A fan favorite since Love on the Spectrum U.S. Season 1, Abbey Romeo has a much broader personality than loving lions.
The 25-year-old from Los Angeles, CA, was featured in Season of Netflix's U.S. version of Love on the Spectrum.
However, this season, Abbey was shown on an animal-filled journey to Africa with her boyfriend David Issacman, whom she met in Season 1 of the series.
4 Facts About Love on the Spectrum’s Abbey
Abbey and David Are Still Together
The trip to Africa documented in Season 2 of Love on the Spectrum was filmed in 2022, leading viewers to wonder whether or not the couple is still together.
Rest assure, Abbey and David are still happily dating, but have not progressed their relationship to an engagement just yet.
Abbey told Netflix their relationship "had grown a lot" since what was filmed for Season 2 and they continue to "do fun things together:"
"It has grown a lot and we have so much in common. We do fun things together and go to places together like water parks and the zoo. We like to make s’mores together."
She added that "David is so supportive of [her]" and is already planning a trip to Atlantis Bahamas for their third anniversary:
"David is so supportive of me. He helps me calm down and understands me. He gets and surprises me. He texts me every morning and that makes me so happy. We love spending time together. For our third anniversary, I want us to go to Atlantis Bahamas and go down a waterslide together. And, we want to go back to Africa."
Abbey Makes Her Own Music – And Just Released a New Song
Many people may not know that Abbey is also a singer, songwriter, and music producer. She is a verified artist on Spotify with several original songs.
On an episode of Brain & Life with Dr. Daniel Correa, Abbey was able to dive deeper into her relationship with music.
Dr. Correa explained during the episode that Abby's mother, Christine Romeo, played a crucial role in integrating music and arts into Abbey's education to facilitate her transition into adulthood.
As someone living with autism, the transition from childhood to adulthood can be even more difficult. In Abbey's case, music helped immensely.
Dr. Correa asked Abbey why she chose certain songs to share, Abbey responded by saying, "Because of the way my mind work," adding that she feels like "There’s one part of me that’s autistic and one part of me that’s typical:"
"Because of the way my mind work. One song is called Girl Inside and it feels like it’s about how... It feels like someone’s living inside me. There’s one part of me that’s autistic and one part of me that’s typical."
Then an interesting exchange happened between Abbey and her mother (Christine) regarding her song "Waterslide".
Abbey shared her journey from being terrified of water to embracing it, expressing her desire to be a mermaid and her struggle with jealousy as she observed other kids swimming. Christine noted the element of jealousy in Abbey's feelings.
Abbey found a sense of belonging at Hurricane Harbor Waterpark, marking a positive shift in her perception of water-related activities, leading to the song's creation.
Her mother explained how Abbey one day came home and said, "I have no more jealousy because I went down the big slide like everyone else."
She went on to explain how Waterslide was brought to life because "[Abbey] had just said it just took away all my jealousy because she felt part of the group."
Her mom also added that "Abbey actually sang really before she spoke:"
"And so that brought that song to life because she had just said it just took away all my jealousy because she felt part of the group. Abbey actually sang really before she spoke, she used singing as a language because she could memorize songs and they had a beginning, middle, and end, and they were exact with notes and they were predictable. See, a song is predictable and language is not."
Discussing her new song, "Categories", Abbey explained to Netflix that it's about "how [her] mind works with autism:"
"I wrote a new song with my friend Casey and it is about how my mind works with autism. It’s called “Categories” and you will be able to hear it on Spotify and all those places."
Abbey Fulfilled Her Dream of Meeting Ariel in 2023
In May 2023, Abbey got the chance to attend the blue carpet event for Disney's The Little Mermaid remake. Which was documented her trip on Instagram, noting how when Abbey was young she "identified with Ariel because she couldn’t talk which is how Abbey felt due to autism and her expressive language difficulties."
In a truly magical Disney moment, Abbey met Jodi Benson, the original voice of Ariel in 1989's The Little Mermaid, telling Netflix it "was a dream come true:"
"I got to meet Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel, which was a dream come true. I also got to go to the Disney remake premiere of 'The Little Mermaid."
During the podcast with Dr. Correa, she explained her connection to Ariel as a child, saying, "I felt different. I felt like not human:"
"I felt different. I felt like not human. I felt like Ariel from 'The Little Mermaid' because she was a mermaid. She was living in a world alone. She couldn’t get her words out, so she wanted to be where the people were and I wanted to be where the typical kids were. And when she became human, she couldn’t talk. That’s how I felt."
Abbey Makes and Sells Her Own Hats
Abbey doesn't just flex her creative muscles by making music, she also sells her own hats, with a portion of the profit going to the Autism Society each year.
On the website Made By Abbey, fans can find hats, while almost learning more about why she's in this business.
As described on the About page, Abbey transitioned to an autism school in second grade and later participated in a vocational program post-high school to acquire job skills.
Despite struggling to apply her weaving skills after graduation, Abbey's determined mother and retired teacher, Ms. Carol, worked together to teach her hat-making on a handloom.
Her business now gives her a sense of purpose, while also promoting Autism awareness and inclusivity.
To find Abbey on social media, follow her on Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube.
