Kriti Mehrotra
If there’s one thing Netflix’s ‘The Ultimatum: Queer Love’ makes evident, it’s that every relationship is incredibly challenging owing to the need for compromise and efforts at every step of the way. After all, while attraction, communication, as well as similar core values are essential, no two individuals can be happy if their lifestyles and future aspirations aren’t flexible enough to be aligned. The prime example of this is actually the involvement between Yoly Rojas (she/her) and Mal Wright (she/her/they) — so now, if you simply wish to learn more about them, here’s what we know.
Yoly and Mal’s The Ultimatum: Queer Love Journey
It was seemingly back in the late 2010s when Yoly came across Mal for the first time during Chicago Pride, only for their brief, unassuming chance encounter to gradually evolve into much more. The truth is, the latter quipped in the original production, “She was a men’s stylist at Barneys at the time. I asked for her Instagram so I could continue asking for discounts at [the luxury store].” Though what started as mere friendship soon blossomed into a full-fledged relationship thanks to similar ideals and values, but then they were at a crossroads by the time mid-2021 rolled around.
Yoly and Mal had already weathered not just a move to Seattle but also a short split within these three years, yet the latter’s hesitation in popping the question was fast becoming their downfall. That’s because while the former was more than ready to settle down, her two years older (then 36-year-old) partner wanted to be in a much better financial position before taking the next step. They didn’t have this irrevocable mindset of never wanting to build a home or have kids; they merely had an image in their head of what it should look like as well as a timeline to match the same.
“It’s not about if I want to marry [Yoly],” Mal candidly elucidated in the series. “I want to marry her, but I don’t necessarily feel like I’m in the place to provide for her like I want to provide.” However, it wasn’t just this monetary aspect (considering their decision to do IVF one day) holding them back; they had a personal reason too — they wanted to know why Yoly chose them. “I knew her as a friend before I knew her as a lover,” they expressed. “Every time she has talked about another lover, it’s been very similar [to how I am and how we are]… So I am just like, ‘Why? Why Me?'”
There’s no denying Mal’s insecurities had a role here, yet it wasn’t helped by the fact Yoly then essentially proved them right by delving right into ‘The Ultimatum’ experiment with Xandar Boger. The latter is precisely the kind of individual the masc often worried was their partner’s type, plus the fact they developed a deep bond almost immediately further played into their personal fears. Yes, they themself built a solid connection with Lexi Goldberg over their incredible three-week trial marriage period, but they never got physical — unlike Yoly and Xander, who truly did everything.
Are Yoly and Mal Still Together?
While Lexi undeniably helped shatter Mal’s ideas of a timeline and made it clear she’d always be a part of their life one way or another, it was Yoly and Xander’s trial marriage that shocked everyone. The reason? It genuinely appeared as if they were beginning to fall in love despite only having known one another for less than a month, leaving her years-long love affair shakier than ever before. In other words, Mal’s concerns over her utterly dedicating herself to whomever she was with without any major difference apparently weren’t without foundation, making it hard for them to return.
Nevertheless, from what we can tell through their social media platforms, it does seem like Yoly and Mal were able to work out every single one of their significant problems to ultimately get engaged. Neither the Fashion Stylist nor the Seattle-based former basketball player has confirmed or denied this as of writing, yet there are some possible clues all over their respective profiles. Not only do the duo actively follow one another, but the background aesthetics of the fit-check videos they often share are also quite similar; plus, Mal can clearly be seen wearing a ring in a few recent snapshots, and then there’s the post above.
Read More: Are Lexi and Rae From The Ultimatum: Queer Love Still Together?
