A TikTok user has sparked significant interest with a claim that he went on a date with Republican vice presidential candidate Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio) nearly two decades ago. The user, who goes by Colby on TikTok, asserts that he is “99% sure” he met Vance at an Applebee’s in 2001 and describes the experience as unsettling, noting that Vance gave off “serial killer vibes.”
The TikTok video, which was first posted five days ago, has gained substantial traction, amassing nearly a quarter-million views. However, its popularity surged after being reposted by the X user Right Wing Cope (@rightwingcope), where it garnered over 4 million views and 26,000 likes. The post on X reads: “BREAKING: A Male TikToker allegedly went on a date with JD Vance after meeting on a gay dating website (before he changed his name, I wonder why?!).”
@colbycake #JDVance allegedly has a sock fetish. I’m sorry about #Project2025 #PlanetOut thia vieeo and it’s content is the property of the creator and requires permission from the creator to post on other platforms
The video is attributed to TikTok user Colby (@colbycake), who has a history of critiquing both Republicans and Democrats. In an interview with the Daily Dot, Colby expressed that while he initially doubted his own recollections, he is now “99% sure” that the individual he dated was Vance. Colby describes the encounter as taking place at an Applebee’s, adding that the similarities between the person he met and Vance are striking.
Colby has requested that his real name not be used. The Daily Dot confirmed his identity but respects his wish for anonymity. Colby, who grew up in Southwest Ohio, moved away when he turned 18. His Facebook profile, confirmed by the Daily Dot, lists his hometown as being about 13 miles north of Vance’s hometown, with several Applebee’s locations in between.
In the TikTok video, Colby begins by stating, “Ladies and gentlemen, theys and thems: I am 90% sure that I went on a date with this man.” He then displays a screenshot of a July 23 article from The Advocate titled, “How JD Vance went from thinking he was gay and changing his name twice to being an anti-LGBTQ+ extremist.” Business Insider has also covered Vance’s evolution from questioning his sexuality as a child to becoming an outspoken opponent of LGBTQ+ rights as an adult.
In his memoir, Hillbilly Elegy, Vance recounted his childhood belief that he was gay due to a misunderstanding of the term. He describes how a derogatory comment from his grandmother led him to abandon this belief. As an adult, Vance has been a vocal advocate for traditional heterosexual relationships and opposed federal protections for same-sex marriage during his Senate campaign in 2022.
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Colby explains in the video that he first became aware of Vance when he watched Hillbilly Elegy on Netflix about four years ago. He noted the similarities between Vance’s background and his own, particularly Vance’s upbringing in Middletown, which is not far from Colby’s own hometown. After seeing Vance’s yearbook photo, Colby became increasingly convinced that the person he dated was indeed Vance.
In the TikTok video, Colby explains that he met Vance on PlanetOut, a popular LGBTQ+ community site from the 1990s before the rise of dating apps. He describes how PlanetOut served as a crucial platform for LGBTQ+ individuals to connect and find potential partners during a time when such opportunities were limited. Colby recalls that the dating pool in his area was small, with only 20 to 30 people his age on the site.
Colby details that during their date, Vance was “pushy” and seemed to be using a high school yearbook photo as his profile picture. He describes the date as uncomfortable, saying Vance gave off “serial killer vibes” and that he wanted to leave quickly. Colby also recounts that after the date, Vance repeatedly called his home phone, pressing him to continue the conversation despite Colby’s desire to end it.
Colby reveals that Vance was known by the name David at the time, which is Vance’s middle name. He mentions that although he has no contemporaneous witnesses to corroborate his story, the “embarrassing” nature of the date made it unlikely that he would see Vance again. He hopes that any data from PlanetOut that still exists might help validate his claim.
Colby concludes his video by expressing a desire to find any remaining records from PlanetOut and hoping that someone with access to that data might come forward. “For the love of God, if there is anybody who used to work for PlanetOut.com or has access to the data from this website, I would kill to find out if that still exists,” he says.
As of now, there has been no official response from Sen. Vance or his campaign regarding Colby’s allegations. The story has generated significant buzz online, reflecting the chaotic nature of internet culture and its impact on public figures.
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