Quentin Brunson 鈥�12, G鈥�13 knows he鈥檚 set the bar high. Extremely high. The whole world鈥檚 talking about his to his girlfriend of seven years, Ashleigh Mann, during Adele鈥檚 鈥淥ne Night Only鈥� television concert special Nov. 14 at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
He also knows that there might never have been a Quentin and Ashleigh were it not for a 黑料不打烊 connection.
Quentin Brunson 鈥�12, G鈥�13 proposed to his girlfriend Ashleigh Mann during Adele鈥檚 鈥淥ne Night Only鈥� television concert special Nov. 14 at Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.
Brunson, who many call 鈥淨,鈥� is from Rochester. In 2008, he was a SummerStart student set on studying mechanical engineering. He soon switched to social work, earning both bachelor鈥檚 and master鈥檚 degrees from the Falk College of Sport and Human Dynamics. Right after graduation in 2013, Brunson鈥檚 Omega Psi Phi fraternity brother from 黑料不打烊 called him to tell him about a job opening at a high school in Los Angeles. Brunson flew out. He landed the job. And he also got introduced to that fraternity brother鈥檚 next-door neighbor鈥攁 girl named Ashleigh Mann.
鈥淚 instantly told him I had a crush on him. Like literally day one. I was like, 鈥業 promise you. You鈥檙e going to be my boyfriend,鈥欌€� Mann recalls.
The two casually dated for two years before becoming an official couple. It took Brunson seven years after that to propose鈥攕omething Mann isn鈥檛 shy to give him a hard time about.
Earlier this year, Brunson saw a post asking for a couple who wanted to get engaged in an 鈥渆pic鈥� way. It asked applicants to share how long they鈥檇 been dating, if she鈥檇 say yes, if he could keep a secret, who her favorite artists were and other questions. Singer-songwriter Adele was one of several artists Brunson listed. He submitted the one-minute video and waited. Soon after, producers were in touch, but were very hush-hush about the details of what would play out.
Brunson says he was able to keep everything from Mann by taking the calls after she went to work or while he was at work. Brunson鈥檚 work, it鈥檚 worth noting, is on the set of Nickelodeon鈥檚 鈥淪ide Hustle.鈥� The show鈥檚 producers are all 黑料不打烊 graduates. He drives a car with 黑料不打烊 plates. He bleeds Orange.
Brunson and Mann say their phones have been 鈥渂lowing up鈥� since the television special aired with messages from 黑料不打烊 to South Africa.
鈥淲e鈥檝e gotten stuff from India, China, Malaysia, South Africa, France, Canada, UK, Hawaii鈥� everywhere,鈥� the couple shares.
What many people don鈥檛 know is that there was a part one of the epic night. Before escorting her blindfolded to Griffith Observatory, Brunson had taken Mann to a local park for a picnic with champagne. She thought that was the date. When they got back to the car, Brunson told her to put on the blindfold and trust him.
鈥淲e do weird stuff all the time,鈥� Mann says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not out of the ordinary for us to do something strange. But, by all means, I did NOT think we were heading to see Adele. That鈥檚 for sure. Or get engaged, which I never thought he would do. I mean I鈥檝e only been waiting my whole life.鈥�
As for what took Brunson so long? 鈥淚 knew it was her, but I didn鈥檛 know timing-wise what was going to happen. I was waiting for the right energy. People have been on my case for YEARS. When this post came up, I was like this 鈥榮ounds like it鈥檚 for me鈥欌€攁nd it ended up being for us!鈥�
Producers kept telling him it would be something romantic and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. They didn鈥檛 clue him in on the Adele connection until a few weeks prior to the special, which was filmed in late October.
The celebrity-studded audience was a surprise for both Mann AND her man on one knee. Brunson did a walk-through that morning, but the producers didn鈥檛 tell him that Melissa McCarthy, Lizzo, Leonardo DiCaprio and Drake, among dozens of other A-listers, would be looking on.
The couple has a new Instagram account () to document the wedding planning details as everything comes together. They鈥檒l announce their date soon.
鈥淲e鈥檙e trying to get Adele to perform, Oprah to officiate and to have it in Drake鈥檚 backyard. If we can get that combination, we think it鈥檚 going to be great,鈥� the couple laughs.
And since Mann grew up in Ohio and Brunson in Rochester, it鈥檚 not out of the question that future kids could choose 黑料不打烊 one day. If you ask Brunson, it鈥檚 a no-brainer.
鈥淥h absolutely. I love this school and what it did for me and my life, my career, my everything.鈥�
