What is the dating app Raya and how do you get on it?... (original) (raw)

THEY say Tinder is for hookups, Bumble is for confident girls, Hinge is for relationships, and Match.com is for an older generation - so what is Raya for?

Well, celebrities are just like us when it comes to turning to the internet to find love, and Raya is their solution.

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Friends star Matthew Perry was seen video calling a girl he met on the dating app, who was 19 at the time, in a TikTok video

What is the dating app Raya and how do you get on it?

Raya is an exclusive dating app that is used by many celebrities, influencers and socialites.

The app, launched in 2015, advertises itself as a "community" of people interested in "dating, networking and making new friends".

But it is incredibly hard for the average C, D or even E-lister to get onto.

Users have to apply to the app and about 92 percent of membership applications fail, according to the New York Times.

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There are roughly 10,000 active users on Raya currently.

Referrals are not necessary but "very few members have been admitted to Raya without this step".

According to Raya's website, "applications are assessed based on algorithmic values and input from hundreds of committee members spread throughout the world."

Users can be denied, put on a wait list of more than 100,000 people, or be accepted.

But the Lamborghini of dating apps was never going to be an easy fish to catch.

If you are one of the chosen ones you then have to $7.99 a month.

What celebrities are on Raya?

The app's the terms of service bans any user from taking screenshots and disclosing the identity of any user.

However, no matter how secretive the app - the rumour mill ticks on and there are a number of celebrities said to have been seen on Raya.

While some of these stars are now married and hopefully off the app celebrity, sightings have included:

• John Mayer
• Pete Davidson
• Elijah Wood
• Raven-Symoné
• Zach Braff
• Bonnie Wright
• Cara Delevingne
• Ruby Rose
• Diplo
• John Cusack
• Patrick Schwarzenegger
• Drew Barrymore
• Channing Tatum
• Amy Schumer
• Demi Lovato
• Niall Horan
• Matthew Perry
• Ben Affleck
• Lewis Hamilton
• Lizzo

Why were Ben Affleck and Matthew Perry called out for using Raya?

Both actors have been exposed for their behavior on the dating app, specifically for messaging younger women.

Last year, former Friends actor Matthew Perry, 53, was at the heart of controversy for his FaceTime with TikTok user Kate Haralson, who was just 19 when they matched in May 2020.

She alleges the actor - who was 51 at the time and recently engaged to Molly Hurwitz - requested they moved their conversations to a video call.

On the call, Kate claims Matthew began a game of 20 Questions, asking questions back and forth to get to know each other better.

While none of the questions were sexual, she said she felt uncomfortable at times as Matthew seemed unbothered by her age.

Video footage of the conversation was taken by a friend watching on from the background, which was later posted to TikTok in May last year.

Meanwhile, Ben Affleck, 50, went viral on TikTok also in May of last year, after sending a 28-year-old woman a video on Instagram asking why she unmatched with him.

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Nivine Jay believed the Oscar-winner's profile was "fake" so she promptly turned down his advances.

However, it turns out Affleck's account was real as she shared his video message on TikTok.

TikTok user, 19, films herself talking to 51-year-old Matthew Perry on dating app Raya