Picture Goes Viral, Couple Is Confused

Special Photo

They were constantly getting likes on their photos. They would receive comments from friends, family, and even strangers. Despite their popularity, one picture, in particular, was different. It became a huge hit and was seen by more than just their close friends.

Their pictures were published in magazines and the news for the whole world to see. What made this one photo stand out so much? Why was it the topic of everyone’s conversation? When they looked at the comments, everything fell into place.

Beginnings

But Wendy Joseph and Dan Hennessey weren’t always such big Internet stars. In fact, they remember a time when social media was barely a blip on anyone’s radar. Funnily enough, though, it played a big part in how their love and success story got started.

It all began in 2006 when both of them were young college students. They didn’t know each other, but they were about to cross paths in the most unusual of ways.

Facebook

Dan was an 18-year-old sophomore studying Exercise Science. Wendy, at the time only 17 years old, had just graduated from high school and wanted to pursue a career in public healthcare. Dan was an outgoing kid who loved partying and meeting new people, and it didn’t take long for him to learn about Facebook.

At the time, the social network was in its infancy and only used by college students — mainly for dating. He immediately took a liking to the site.

Connections

Dan used Facebook to meet new people and expand his circle of friends. One day, he came upon a girl named Daphne, with whom he had mutual friends. He sent her a message, but she didn’t reply. Undeterred, he started going through her friends’ list. That’s when he saw Wendy’s profile.

Smitten with her photos, he messaged her too. But, at the time, Wendy was wary of strangers on the Internet. Instead of replying, she told her friend Daphne about it — who had some things to say about Dan.

Persistence Is Key

Daphne told Wendy that Dan had messaged her too, so Wendy decided she wasn’t going to reply to him. Weeks went by, and he reached out again. Intrigued, she went on his profile and discovered he knew people she went to high school with. 

So she messaged back, and an online friendship was born. But Dan wanted to meet Wendy in person, so he invited her and her friends to a party at his apartment. There was only one problem…

Party

Dan hadn’t actually planned a party because he didn’t think Wendy would accept his invitation. When she did, he scrambled to notify his friends and put everything together — and he pulled it off. 

The night of the party arrived, and the pair hit it off instantly. They chatted, drank, and danced together all night. When all the guests were gone, Wendy was still there hanging out with Dan. There was obvious chemistry between the two… but that didn’t mean things would work out.

Getting Close

Wendy had just come out of a long-term relationship and Dan was really enjoying his party lifestyle, so they decided to stay friends. 

They became really close, and six months later they realized they were ready to try things out as a couple. But they had no idea that trouble was looming down the road.

Doubts Creep In

With her love life blossoming, or so she thought, Wendy began to focus her attention on other areas of her life. She threw herself into her studies while Dan continued to socialize and party with friends.

By now years had gone by, but she was still no closer to getting her Master’s degree. That’s when she saw the message in Dan’s inbox that made her head spin.

Differences

What had started as a small seed of doubt in Wendy’s mind only grew the longer they were together. With Dan’s Facebook profile still active, Wendy watched his ever-growing friends list with suspicion in her heart. 

Shortly after she began declining invitations because she had to study, he began going out without her. It was becoming very clear that although he had matured, Dan still loved to party.

Warning Bells

The message seemed innocent enough, but as the day wore on, Wendy felt herself becoming consumed by it. Dan had forgotten to log out of his Facebook account and had left his inbox open. Wendy was going over her coursework when she saw the notification come through. 

She hesitated, but soon her curiosity got the better of her. Her heart sank when she saw it was from one of Dan’s many female friends.

She Couldn’t Help Herself

Wendy couldn’t help herself. She found herself going through all of Dan’s messages. Although she couldn’t find any incriminating evidence against him, she did find a lot of messages from other women. 

To make matters worse, they were all successful, young, and had finished their studies. She felt like a failure. And it wasn’t long before her fears seeped into every aspect of her life.

A Little Voice

What could Wendy do? She felt like her relationship was spiraling beyond her control. Everyday bickers quickly became giant arguments, fuelled by Wendy’s insecurities and Dan’s refusal to compromise. 

What if he met someone new? Then, a little voice inside her asked: what if he already had?

The Photograph Explodes

Fast-forward to the present – and the notorious photograph. Wendy’s eyes widened as the “likes” crept past the 60,000 mark. Comments flooded in as the photo was shared thousands of times.

