Lana Del Rey kept her true identity a secret when she met her new man, airboat tour guide Jeremy Dufrene, according to sources close to her, who claim her inner circle was initially convinced he was “using” her.
Lana, 39, sent fans into a frenzy earlier this month when she was spotted with Jeremy, 49, in London following his Leeds Festival gig, before appearing to confirm their romance at Karen Elson’s wedding in New York City this weekend.
Now, sources close to the couple have revealed the mystery of their budding romance, claiming that Lana didn’t immediately reveal who he was because she found it “refreshing” that the Louisiana-based alligator enthusiast “had no idea” when they first met on one of his tours in 2019.
“They have known each other for years but only started dating a few months ago,” a source told DailyMail.com. “Lana met Justin in 2019 and they have stayed in touch.
‘He had no idea who she was at the time, which was refreshing to her and he didn’t explain it right away.
Lana Del Rey made her romance with alligator tour guide boyfriend Jeremy Dufrene official when they attended Karen Elson’s star-studded wedding on Saturday.
Jeremy and Lana have known each other since 2019, when she booked a boat trip to see alligators and shared a photo. A source told DailyMail.com that he had “no idea” who she was.
“She wanted to take a boat tour because it’s a big deal in Louisiana, But she never expected to fall in love with an alligator sea captain.
The couple met when Lana performed at the Buku Music + Art Project in Louisiana in March 2019. She met Jeremy during that week and shared a photo of him kissing an alligator.
At the time, both Lana and Jeremy, who co-owns Airboat Tours by Arthur in Des Allemands, Louisiana, were in relationships.
The source said: ‘When Lana revisited the area in May to perform at Hangout Fest, they were both single and reconnected.
“He saw his golden opportunity and asked her out and they have been together ever since. She likes older men.”
Her relationship with Jeremy initially worried her friends, who were convinced they would discover something suspicious about the divorced father of three.
But they soon realized that he treated her well and gave her what she “needed” from a partner.
“Her friends and team did some research on him for fear he might be using her, but his business is lucrative and he doesn’t need or want Lana’s money,” the source said.
In 2019, Lana shared a photo on Instagram of Jeremy kissing an alligator. At the time, both Lana and Jeremy were in relationships with other people.
Lana’s friends (pictured with Lana and Jeremy on an airboat ride in 2019) did some digging and found some good things about the “romantic” swamp-sailing captain.
“They can see that he treats her well and he’s low maintenance. He gives her what she’s looking for in a man and he’s romantic.”
Lana went public with her relationship with Jeremy on August 25, when the two were spotted holding hands and having a romantic dinner together in London after she performed at the Leeds Festival.
The source added: “She took him to her last series of shows in the UK which was a big step. He’s a good guy and she’s hugely attracted to him. He’s a good dad and no one who knows him has anything bad to say about him.”
During Lana’s initial alligator boat tour in 2019, she shared photos with fans on Instagram and Facebook.
In the caption, the Born to Die singer wrote: ‘Jeremy let me be captain on Arthur’s Air Boat Tours x’.
One snap showed her sitting next to Jeremy with her tongue hanging out as he helped her steer the airboat.
He also appeared in the background of a photo of Lana posing with her friends during the tour.
She heavily promoted Jeremy’s workplace in the post by sharing a photo of the handmade Arthur’s Air Boat Tours sign and the company’s phone number.
Jeremy also posted a photo with Lana on his own Instagram, writing: “I never know who I might run into on my tours but it’s always a pleasure @lanadelrey.”
He looked absolutely smitten alongside the brunette beauty in the photo as they posed cuddled up next to the swampy water.
But the couple didn’t start dating right away: Lana began dating Live PD hunk Sean Larkin, 52, after their first meeting.
She then began dating Clayton Johnson, to whom she got engaged but later called off their relationship.
“Lana’s friends can see that he treats her well and is low maintenance. He gives her what she wants in a man and is romantic,” a source said.
Jeremy is a father of two and works as a tour guide for Arthur’s Air Boat Tours, a small business located in the unincorporated community of Des Allemands, Louisiana.
Then there were rumors of affairs with Salem rocker Jack Donoghue and, more recently, musician Evan Winiker.
She seemed to have her sights set on the swamp expert when she returned in May, as she enlisted the help of her friends to accompany her on one of Jeremy’s famous airboat tours.
She documented the swamp adventure on her Instagram and even tagged her rumored boyfriend in a post published on May 16.
“Family with my boy @jeremy.dufrene,” Lana wrote in the caption.
Fans are speculating that Lana hinted that she wanted a relationship like the one she apparently has with Jeremy over a decade ago in her song Cola and believe the singer has been making her type clear all along.
