Jacob Elordi's secret obsession that will shatter his leading man image: Amid Kendall Jenner romance, insiders reveal real reason for his last breakup... in extremely unflattering portrait of his behavior behind closed doors

It may be unsurprising that dating a Hollywood actor can come with its real-life dramas - but it was, apparently, a lesson Jacob Elordi's ex, Olivia Jade Giannulli, found out the hard way.

As Elordi's budding new romance with supermodel Kendall Jenner heats up, the Daily Mail has learned that one of the biggest flashpoints in his years-long, on-again, off-again romance with nepo-baby YouTuber Giannulli wasn't cheating rumors or competing busy schedules that so often plague famous couples. 

It was Elordi's apparent disdain for Giannulli's tight-knit group of friends.

'Jacob and Olivia would get into fights about her friends because he was often referring to them as people who were handed everything who didn't work hard but that couldn't be further from the truth,' an insider exclusively told the Daily Mail.

According to our source, Elordi, 28, struggled to hide his opinions about Giannulli's inner circle despite the fact that many had been by her side long before she found fame.

'He would always tell her that they had no drive and no perception of the real world and judge their backgrounds and jobs,' our source said.

'He thought she only wanted to be friends with rich kids so he made her distance herself from her friends,' the source added.

Giannulli - the 26-year-old daughter of fashion designer Mossimo Giannulli and actress Lori Loughlin who now has her own makeup brand - has an inner circle that includes a number of similarly well-connected names across the fashion, entertainment and business worlds.

Among them, is Sofia Richie Grainge, daughter of music icon Lionel Richie, and Talita von Furstenberg, granddaughter of famed designer Diane von Furstenberg. Giannulli also counts Natasha Bure - daughter of Loughlin's Full House co-star Candace Cameron Bure - among her friends, and was a bridesmaid in her wedding last year.

But, according to our insider, after the romance with Elordi initially began in 2021, what started as occasional disagreements between the pair eventually snowballed into one of the biggest problems in their relationship. 

And ultimately, the insider said, Giannulli grew tired of defending the people closest to her.

'This was one of the reasons they broke up and she hated that he didn't respect her friends,' the source claimed. 'Jacob didn't grow up the same way, so he never gave them a fair shot and judged them all.'

That divide only became more pronounced as Elordi skyrocketed to superstardom, with a string of major roles in hits like HBO's Euphoria and the blockbuster Saltburn accelerating his career.

'At the time, his career took over too,' the insider said. 'They were on-and-off for so long and the relationship finally ran its course. Once he blew up, the relationship officially ended.'

Giannulli, who was reportedly the one to call it quits with Elordi late last year, was also often expected to fit into his world while receiving little interest in her own, according to our source.

'Jacob was always working and traveling and she'd always go with,' the insider claimed. 'He just made everything about his life and wanted nothing to do with her side of things, so eventually, she moved on.'

And according to the source, there was another irony at the center of the conflict. While Elordi dismissed Giannulli's friends as privileged and out of touch, the actor was pursuing connections of his own as his star continued to rise.

'He was nice to her friends' faces but was rude about them behind their backs and was social climbing,' the insider said. 'He was a user before he made it big.'

Maintaining a carefully curated image was a major priority for the actor throughout the relationship, the source said. That obsession with image and status also reportedly extended to the company he kept.

'He was a good boyfriend and was always loving to her, but he wanted it to look like that to everybody else because he cares a lot about his image and what people think about him,' the insider said. 

'He was obsessed with that.'

The Daily Mail has contacted representatives for Elordi and Giannulli for comment. 

Another insider previously told the Daily Mail that Giannulli's friends were 'a bunch of LA brats who liked to party.'

But amid Elordi's fledgling romance with Jenner, 30, it seems that, by contrast, the actor is 'impressed' with his new girlfriend's inner circle, who are 'all heavy hitters,' the insider added.

'Everyone is focusing on IPOs and how to become a billionaire,' the source said, describing Jenner's friends as 'much more elevated.' 'It's a new level and he is thrilled. In Kendall's camp, everyone helps each other out.'

As a third source previously told the Daily Mail, dating Jenner is 'a major step up from his past relationships... in Hollywood, becoming a huge star isn't just about the projects you choose – it's also about who you're seen with.'

Jenner is just the latest in a string of Elordi's high-profile love interests, with the actor having been linked to his Kissing Booth co-star Joey King, his Euphoria co-star Zendaya and model Kaia Gerber.

Elordi and Jenner were friends for years, however, before romance rumors began.

The pair were first spotted in Paris in February 2022, when they hung out with actor Luka Sabbat, before later crossing paths again at a Bottega Veneta fashion show in Milan in 2024.

In March this year, they were both at the Vanity Fair Oscars party and were photographed deep in conversation. 

By April, reports swirled that they had been spotted 'making out' at an exclusive gathering following Justin Bieber's Coachella festival headline set.

They have also been seen in Hawaii and Montecito, where Jenner owns a $23 million equestrian estate - and, most recently, on vacation in Japan.

As for Giannulli, our source insists she is unbothered by the latest chapter in her ex's love life.

'She's neutral on Kendall dating Jacob, but it's because she's now genuinely moved on,' the insider said.