Friends, family, and the general public were determined to have their say. But why had this photograph that Wendy had posted sparked worldwide controversy?

The Right Decision

When Wendy decided to break it off with Dan all those years ago, it had seemed like the logical choice at the time. They had been so young when they had met. 

She knew that she had changed a lot in those seven years. Looking at the photograph again, she was sure that it had been the best decision she’d ever made.

Identity Crisis

Wendy looked back on her seven-year relationship with Dan and realized they were far too dependent on each other. 

They had both changed so much after they met, and she was beginning to wonder if she even knew who she was without him. She felt like she’d lost herself somewhere along the way during this all-consuming relationship. 

Something Had To Be Done

As much as it pained her, Wendy knew that something had to be done about the relationship. 

It felt like all they did was bicker about Dan’s partying and Wendy’s studies and they never had time for each other anymore. Neither of them wanted to compromise, either. That’s when Wendy knew what she had to do. 

Breaking It Off

Even though it had broken her heart to think of a life without Dan, she knew she had to put her head down and pursue her own interests. She needed to find out what kind of woman she could become.

She went on to eventually receive her Master’s Degree in Public Administration. But staying away from Dan had proved harder than she had imagined.

Not Taking The News Well

Wendy told Dan that – although she loved him – they couldn’t be together anymore. Dan was completely blindsided and couldn’t believe what he was hearing. 

He knew they had hit a rocky patch in their relationship, but never in a million years could he see Wendy leaving him and the life they’d built over the last seven years. But Wendy had already made up her mind.  

Never Giving Up

Dan hadn’t been happy with Wendy’s decision. He wasn’t ready to give up the love of his life. He messaged her every day for the entire year and a half that they were separated.

Just like in the beginning, he hoped that his persistence would pay off. But Wendy had finally found her calling.

Finding Themselves

Though it was an extremely difficult time and Dan missed Wendy terribly, he eventually realized that she had been right. 

He decided to give Wendy the space to focus on her Master’s degree and become the woman she wanted to be – and, in the meanwhile, he would work on himself. Dan left his party lifestyle behind and threw himself into a new project, and Wendy did the same.  

Finding Herself 

While Dan was making changes, Wendy found herself and started her YouTube channel, Wendy’s Curls, where she posted beauty tutorials and gave hairstyling advice. 

She shrugged off her old look and began to embrace her own natural beauty, and her followers couldn’t get enough of it. But then – when she least expected it – fate decided to intervene in her life once more. 

A New Woman

One day, the couple bumped into each other again after months of not seeing one another. Dan was amazed at the transformation that Wendy had made. 

The strong, confident woman he saw before him made him fall in love with her all over again. But would she take him back? Wendy had her reservations.

A Difficult Time

Wendy had decided to break up with Dan so they could each find themselves and discover who they were as individuals. Though it was a difficult time, she knew it had been the right thing to do.

During that time spent alone, Wendy had become a YouTube star with thousands of followers, and she had her confidence back. But what about Dan? Had he changed?

What Was Going On?

Dan started appearing in Wendy’s YouTube videos and they discovered that fans really liked seeing them together. So they began posting more videos and giving relationship advice or talking about how their lives had been as a couple. 

Their fans couldn’t help but speculate whether they had finally gotten back together. But was this the case? What was really going on? 

Had He Changed?

Had Dan changed in such a short time? Wendy thought so. He’d been relentless in trying to convince her that they were meant to be together, and he hadn’t dated anybody else during the time they had been apart. 

He’d proved that he was in it for the long haul, so she decided to give him another chance. Little did she know, their antics were about to go viral.

Life In The Spotlight

Dan had also created an Instagram account, which quickly amassed over 25,000 followers — although not nearly as many as Wendy’s 105,000. Then, in December 2017, they celebrated their 10th anniversary. 

But they had no idea this milestone would become a viral sensation. Here’s where the notorious photo appeared on their Instagram accounts, but neither of them was prepared to be flung into the spotlight.

10-Year Challenge

The premise of the 10-year challenge on social media is for users to post photos of themselves side by side and taken 10 years apart to show how much they’ve changed. 

However, this popular throwback challenge only became famous after Dan and Wendy’s post – so, In a way, they invented it. Though it may seem like a normal thing to do, the post exploded for a strange reason. In a matter of weeks, it got over 60,000 likes.

