Grace Kinstler is engaged to longtime boyfriend Joseph Wheatley after nearly seven years together.
The 24-year-old singer, who finished third on Season 19 of American Idol, announced the news through a joint Instagram post with Wheatley on August 2.
According to Just Jared’s report, Wheatley proposed at Boston Public Garden on July 31.
“07.31.2026 Forever best friends,” the couple captioned photographs documenting the proposal.
The Proposal Returned Them to Boston
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The engagement photographs showed Kinstler and Wheatley kissing inside Boston Public Garden, with her new ring prominently displayed. The ring appears to feature a round center diamond on a band set with smaller stones.
Boston is connected to an important period in both of their lives. Kinstler studied songwriting at Berklee College of Music, while Wheatley attended Northeastern University. The couple did not announce a wedding date or reveal additional plans for the ceremony.
They Began Dating Before ‘American Idol’
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Kinstler and Wheatley have been together since November 2019. They navigated a long-distance relationship while Kinstler filmed the competition in Los Angeles and Wheatley was based in Texas.
In a November 2025 anniversary message, Kinstler celebrated six years together and described Wheatley as her best friend and the love of her life. She also praised him for learning Mandarin on short notice before speaking it in front of a television audience in China.
Wheatley is an Austin-based real estate professional whose current listings are represented through Compass. He also has a background in beatboxing and previously placed among the top 16 contestants in the East Coast Beatbox Battle, according to TV Insider. Kinstler and Wheatley have occasionally combined their musical skills in social-media performances featuring her vocals and his percussion.
The Proposal Coincided With a New Song
Wheatley proposed on the same day Kinstler released her single “My Name’s on You.” The song arrived July 31, while the couple waited until August 2 to publicly announce their engagement.
Kinstler reached the American Idol finale in May 2021 after becoming a fan favorite for performances that highlighted her vocal range and emotional delivery.
She finished third behind runner-up Willie Spence and winner Chayce Beckham, becoming the highest-placing Berklee-trained contestant in the show’s history at the time.