Model and social media influencer Gia Duddy first made waves when fans spotted her standing next to then-boyfriend quarterback Will Levis during the 2023 NFL Draft. Although they eventually parted ways, Duddy has remained a popular name in the NFL community, partly because it was recently revealed that she is currently dating Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Andrei Iosivas.
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But she caught the attention of yet another fandom after posting a series of Instagram Stories on Saturday night. Duddy revealed that she attended the Cincinnati Comic Expo, a massive convention taking place on September 25-27. But the highlight was a video she posted, showing two attendees sparring with lightsaber props.
“Found my new favorite sport,” Duddy captioned the video.
The two men, who were clearly fans of the Star Wars franchise, were wielding pink and orange lightsabers at each other. Despite neither of them being in costume, the grin on their faces and their energetic movements revealed just how much fun they were having.
Another cosplayer stood watching the duel, dressed in white robes and a conical hat similar to the ronin of the animated anthology series, Star Wars: Visions.
But that wasn’t all. Another one of her Instagram Stories also showed her love for the iconic Star Wars franchise, as the model posed with a giant Chewbacca model holding local Cincinnati merch, namely a Cincy T-shirt and a smaller Darth Vader figurine.
This latest series of Instagram clips differed somewhat from Duddy’s usual repertoire of social media content, which includes carefully-curated GRWMs, outfit styling videos, daily vlogs, workout videos, and the occasional NFL-related lifestyle content. But there might have been another subtle message to be gleaned here.
Although Duddy is primarily based in Nashville, Tennessee, her attendance at the Comic Expo revealed that she was likely visiting boyfriend Andrei Iosivas, who currently lives in Cincinnati, to support him as he continues to recover from his thumb injury.
Iosivas tore a ligament in his thumb at NRG Stadium during the Bengals’ Week 2 matchup against the Houston Texans, which the Bengals won 20-6. But the massive 14-point win came with a setback for the wide receiver, who underwent surgery on Wednesday, September 23. With his expected recovery timeline spanning about four to six weeks, he has been put on Injured Reserve, meaning he will be out for the league-mandated four games.
The young wideout is currently in his contract year, which makes this injury a big problem. He is the Bengals’ WR3 and has tallied three catches for 16 yards so far. Iosivas needs to tap into the prowess he showed as a rookie, filling in for Tyler Boyd at slot.
After the massive media attention that followed Duddy during her relationship with Levis, it seems Duddy is keeping her dating life more low-key this time.
However, the signs are all there, starting with the influencer’s training camp vlog featuring Iosivas catching a pass. She seemed to also confirm the relationship by posting a set of photobooth pictures, which show her and a man whose face she partly blocked out with a white heart emoji.
So, this latest instance placing her in Cincinnati just feels like another confirmation of their bond.