For eleven years, viewers have watched Emma Johnston grow up on 7 Little Johnstons — from a shy nine-year-old to a 21-year-old running her own jewelry business. Now, as Season 18 approaches, the fandom has one burning question: is Emma dating anyone? The honest answer, as of 2026, is no — at least not anyone she has confirmed herself. According to TV Season & Spoilers, Emma says in the Season 18 teaser that she is still single — and that she wants a relationship. She has not announced a romance on Instagram or any other public platform. So here is the bright line this article respects throughout: friendship is not dating until Emma herself says otherwise.
First, the Fact Fans Keep Skipping: Emma Is Single
Born on July 1, 2005 and adopted from China at age five, Emma is the youngest Johnston child, and she has spent her whole life in the public eye. She finished school in 2024 and launched Emma’s Rings ’n Things, her handmade jewelry shop, in 2019. She has built an adult life — a business, a graduation, a first solo flight — while her love life stayed private. That reframes Season 18: this is not a teenager’s crush played for laughs, but a 21-year-old adult saying, on camera, that she would like a relationship.
Lucca: The Childhood Chapter That Already Closed
Every long-running fandom has its “what if” couple, and for Emma, the first was Lucca Rannigan. The two met at a Little People of America conference, and in Season 7, cameras caught them telling each other “I love you.” But Emma herself put the fire out at the time, explaining that she was too young for it to be a relationship. She later called Lucca her best friend, and in 2024, Lucca posted a photo with a new girlfriend. Whatever fans once imagined, the Lucca chapter reads today as what it always was: a close childhood friendship, not a romance waiting to be revived.
Joose: A Friendship Fans Keep Reading as Romance
The second name in every Emma conversation is Joose Jeskanen, the exchange student from Finland who stayed with the Johnston family for three months in 2021. They filmed TikToks together and shared a warm airport reunion fans still replay. When the family visited Finland in 2022, photos of the two together kept the theories alive. Yet no reliable source has confirmed that Emma and Joose ever dated. What the public record shows is a genuine, lasting friendship. If Season 18 turns that friendship into something more, it will matter precisely because it grew out of something real.
Season 18: The Matchmakers Step In
That is where the new season comes in. According to reports about the Season 18 trailer, Jonah’s girlfriend Ashley and Alex’s girlfriend Allie try to help Emma find a partner — and the buzz around that setup points toward Joose, with reports suggesting he may have feelings for Emma. TLC has not confirmed whether anything comes of it, and the trailer itself reportedly stops short of showing the two as a couple. What it does show is Emma’s openness. 7 Little Johnstons Season 18 premieres Tuesday, November 17, 2026 at 9 p.m. ET on TLC. Until then, the fairest summary is also the simplest: she is single, she is ready, and the next chapter is hers to write. So here is the question for the comments — should Emma’s Season 18 love story involve Joose, the longtime friend fans already know, or should she meet someone brand new? Tell us which team you are on, and why.
