The next time someone suggests that online dating is only for the loneliest and most desperate people who can't get a date in real life, tell them about Nana Meriwether.
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The 2012 Miss USA beauty queen, who resides in New York City and is of South African descent, was recently discovered on the popular dating mobile app Tinder. She verified that she uses the site in an interview with New York Magazine's blog The Cut.
Meriwether confirmed that she has been a Tinder user since April, when she joined the service at the urging of a male friend. At the time, of course, she was still the reigning Miss USA.
"Mostly I joined because a friend told me to, but I think it could be a great way to meet people, especially in New York City," she said. "I think when you're single, you should try all avenues. And now there are so many new apps for dating — this one is just really fun."
It's hard to believe that Meriwether, a six-foot-tall South African–born beauty, has a hard time finding a date. In addition to her pageant crowns, Meriwether was a two-time All-American volleyball player at UCLA and earned a graduate degree at USC. She eventually plans on attending medical school, after pursuing some opportunities in broadcasting and entertainment.
Despite her dizzying appeals, Meriwether said that it has been difficult to find a relationship in Gotham.
"Here's the thing about dating in New York: It doesn't exist," she said. "There's so much going on in the city, there are so many distractions that people just forget to go on a second date."
Tinder is a free dating app that allows users to join through their Facebook page. Users are shown picture after picture of other members who reside in their immediate area. If they find the person attractive, they will swipe the picture to the right; not interested, swipe the picture to the left. If the person they found attractive is interested in them, he or she will message them, and from there, the two ideally will meet in person.
Meriwether passed her crown on to Miss USA 2013 three weeks ago.
Read more at The Cut.
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Jozen Cummings is the author and creator of the popular relationship blog Until I Get Married, which is currently in development for a television series with Warner Bros. He also hosts a weekly podcast with WNYC about Empire called Empire Afterparty, is a contributor at VerySmartBrothas.com and works at Twitter as an editorial curator. Follow him on Twitter.
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