It may sound like high school banter, but many are wondering if the formerly proud adult virgin Tim Scott now has a girlfriend. So why does this matter? Scott, the junior U.S. senator from South Carolina since 2013, is a Republican candidate for the 2024 presidential election. And being that he is with the pro-traditional marriage, not-so-LGBTQ-friendly GOP, Scott’s relationship status could be important.

In the 1990s, Scott famously referred to himself as a “proud” virgin. He promoted himself as a God-fearing 30-year-old virgin while seeking a seat in Charleston’s city council in 1995. Then, in 2012, he seemingly tried to walk it back, New York Magazine reported.

According to a recent interview with Fox News, Scott revealed there was indeed a girlfriend, albeit a mysterious one.

Scott, who at 57 has never been married and who is a devout evangelical, described his girlfriend as a “wonderful Christian woman.” But he also questioned the motives behind the interest in his love life.

However, it was Scott himself who sparked those questions. During an event organized by Axios in May, he casually mentioned, “My girlfriend wants to see me when I come home.” The remark was unusual because Scott tended not to talk about his romantic life. He was asked about his relationship status as he could possibly be the first single president in 162 years, The Daily Mail reported.

I hate this exchange for so many reasons. The question is ridiculous and his response is frustrating. pic.twitter.com/7cQCnJKWOC

— Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) September 17, 2023

The suspense surrounding Scott’s girlfriend increased when Ben Terris of The Washington Post did a deep dive to determine whether the girlfriend exists and whether anyone actually cares about Scott’s relationship status. What Terris found was that Scott’s closest friends had never met the so-called girlfriend.

“Six friends I spoke with said they didn’t know about a woman in his life. Others never returned my calls. The campaign, of course, was well aware that I was trying to get to the bottom of Scott’s love life. They were polite, but not exactly eager to spill.”Six friends I spoke with said they didn’t know about a woman in his life. Others never returned my calls. The campaign, of course, was well aware that I was trying to get to the bottom of Scott’s love life. They were polite, but not exactly eager to spill,” wrote Terris.

Scott has also had to push back on speculation that he was gay. But in his pushback, he said the gay rumors surround him because people are using it as a racist roundabout.

“It’s like a different form of discrimination or bias,” he told the Washington Post. “You can’t say I’m Black, because that would be terrible, so find something else that you can attack.”

Republican presidential candidate, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., speaks at the Iowa Faith & Freedom Coalition’s fall banquet, Sept. 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Bryon Houlgrave)