Actress Mika Abdalla has revealed details about the upcoming second season of the hit television series Off Campus, teasing an emotionally turbulent storyline for her character Allie Hayes as filming continues in Vancouver.
The new installment of the show will see Allie Hayes and Dean Di Laurentis, played by Stephen Kalyn, step into the spotlight as the main focal points of the series.
In the first season, Allie was portrayed as the supportive and dramatic theater major best friend to Hannah Wells, played by Ella Bright. However, Abdalla explained that her character will face greater emotional challenges in the next season.
"It’s a lot more emotionally turbulent," Abdalla told Vogue India in an interview published on Sept. 1, 2026. "So you lose some of that fun, best-friend energy."
Despite the shift in tone, the 26-year-old actress assured viewers that the core traits of Allie remain intact.
"I check in to ensure I’m hitting important character beats," Abdalla said, "but still incorporating the parts of Allie that people love."
Signature hair and Vancouver romance rumors
One aspect of the character that remains unchanged is Allie's signature long curly hair. Abdalla revealed that the hairstyle is actually her natural haircut, which she has worn since moving to Los Angeles.
Abdalla noted that it was "so sweet" of the Off Campus production team to let her keep her natural haircut for the series. However, she admitted that her real-life hair rarely matches its television appearance.
"It does not look the way it does on Allie," Abdalla admitted. "Even 20 percent of the time."
While Abdalla and Kalyn share onscreen chemistry as Allie and Dean, Abdalla's personal life has recently drawn attention alongside another cast member, Josh Heuston, who played musician heartthrob Justin in season one.
Although neither actor has officially addressed a romantic relationship, the pair were recently spotted holding hands and exchanging sweet kisses during a walk in Vancouver, where Off Campus films.
Abdalla was previously engaged to actor Jake Short, her co-star in the 2022 film Sex Appeal, before the couple called off their engagement earlier in 2026.
In June 2026, a representative for Abdalla confirmed the breakup in a statement to Us Weekly.
"Due to recent interest in Mika's personal life, it would feel remiss to not address that her and Jake are no longer together," the representative told Us Weekly. "They continue to support each other and remain on friendly terms, and kindly ask for privacy and respect."
Ensemble cast relationship updates
Beyond Abdalla, the personal lives and relationship statuses of the wider Off Campus cast have also attracted significant interest from fans.
Ella Bright, the New York-born and London-bred actress who plays studious songwriter Hannah Wells in Off Campus, currently appears to be single. Bright reflected on the rapid surge in popularity surrounding the television show.
"None of this was in my plan at all," Bright told Vanity Fair regarding the show's viral success. "It flipped my life upside down in the best way I could have ever dreamed about. Things are coming true for me that…I never thought could happen."
Belmont Cameli portrays BMOC hockey player Graham, who must prove to Hannah that he is all-star relationship material. Off camera, the Illinois native has been teamed up with television writer Raina Morris since at least March 2025, when Cameli subtly included her in a mid-photo carousel on Instagram.
Stephen Kalyn and Antonio Cipriano
Stephen Kalyn plays Dean Di Laurentis, a character known on screen for commitment issues. Off screen, Kalyn has been in a relationship with his fiancée, Victoria Lovatsis, since 2012.
Lovatsis displayed a diamond ring on her Instagram Stories in March 2024 and wore it on her finger at the Off Campus premiere in May. Kalyn credited Lovatsis with encouraging him to audition for the role.
"My fiancée read the books a long time ago, and her favorite character was Dean," Kalyn told Elite Daily. "So when they announced this show, she told me I had to audition. She said, ‘There’s no other option: You have to be Dean.’"
Antonio Cipriano plays Garrett's thoughtful best friend John Logan, who is not one of the campus lotharios. Cipriano, a Broadway alum, has been in a relationship with actress Justine Verheul since 2023.
Verheul marked "one year loving my favorite person in the world" in August 2024. For Cipriano's 25th birthday in May 2025, she wrote on Instagram: "Happiest of birthdays to my life partner, travel buddy, and best friend. Celebrating you is so easy. so amazed by you everyday."
Jalen Thomas Brooks and Josh Heuston
Jalen Thomas Brooks plays John Tucker, a sweet and sensitive forward for Briar who is ready for a romantic plotline down the road when the series reaches his love life. Brooks, an Los Angeles native who also portrays nurse Mateo on the medical drama series The Pitt, appears to be romantically unattached for now.
"I love a good slow burn," Brooks told The Hollywood Reporter regarding his character's arc, "and the things that are set up for Tucker, of him becoming this gentle giant, I think fans are going to love."
Josh Heuston, the Australian actor who played Justin in season one, will not appear in season two of Off Campus after Hannah realized her crush Justin was not the right person for her.
However, series creator Louisa Levy indicated that Justin could return in a future season during an interview with TV Guide.
"We never got a chance to meet Stella, who is the person he ends up with in the book," Levy told TV Guide. "So maybe we’ll find a way to fold him into a future season."
Off camera, Heuston also appears to be unattached, though he has expressed a desire to settle down in the future.
"At some point, I definitely just want the kids and the white picket fence and that sort of lifestyle," Heuston told Esquire Australia in 2025. "But that feels quite far off right now. Who knows, though? In this life, I’ve found that things can change quickly."
