Kai Cameron and James Desantis are engaged, and the proposal came with a callback more than seven years in the making.
The influencer, 32, proposed to Desantis, 38, during a recent African safari, with People exclusively reporting that Desantis said yes. The couple has been together for more than seven years after first meeting at The Eagle, a queer nightlife spot in New York City.
The engagement did not happen with a standard dinner-table setup. Cameron planned a sunset proposal in the savanna, complete with a bonfire, help from the Ritz-Carlton Masai Mara Safari Camp, and one inside joke from the night they met.
The Proposal Brought Back Their First Conversation
Cameron told People that he worked with the hotel to create a private moment in the grasslands at sunset. Their safari guide filmed as they walked toward the setup, then asked whether there were “any bears around.”
The line came from the night Cameron and Desantis met. Desantis told People that Cameron walked up to him at The Eagle and asked if he knew where the bears were. Desantis answered, “I’m right here.”
For the proposal, the joke became the cue. Cameron pointed into the distance, Desantis turned around, and Cameron was down on one knee.
Desantis said he was completely caught off guard. Cameron said the nerves came less from the proposal itself and more from keeping track of the ring during a trip that involved more than a dozen flights and shared luggage.
The Night Continued Under the Stars
After Desantis said yes, the couple returned to the hotel after dark.
People reported that they were surprised with music, drinks, and a celebration under the stars. Cameron said they spent the rest of the evening trying to process the fact that they were engaged, while Desantis called it a night they would remember forever.
The proposal also fit Cameron’s public persona. He is known for comedy videos, including a viral parody series about learning to do different tasks “like a straight man.” People reported that he has a combined 1.3 million followers across Instagram and TikTok.
Their Relationship Built Quickly After One Big Leap
The couple’s story did not stay casual for long after that first meeting.
For their second date, Cameron flew to Miami to meet Desantis while Desantis was working Art Basel Miami Beach. Desantis admitted to People that the trip was a major leap of faith after only one meeting, but the risk paid off.
A month later, the two said “I love you” for the first time in Palm Springs.
Two years after they began dating, they moved in together. They eventually bought a house as a couple.
Cameron told People there was never one giant movie moment when he suddenly knew Desantis was the one. Each next step kept feeling obvious.
They Are Not Rushing the Wedding
For now, Cameron and Desantis are letting the engagement settle before racing into wedding planning.
Cameron joked to People that gay engagements can last anywhere from six months to the rest of someone’s life, so the couple is giving themselves room to enjoy this chapter first.
Desantis added that the next step is finding a ring for Cameron, which he joked could take a while.
The proposal now gives their relationship a neat loop: a bear joke at The Eagle, a second-date flight to Miami, a shared home, and the same first-night line used as the cue for a ring in the savanna.
