Why Did Belly’s Parents Get Divorced on ‘The Summer I Turned Pretty?’

After a wait that seemed like forever, the third season of Prime Video’s hit series The Summer I Turned Pretty is officially here, and fans can’t get enough of the Cousins crew. While the major focus of the series is the incredibly addictive love triangle of Belly, Conrad and Jeremiah, there are other relationship dynamics at play that are also interesting, such as the divorce (and current situationship) of Belly’s parents.

Premiering in June 2022, The Summer I Turned Pretty is an adaptation of the popular YA book series by Jenny Han. It centers on the coming-of-age saga of teenager Isabel “Belly” Conklin and her relationships with two brothers, Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher.

Unlike most splits on television, the breakdown of Laurel and John’s marriage wasn't due to an affair, abuse, or anything else that's unforgivable. Instead, the two became emotionally distant from each other, leading to their divorce, which was also partially caused by Laurel’s close ties to Cousins Beach and her best friend Susannah.

When audiences first meet Belly and her brother Steven in season one, it is made clear that their parents, Laurel and John, are divorced. However, while the two appear to have a pensively cordial relationship in the inaugural season, they get closer following the death of Susannah. As season three gets underway, the two are closer than they have been throughout the series, leading to an unexpected hookup in a hotel room.

Determined to keep fans on the edge of their seats until the series finale, things between the trio are more dramatic than ever. Within the first few episodes of Season 3, major developments occurred.

Due to the two-year jump that opens Season 3, audiences see Belly and Jeremiah living their best lives at college and Conrad away on the West Coast, moving towards becoming a doctor. However, everything is not as idyllic as it seems.

We quickly learn that Jeremiah’s lackadaisical attitude towards school has been a source of conflict between himself and Belly, as she has pushed him to spend less time with his fraternity brothers and more time thinking about his future. This leads to an argument between them and Jeremiah cheating on Belly while on spring break vacation.

Furious and heartbroken, Belly ends the relationship with Jeremiah despite his pleas for forgiveness. She finally decides to give him another chance after Jeremiah was supportive following her brother’s car accident. In a spur of the moment action, Jeremiah hastily asks Belly to marry him and she says yes.

Meanwhile, Conrad has decided to focus on his future career as a doctor and put all thoughts of romance and Belly behind him —- but it’s definitely not working. He’s constantly thinking of her and revealed to a colleague that he has only been in love once in his life, and as expected, he was referring to his brief and tumultuous relationship with Belly.

Season 3 is still in its early stages and we have a long way to go to find out who Belly will ultimately choose as the series finale approaches.