Kumari Shreya
Created by Johnnie Ingram and Steve Warren, Max’s ‘Swiping America’ is a documentary series that fans of romance will not want to miss. The show follows four New Yorkers as they travel across the USA to find their perfect match. Over the course of this journey, they meet some people that they can connect with relatively easily. This includes Derrek Michael, whose bond with Krishnanand “Kris” Kelkar was one of the highlights of the whole series.
Derrek Michael’s Swiping America Journey
Derrek first came into the limelight in the Max series as one of Kris’ matches in Miami, Florida. During the speed date round, Kris connected with Derrek as well as Luiz but felt like the latter was actively interested in him. This led Kris to go on an extended date with Derrek, and the two had a beautiful picnic date at night while gazing at the stars and enjoying the seaside view. The night soon led them to share a few kisses, and Derrek even went back to the house where the main cast members were staying though he did not spend the night there.
After Kris left Miami, he traveled to Austin, Texas, and New Orleans, Louisiana. While trying to figure out his own past insecurities and his struggles with romance, Kris did not find anyone else to connect with on a romantic level in the mentioned two cities but remained in touch with Derrek via text. In the end, he invited him to meet up with him in Santa Fe, New Mexico, much to Derrek’s joy. The meet-up between Kris and Derrek did seem to go well, and the two were once again in Kris’ residence at the time and shared a few kisses.
However, Kris abruptly stopped and asked Derrek to leave because he felt like there was an expectation of something more hanging between them, and he was not ready for that yet. The abrupt dismissal threw Derrek off, but he did leave the house. Later on, Kris would talk about his struggles with Erectile Dysfunction and how being under pressure was not helpful for him. While still trying to understand his own feelings, Kris met Jon in Boulder, Colorado, and felt an instant connection with him. However, Jon revealed to Kris that he thought they would be better off as friends, which upset Kris. That being said, it led him to understand his own wants a bit more, and he told Derrek that he did not think they would be a good romantic match.
Where is Derrek Michael Now?
As of writing, Derrek seems to be thriving in his personal and professional lives. The Max cast member is the Founder and Chief Designer of Theodoric Design, a plat shop in Miami that provides its customers with custom plant designs. As a Landscape Architect, his work has allowed him to express his creativity in the best way possible.
In fact, Derrek gained his Masters of Landscape Architecture from Florida International University’s Department of Architecture in May 2023 and is quite proud of the achievement. From what we can gather, it does seem like Derrek is on good terms with Kris and has been actively promoting the show. He also congratulated the main cast members the best for their television debut and even shared a picture of himself and Kris together.
Read More: Where is Jess From Swiping America Now?
