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Pop star Olivia Rodrigo is facing a surge of online criticism after being linked in romance speculation to a man in the AI industry.
This week, the 23-year-old artist sparked dating rumors with investment banker Julian Croonenberghs after they were photographed together at the airport. In an image making the rounds on social media, Olivia appeared cheerful as the two conversed while she journeyed from Iceland to New York.
While Olivia seemed to be in good spirits, some fans expressed disappointment upon discovering that her rumored partner had previously been employed in the AI industry. This comes as Courtney Love defended Olivia after she was hit with backlash for wearing a babydoll dress at one of her shows.
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Following reports that Olivia might have a new romantic interest, fans quickly examined Julian's public LinkedIn profile. His profile shows Julian earned a degree in mathematics and computer science from Brown University.
Following graduation, Julian was employed at investment bank Goldman Sachs before moving to HG as a private equity associate. Julian's career has generated controversy online, as the firm focuses on artificial intelligence.
Though Olivia hasn't explicitly spoken out against AI, she and her team have deliberately promoted human creativity over AI technology.
After uncovering details about Julian's career, numerous critics flocked to X to voice their criticism, pointing out that she had previously stated she would never "settle for a guy with a fake job."
One user posted, "So a nepo baby who went into the worst industry, to push the worst products, destroying society."
Another commented, "Sounds like she settled for a guy with a fake job."
A third person wrote, "Going out with a loser for character growth, she truly is the successor to prime Taylor Swift."
Someone else remarked, "Why is she dating someone who is connected to AI? This is just so sad."
Another user simply stated, "Day ruined."
Conversely, one supporter of Olivia's defended her, saying, "Blaming women for what their boyfriends/husbands do, episode 927,345."
Others wondered how Olivia and Julian met, with some suggesting they connected through a dating app. One person speculated, "So Olivia Rodrigo is dating an NYC finance bro??? Wonder if she met him on a dating app??? It would be funny if scrolling through Hinge, you just casually matched up with Olivia Rodrigo."
Olivia's reported new relationship follows her breakup with ex-boyfriend, actor Louis Partridge, after dating for 2 years. The couple separated in December 2025, as Olivia was gearing up to release her third album.
She revealed in interviews that their separation prompted her to revise portions of the album, opting to incorporate more raw, melancholic feelings into several of her tracks.
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