The Throwback

To mark the occasion of their 10th anniversary, Wendy posted a side-by-side picture on her Instagram page. On the left was a picture of them when they first started dating, on the right was a current photo.

It got picked up by major news outlets like The Independent, The Sun, and The Daily Mail. But why had this photo gone so viral? Are you ready to see it?

The Picture Of Youth

Seeing the photos side by side, people couldn’t believe how different Wendy and Dan looked — especially since they appeared much younger now than ten years ago. 

“Do you both age in reverse?” asked one commenter. “What fountain of youth are you drinking from?” said another. But, it turns out, there’s a reason for such transformation. They go on to explain exactly how they managed to become so healthy and happy…

“The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me”

Dan posted pictures of him and Wendy and wrote about his feelings about their breakup in a lengthy Instagram story on his account. 

“That break up was the most amazing thing that ever happened to us and I can say with 100% confidence THE BEST THING THAT EVER HAPPENED TO ME PERSONALLY,” he explained.

Grateful

“I am so incredibly grateful for this life and this amazing SOUL that has decided to walk alongside me on this journey. We are people just like you, not perfect or special,” Dan’s post continued.  

“What is special, however, is that we have decided to embark on this process of sharing our experiences regardless of what people think.” And the photos speak for themselves…

Fitness Enthusiasts

Even before they met, both Wendy and Dan had a strong interest in health and fitness, which was reflected in their choice of careers. 

So it’s no surprise that both of them worked hard on their bodies and tried to become the best versions of themselves during their time apart. But this was just the beginning of something big for the now-famous couple. 

Finding Their Audience

When Wendy’s YouTube channel hit it big, they realized going into the fitness space was a natural progression for them. 

When they got back together, they started posting workout tutorials and nutrition advice together. But they had a shared vision that was evolving into something much bigger than just a health and fitness YouTube channel.

Making It Into A Business

Together, Dan and Wendy founded True4You Fitness, a fitness coaching company where they give nutrition and exercise advice to their clients.

They also opened a wellness-focused YouTube channel, though once in a while they also talk about their life and relationship. And, in September 2016, they made a huge announcement.

Paris Proposal

In September 2016, Wendy and Dan were on holiday in Paris with a couple of friends. But, the day they visited the Eiffel Tower, Dan had a romantic surprise prepared for Wendy.

In the true spirit of the city of love – and with his friend recording everything – Dan got down on one knee, pulled out a diamond ring, and asked Wendy to marry him!

The Next Phase In Their Lives

Naturally, Wendy said yes. She was so excited that she even forgot which hand the ring should go on. It was like a fairy tale. But the couple’s life was about to become even more magical. 

After their trip to Paris and their engagement, Wendy and Dan were not done traveling and living their dream life. They were able to save enough money to do something they’d always wanted: travel abroad for months at a time.

Wanderlust

Dan and Wendy managed to earn enough money from their fitness venture to travel to Thailand, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and many other places. 

After returning to the U.S., they went on a domestic trip to Las Vegas and are now busy planning their wedding. But what else does this power couple have planned?

A Big Move

Although both Dan and Wendy are originally from New Jersey, they decided to move to a warmer climate – the tropical paradise of San Diego, California. 

With the stunning weather, sun, and surf, this could be the perfect place for the couple to settle down. But what else does this mesmerizing pair have on the cards?

Excited For Life

It’s crazy to think that this couple’s story all began with a friend request on Facebook when the platform was in its infancy. 

From Dan’s heartfelt Instagram posts, It’s clear that he is absolutely enthralled with his wife: “It’s amazing how you can spend nearly 11 years getting to know someone and wake up to them every day excited for the chance to know more,” he wrote.

A Modern Love Story

“Even crazier is that it feels like we are just getting started and I’m more in love with you than I have ever been,” Dan’s Instagram post continued.

“Thank you for following your path and being a source of love and light for everyone who gets to meet you. I’m lucky and honored to have met you way back [..] and you are my heaven on earth.”

Strength To Strength

The couple’s Instagram and YouTube fitness pages have grown from strength to strength, recently branching out to include a website. 

Their main goal is to help people from all over the globe reach their fitness goals and transform their lives — just as they did! After all, the couple who trains together stays together. Wendy and Dan’s story of love and success seems like a dream come true.

In order to protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author’s imagination. Any resemblances to actual events or places or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.