New York financier who triggered VERY bitter socialite love triangle proposes to influencer girlfriend
One of New York’s most popular influencers has announced that her 6’2″ boyfriend proposed to her – just months after they were embroiled in a bitter love triangle with another city socialite.
Halley Kate McGookin, 25, showed off her flashy ring – a marquise-cut diamond on a gold band – on social media on Friday as she kissed her fiancé, Reed Williams.
McGookin looked smitten as she tried on the ring during the special moment in Zurich, Switzerland, and shared her happiness with her millions of followers online.
But many were quick to remember that the young socialite couple were in the midst of a boisterous love scandal that made headlines just less than two years ago.
The loved-up pair briefly split in 2023 after nine months of dating, during which time Williams, a New York City financier from Wisconsin, allegedly involved himself with another influencer, Sophia La Corte.
While McGookin took to her page to tearfully tell her fans that Williams had broken up with her, La Corte made a series of posts seemingly mocking her – and defending her right to go on a date with a single man.
The redhead faced a fiery reaction from McGookin’s friends and family, who brandished her with the nickname: ‘Little ginger b***h.’
However, it seems the couple, who live in a stylish apartment in Tribeca, have put their past behind them and will be planning a low-key elopement. McGookin stressed to her fans, while sharing the happy news, that she doesn’t want a wedding.
Halley McGookin, 25, announced her engagement to finance analyst Reed Williams on Friday after the couple went viral in 2023 over a bitter love triangle
The pair have been dating for two years following a whirlwind of drama involving another New York City influencer Sophia La Corte
La Corte (pictured) responded to the drama with what became a viral comment: ‘Oh my gosh. I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you owned him. He wasn’t wearing a collar’
‘Thx Reed,’ is all McGookin wrote underneath the TikTok video of Williams down on one knee, and reiterated her wedding desires with a caption that read: ‘Will serve you some chic courthouse looks tho.’
During the dramatic breakup in 2023, McGookin said that she had ‘truly never felt the pain like this and my heart goes out to anyone who feels anything even slightly similar.’
Not long after their breakup, Williams was rumored to have begun dating La Corte – despite the two women being friends in the Big Apple influencer scene, and going on a trip to Houston together.
McGookin said at the time: ‘We know each other. I never thought or claimed she was a “super close” friend that owes me a lot of loyalty.’
She then claimed that La Corte had jumped online after seeing her ‘vulnerable’ posts about her breakup with Williams and took advantage by messaging him.
La Corte stirred the speculation, posting a video of her doing her makeup talking about her date with Williams in 2024, delivering the line: ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t know you owned him, he wasn’t wearing a collar.’
‘By no means am I laughing at her,’ La Corte said in her three-part explanation, as she insisted that ‘everyone in the situation was single’ with ‘no overlap.’
She added that McGookin was the one who brought the situation online, and said that ‘if anyone owed her any loyalty, it would be [Williams].’
Despite the public furor, McGookin and Williams made their way back to one another. Her comments have been flooded with elated messages from her followers.
McGookin was seen showing off a flashy ring, a marquise-shaped diamond on a gold band, on social media on Friday as she kissed her now-fiancé Williams
McGookin reacted to the pair’s date online, expressing disappointment that her friend would date her ex-boyfriend in now deleted videos
In online videos, McGookin condemned ‘homie hopping’ and said she had tried to contact La Corte ‘multiple times’ with no response
‘I need all the content I’m so happy for you angels,’ one user wrote.
‘YAYYYY so excited for you too!! Shout out to you for ignoring the haters when you knew Reed was your person,’ another said.
‘Took him long enough to realize you actually are the one he wants to be with forever,’ a third comment read. ‘Congratulations girl wishing you a marriage full of resilience and happiness.’
‘This is such a statement and I love it so much. Congrats, Halley!! SO happy for you two,’ a fourth commenter wrote.
Others took to McGookin’s comments remembering the viral drama between the influencers.
‘Ginger head is probably dying,’ one user said.
‘Genuinely just wondering how did her man go from I’m nos sure youre the love of my life to proposing to her?’
Another comment read: ‘I bet that redhead is seething. Halley got her mans!! Congrats girl!’
‘I just know that little ginger b is going to try to make this about her,’ another wrote.
