Brooks Nader lays out the girl code she actually lives by

Valentine’s season has a way of making you think about the women who keep you grounded. It is not just about cute group photos or matching outfits. It is about loyalty, honesty, and the little rules you quietly live by so nobody gets hurt.

Brooks Nader is not shy about hers, and honestly, they sound like the kind of guidelines most of us wish everyone followed. At Clarins’ Hollywood Galentine’s Beauty Evening in Los Angeles on Jan. 29, the Love Thy Nader star and Sports Illustrated model shared what a real ‘girl’s girl’ looks like to her.

It was part fun celebration, part real talk, and very relatable if you have ever dealt with messy dating overlap or drama that somehow starts with a guy.

Brooks Nader and the art of being a girl’s girl

Nader, 28, showed up at the event looking like she understood the assignment, but her message was more about how you treat people than how you look doing it. When she spoke with PEOPLE, she did not make it complicated.

She basically said that loyalty is the vibe and that friendships deserve a little protection. If you have ever had a friendship tested by dating drama, you already know why a few clear boundaries matter.

Valentine’s celebrations can be all heart eyes and laughter, but they also remind you who has been in your corner all year long. That is where the real value is.

The two-girl code rules she stands by

Brooks Nader’s top rules are simple, but they cover a lot of ground. Rule number one is the kind of thing that can save an entire friend group from chaos. “Don’t date someone’s ex.” It is short, direct, and basically impossible to misunderstand.

Even if you think you have a special exception, it rarely plays out that way. Most people are not actually mad about romance. They are mad about feeling like their history did not matter. That is what makes this rule feel so universal.

Her second rule is more specific, and it is the one that can stop a rumor spiral before it takes over everyone’s group chat. “Always pick up the phone and call the girl directly if there’s some beef happening,” she insists. Then she adds the part that makes you nod because it is so true. “Especially if a guy’s behind it, because they’re probably lying,” she adds.

That is the real tip. Do not let a third party translate someone else’s feelings for you. Call the person. Talk it out. Clear it up fast. You can waste weeks being mad at someone over something that was not even real. Nader even points out how funny it can be once you compare notes in person. “And then it’s hilarious when you get together with, you know, a girl and be like, ‘Wait, we were hoodwinked,’ “ Nader continued.

If you have ever had that moment where you and a friend realize the drama was manufactured, you know exactly what she means. It is frustrating, but it is also weirdly bonding. Like, okay, at least we found out together.

Single, social, and not overthinking it

While she was at the Valentine’s event, Nader also talked about where she is personally. She told PEOPLE that she was single and ready to mingle. That is a mood that fits Valentine’s perfectly. It is flirty, fun, and not too serious.

It also connects to something she has been pretty open about lately. She is not rushing to define what comes next. She has had a lot of public attention on her love life, and that sort of thing can make anyone want to move a little slower and keep things lighter.

What it is like when rumors go viral

Because Nader is in the spotlight, her dating life has been a popular topic. Her appearance at the Galentine’s event came after she had been linked to actor Ben Affleck, 53. On Jan. 24, the gossip account Deuxmoi reported that a source claimed the pair had ‘never met.’ Underneath that Instagram post, Nader commented, ‘Haven’t met him in my life.’

When PEOPLE asked her about viral rumors, she did not act shocked or offended. She sounded like someone who has learned to treat it as background noise. “It’s like par for the course,” she says simply in response. “You know, it always happens.”

That is probably the healthiest way to deal with it. If you take every headline personally, you will never get a day off.

The recent links people have talked about

The Affleck rumor was just one of several that popped up. Earlier this fall, Nader was linked with professional tennis players Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. More recently, she was spotted out with Dakota Mortensen at Hulu’s The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives launch party on Nov. 11.

Before all of that, she had a relationship that fans watched closely because it started in a very public setting. She was involved in an on-and-off relationship with her Dancing with the Stars pro partner, Gleb Savchenko, after they met during season 33 of the ABC competition series.

That kind of visibility can be intense. When your life is a storyline, people assume they know more than they do. It also makes it harder to date casually without it turning into a whole thing online.

Rethinking what she wants next

Nader has also shared that she is not putting pressure on herself to lock in the next chapter. During an interview with Entertainment Tonight at the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit launch party on May 15, she explained, “I’m open to whatever, but I’m not looking for any kind of a partner right now,” and added, “I’m freshly single.”

When asked what she hopes to find in her next relationship, she sounded like she was giving herself room to be surprised. “I don’t even know, honestly,” she admitted. “Maybe it’s Mr., maybe it’s Mrs. I don’t even know. Who knows? My sister keeps telling me I’ve got to switch teams. She’s over me with the guys.”

She also put her life stage into perspective, especially after her divorce. “I’m 28, I’ve been married only, so I’m like, we’ll see what happens,” Nader added of her 2024 divorce from Billy Haire. The pair split in 2024 after nearly five years of marriage.

The takeaway for your next Galentine’s night

What makes Nader’s rules hit is that they are not performative. They are practical. Do not date your friend’s ex. If there is a conflict, call the girl directly. And if a guy is stirring the pot, double-check the story with the person who actually matters.

That is the whole point of Valentine’s, really. Celebrate your friends, protect your peace, and keep the relationships that show up for you when it counts.

TL;DR

• Brooks Nader shared her go-to Valentine’s and girl code rules at Clarins’ Hollywood Valentine’s Beauty Evening on Jan. 29.
• Her first rule is simple: “Don’t date someone’s ex.”
• Her second rule is about handling conflict the right way: “Always pick up the phone and call the girl directly if there’s some beef happening,” especially if a guy is involved.
• She says drama can be avoided because “Especially if a guy’s behind it, because they’re probably lying,” and friends often realize later they were “hoodwinked.”
• Nader told PEOPLE she is single and ready to mingle.
• She addressed the Ben Affleck rumor and clarified online: “Haven’t met him in my life.”
• On viral dating rumors in general, she shrugs it off: “It’s like par for the course,” and “You know, it always happens.”
• She has been linked to several people in recent months and previously had an on-and-off relationship with DWTS partner Gleb Savchenko.
• She says she is not rushing her next relationship and is open-minded about what comes next after her 2024 divorce from Billy Haire.

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This article was made with AI assistance and human editing.

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