Josh Richards responds to Nessa Barrett dating rumors after Jaden Hossler split

Georgina Smith
Josh Richards Jaden Hossler and Nessa Barrett

TikToker Josh Richards has responded to rumors that he could be getting back together with ex-girlfriend Nessa Barrett after she split with fellow TikToker and musician Jaden Hossler.

Nessa Barrett and Jaden Hossler are two popular influencers and artists that were the center of controversy in 2021, after the pair broke things off with their former partners, Josh Richards and Mads Lewis, to be together.

However, in late April of 2022, fans began to suspect that the pair were no longer together after they appeared to unfollow each other on Instagram.

A few days later, Nessa and Jaden both posted a message to their Instagram stories confirming the split, writing: “Last month, we broke up to take time to focus on our own careers and mental health. Please don’t send hate or make assumptions. We would like to heal privately and hope you all can respect that. We love you all so much.”

Nessa breakup Jaden Hossler instagram story
Both Nessa and Jaden posted the same statement to their Instagram stories.

Josh Richards responds to rumors

Immediately after the breakup, fans started speculating about what had gone on behind the scenes, and some even wondered whether Nessa would get back together with her previous ex, Josh Richards.

On an episode of the BFFs podcast, Josh discussed his view on the situation. “Oh my god, I was so heartbroken at the time, but now I’m like, I’m very over it,” he said about the initial breakup drama from last year.

Josh explained that recently he’s been hanging out with basketball player Mia Mastrov, but that they “haven’t really talked” about the Nessa & Jaden situation and that he doesn’t know whether he wants to date her.

Amid the drama, fans noticed that Josh had liked a ‘Jessa’ edit, and when Josh’s co-hosts began to debate whether that means Josh and Nessa could reunite, he responded: “I don’t know how much that was like on purpose.”

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“I don’t know if I liked two videos, did I? Like, I know there was the one that I remember I clicked ‘like,’ and then I was like “ah, that’s stupid, I gotta un-like it.”

Asked why he did that, he responded: “I guess maybe just to like feed into it a little bit. It’s kind of like funny.”

It’s not clear whether the two TikTokers will ever reunite, but it seems that fans are once again heavily invested in the drama now Nessa and Jaden’s split has reignited rumors.

About The Author

Georgina was formerly an entertainment writer for Dexerto. She covered all aspects of influencer culture on TikTok and more, including creators such as Charli D’Amelio and Addison Rae. She also wrote about hit reality shows such as Love Island and Below Deck.