Olympian Tom Daley and his husband, filmmaker and activist Dustin Lance Black, have sent social media into a thirsty tailspin after posting a spicy early Halloween photo.
In the viral carousel shared on Instagram, Daley is seen wearing a tight wrestling singlet, while Black dons a baseball jacket, prompting cheeky speculation about what kind of “coach-athlete roleplay” might have inspired the look.
“It’s giving college wrestler and his coach,” one commenter quipped.
Another joked: “Jim Jordan at Ohio State vibes.”
Others noted the intimate hand placement on Daley’s stomach, with some comparing it to a pregnancy photo, while more than a few lamented the fact that Daley’s strategically placed hands hid the goods.
Daley captioned the post simply: “SPOOKY SZN 👻🎃❤️🔥” — and the internet has been anything but calm since.
Additional photos showed the couple in Halloween-themed outfits, including a pumpkin-print jumper and snaps from the MISTR PrEP Day Party at The Abbey in West Hollywood.
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Love on and off the mat
Daley and Black met in 2013 and married in 2017. They now live in California and are raising two sons: Robbie (born 2018) and Phoenix (born 2023).
Despite the playful post, Black also made waves this week for his political commentary on LGBTQ+ strategy and coalition building during an interview on The Tangle with Kyle Ridley podcast.
“You can’t win these things alone,” says Black
Black, who won an Oscar for his screenplay for Milk, urged LGBTQ+ communities to look beyond internal disagreements and seek broader alliances.
“We’re a minority living in a democracy,” he said. “We need to get to 50.1%. The only way to do that is through coalition building.”
Black cautioned against ideological gatekeeping:
“If you have to pass a purity test to be on our side… we’re all goners. And we’ve entered into that arrogance again.”
While many praised his pragmatic take, others questioned whether coalition-building might risk enabling groups that threaten queer or trans rights.
Black clarified in response:
“No one suggested a coalition that includes extremists, racists, murderers, and sociopaths… I trust our community is wise enough to know when someone is not worth locking arms with.”
