If you spent any time on YouTube between 2018 and 2020, you remember the "Sister Squad." It was peak internet culture. James Charles, the Dolan Twins, and a teenage Emma Chamberlain basically owned the trending page. But the real magnet for millions of fans wasn't just the chaotic challenges; it was the undeniable, electric energy between Ethan Dolan and Emma Chamberlain.
Fans called them "Ethma." They looked for every clue. A stray hand on a shoulder? Definitive proof. A shared hoodie? Basically a wedding announcement. For years, neither of them would actually say the words "we are dating," which only made the obsession worse.
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But honestly? Looking back from 2026, the picture is a lot clearer than it was when we were all squinting at grainy Instagram stories. We finally have some answers, mostly thanks to Emma’s vulnerability on her podcast, Anything Goes, and the fact that everyone involved has grown up and moved on to very different lives.
The Secret Era of Ethan Dolan and Emma Chamberlain
It all started around May 2018. James Charles introduced Emma to the twins, and the chemistry was instant. They were jet-skiing together by the Fourth of July. They were "becoming" each other in videos.
They had this specific, flirty banter that felt more real than the usual scripted YouTube collabs. In one famous 2019 paparazzi clip from The Hollywood Fix, a reporter asked them point-blank if they were dating while they left a SoulCycle class. Emma’s response? "Did we say it? Not yet."
Not no. Just not yet.
For a long time, that was all we had. Ethan eventually admitted in a July 2020 video that he was in a "committed relationship," but he didn't name names. By then, the Sister Squad had already imploded, and the twins were starting to pull away from the spotlight entirely.
What Most People Get Wrong About the Breakup
Most people assume "Ethma" just drifted apart because the YouTube group disbanded. That’s the clean version. But in late 2024 and early 2025, Emma dropped a podcast episode titled "How My First Boyfriend Broke Me Mentally and Emotionally."
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She didn't use a name. She never does. But the timeline she laid out—starting the relationship at 17, the heavy SoulCycle phase, the specific "Sister Squad" era—made it pretty obvious to anyone who was there.
It wasn't just a simple breakup. Emma described a nine-month rollercoaster that turned into a messy, "on-again-off-again" situationship. She talked about the exhilaration of finally dating her long-time crush, followed by the crushing weight of mixed signals.
"I thought when we broke up, I was going to die. I was like, 'I don't know how I can survive this feeling.' I had never felt that level of loss."
The most revealing part? She mentioned a moment of total frustration where she actually threw her phone at a wall because of the ghosting and the confusion. That was her wake-up call. She realized the dynamic was toxic for her mental health and finally walked away for good.
The Judgment Factor
There’s also been a lot of chatter about the "nicotine episode" of her podcast. Emma mentioned an ex and a group of friends who were extremely judgmental about her habits because they didn't drink or have vices. Fans were quick to point out that the Dolan Twins were famously "straight edge" and even had sober tattoos.
It adds a layer of complexity. It wasn't just about a guy not texting back; it was about a clash of lifestyles and perhaps some young, unintentional cruelty that happens when you're famous and 19 and think you have the world figured out.
Where Are They Now? (The 2026 Update)
The lives of Ethan Dolan and Emma Chamberlain couldn't be more different today.
Ethan has almost entirely exited the "influencer" world. He and Grayson stopped posting to their main channel years ago to focus on filmmaking and their own mental health after the passing of their father. In 2023, Ethan got engaged to his long-term girlfriend, Kristina Alice. They’ve been together since late 2019, which suggests he moved on pretty quickly after things ended with Emma in the summer of 2019.
Emma, meanwhile, has become a genuine fashion icon and a podcast mogul. She's dated a few high-profile people since Ethan, including musician Tucker Pillsbury (Role Model) and more recently, Peter McPoland.
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As of early 2026, Emma has confirmed she is single. In a November 2025 podcast episode, she revealed she and Peter had split after two years. She’s been very open about wanting to spend at least a year being single to "metabolize" her emotions and break the cycle of jumping from one serious relationship to the next.
Navigating Post-Relationship Growth
If there is a lesson in the whole Ethma saga, it’s about the intensity of first love. When you're 17 and 18, everything feels like the end of the world.
- Distance helps: Both Ethan and Emma needed to step away from the "Sister Squad" vacuum to find themselves.
- Validation isn't everything: Emma admitted she felt "validated" just because her crush liked her back, which is a dangerous way to build self-esteem.
- Boundaries are messy: The "on-again-off-again" phase is usually where the most damage happens. Emma's choice to finally cut ties was the only way she actually healed.
For those still reeling from their own "first love" heartbreak, the best path forward is often the one Emma is taking now: intentional solitude. Taking a year to be single isn't a "failure"; it’s a strategy for long-term mental health. If you find yourself checking an ex's social media or spiraling over mixed signals, consider Emma's "phone-against-the-wall" moment a sign that it’s time to disconnect and refocus on your own growth.
To move forward effectively, start by auditing your digital boundaries—mute or unfollow accounts that trigger "what-if" loops, and prioritize activities like Emma's recent focus on solo travel and personal projects that don't require external validation.