican now is beyond hope. They are the party of small minded hate. I have told all friends and family if they support a GOP candidate I cannot be a part of their lives. Much less follow some Queer that supports Trump. We are in a State of Emergency and people better wake up.
Tim212
Just look at his “likes” on Twitter… Tucker Carlson, Ben Shapiro, Larry Elder, tweets from RSBN (Right Side Broadcasting Network) featuring “statements” from Trump, Christina Pushaw (member of the DeSantis campaign), Charlie Kirk, etc. etc. Shouldn’t come as a surprise given he’s a cop.
jackmister
Is that true, Tim212? If so, what a disappointment.
canadiankid
it is unfortunately true. If you google Bret Labelle Trump it’ll link to a tweet he sent “I know many gay people who met him and he was wonderful to them. Please keep politics out of my posts.
8:45 AM · Dec 1, 2018.” The tweet he’s responding to can’t be seen but based on the date it’s likely about Trump. He’s also known to be a republican. Which should be pretty obvious given he’s dating a guy who looks/is barely legal.
correctio
not defending Trump (I don’t like/support him) but just to point out:
– Trump is racist & misogynistic but not homophobic. there’s a long and well documented history of Trump being friends with gays and supporting them. sure, he teamed up with homophobes to run for president, but personally, the man is not a homophobe
– StanChris is 23, which is 5 years — a full half decade — above the age of 18
canadiankid
@correctio he may not be a homophobe but his policies are! He doesn’t stand for anything except $ and he’ll never be an ally or supporter of our company. And yes I realize 5 years is half a decade.
correctio
ok well then why did you say “looks/is barely legal”?
I never said Trump was an ally to LGBTQ+ organizations, and yes, he appointed 3 SC justices who no doubt are actively against legal protections for gays+
but it’s probably true that Trump is wonderful to gay people he meets in person
Kangol2
Correctio, Don the Con crammed the US courts full of known homophobes and transphobes. A 2019 study showed that “A third of Trump’s court nominees have anti-LGBTQ history.” That was just 2 years into his 4-year term. He might personally be nice to some gay people (and Black people, and Jewish people, etc.), but his record as president was not pro-LGBTQ. In fact, by the time he left office, it was quite clear he was hostile to LGBTQ people, and he has empowered anti-LGBTQ right-wingers in innumerable ways.
canadiankid
because in my opinion 23 is barely legal. He’s only been able to drink legally the last 2 years. 23 year olds are still figuring out themselves and their place in the world. I was mostly trying to make a joke that republicans love to sleep with people who look like they’re teens still. Either way clearly you don’t think 23 is barely legal and I don’t want to debate you cause it’s just opinions. I hope they’re happy that’s all that matters.
abfab
Correctio is still trying to figure out why the dudes he f u c k s don’t come.
wikidBSTN
Anyone who is “really friendly” to gay people one-on-one and then pushes and backs legislation to screw them of their rights and make their lives harder is even a worse douche than the haters.
If Brett is a Trumper – he is a major idiot.
correctio
it’s like how Biden is very nice to people one-on-one but then subsidizes a for-profit healthcare industry that, as EVERYONE knows, has long made healthcare in the USA horrible……
moral of the story: it really doesn’t matter how politicians act in private. it matters what they do!
Joshooeerr
Yeah, Trump was friends with such noted gays as Roy Cohn! It should be clear by now that Trump will schmooze up to anyone famous, then subsequently dump on them from a great height if it suits him.
ScottOnEarth
@correctiom I recommend you do some research. trump panders to his ignorant, homophobic, transphobic base and routinely took aim at the queer community during his disastrous time as (fake) president. I’m amazed that you are completely unaware of that.
monty clift
These people and their obsessive fixation on age-gap relationships need to get a life. We don’t need another rant or essay with your endless pontificating about how “predatory” and “evil” they are and how you have “PTSD” because of it.
cuteguy
Love is love. Age shouldn’t matter as long as both parties are consenting adults. Beautiful love story and we should all wish them the best
abfab
Harold and Maude! xo
Barefootboyz
Gross
Mister P
Biden and all the Democrats would do away with for profit healthcare in a minute.
Correctio if you really cared about healthcare you would not support any republicans.
Kangol2
Thank you! Note how correctio came up with an absurd example to try and take down Biden. What he didn’t say was that Don the Con and every other president has subsidized that “for profit” US health care system, not just Biden.
Additionally, he didn’t say that of the last 10 US presidents, not counting Lyndon Johnson (who introduced Medicare), only Obama and Biden actually pushed for substantial changes to the health care system to ensure MORE Americans are covered, with MORE basic health care, with MORE expansions of government-funded health insurance, via Medicaid, and with MORE restrictions on private health companies and insurers. Is the ACA perfect? No. Would many Dems agree to single payer health care? Yes.
That’s zero comparison to Don the Con’s “personal” decency toward selected gay people, despite policies (trans military ban, appointing anti-LGBTQ judges, etc.) that actively harm LGBTQ people.
correctio
“MORE expansions of government funded health insurance” = subsidies for health insurance companies
we are making the same point!
smittoons
@kangol2 I would put Clinton in that category as well. His and Hillary’s attempt to reform healthcare famously went up in flames, but it was a damned important effort and would have improved millions of lives. And they didn’t give up – CHIP was born out of its ashes.
JPB
Joe is a total ally of the LGBTQA community. Always has been – always will be. The Dems, apart from a couple of twits, are mainly supportive of us too. Bret needs to read.
Kangol2
He’s a cop. I expect nothing less than MAGA beliefs. It’d be a surprise if he wasn’t a Trumpanzee.
smittoons
Cops and firemen tend to vote Republican. Hillary did a lot of wonderful work with 9/11 aid and to help 9/11 first responders. She was very quick to raise the alarm about health hazards at Ground Zero and was livid with the Bush Administration for peddling the line that the air was safe. She visited with victims, stayed in close contact with many of them, would call the head of the firemen’s union around Christmas to check up on them, and made it a point with her staff to follow up on life events for people she had met along the way. She didn’t just make appearances for PR, she did what she always does – absorbed every bit of information she could and doggedly pursued ways to actually help with the problem. She got millions in funding.
The unions still backed Trump (or stayed neutral), a man who bragged about having the tallest building in downtown Manhattan now that the Twin Towers were gone.