Woman who found her 'Gomez' asks people to use 'Addams Family' character as green flag test for partners

Barry Sonnenfeld's horror-comedy "The Addams Family" may have reshaped romantic ideals for an entire generation, particularly for women. The portrayal of Gomez and Morticia Addams' passionate relationship set a high standard for evaluating real-life partners. Drawing inspiration from this, content creator and wife Olivia VanDerMillen (@oliviavandermillen) went viral on social media after sharing her ultimate "green flag" test for choosing a partner. Her Instagram video quickly gained traction, amassing over 4.5 million views. 

"I saw a video earlier today, where the girl was saying, 'If you are dating a guy and you are questioning some of his behaviors, then just ask yourself would Gomez treat Morticia this way?' Now you can't tell me that the movie did not teach an entire generation of young women how men should be treating women. I know because I married a Gomez," VanDerMillen shared. She then posted a heartfelt picture with her husband and shared a few instances to prove that "Men like Gomez exist in real life, we are not settling for the bare minimum these days."

Reflecting on her husband’s thoughtful gestures, VanDerMillen shared a few heartwarming examples. Once, while she was visiting her parents for five days, her husband set up a photoshoot with their pets and created a "Welcome home, we missed you banner" for her. She also recounted how he stayed up all night designing 200 business cards for her when she had an important perfume convention to attend—proving how much her happiness mattered to him. But the most touching detail? “Like a grandfather,” she said, “he carries a printed photo of me in his wallet,” making netizens collectively swoon.

VanDerMillen shared more touching moments that highlighted her husband’s devotion, including a heartfelt story about him tattooing her name on his leg. When she jokingly asked if he’d regret it if they ever broke up, he replied, “I could never regret the time I spent with you.” She also described the time he took care of her when she was severely sick, showcasing his deeply nurturing side. VanDerMillen wrapped up her wholesome video with advice to viewers: “Stop wasting your time on these guys that won’t even text you ‘hello’ in the morning.”

The reel garnered an outpouring of support from viewers who admired the couple’s relationship, built on love, trust, empathy and passion. For instance, @octavianstarr commented, "I can say that Gomez has been my positive reinforcement of masculinity my entire life. I do think that more men should aspire to be like Gomez. I agree!" @garydell wrote, "As a husband if I can't build up, support and brag about my wife then what's the point of being one." @monakattanelamin wrote, "How cute! Love this and love you 2! God bless you both! What a beautiful reminder!"

Meanwhile, @sarahpeterson—who shared a similar relationship with her partner—wrote, "Can I like this a hundred more times? My 'Gomez' had to remind me early on (because experiences had taught me to think otherwise) that 'This isn’t extraordinary, I’m not a superhero; these are just normal thoughtful things that people who care about each other do for each other.'" @kaurellkhamilton commented, "My husband and I take turns being Gomez to each other’s Morticia. Two decades later and it’s worked for us."

You can follow Olivia VanDerMillen (@oliviavandermillen) on Instagram for more relationship content.