During the red carpet at the 2022 Met Gala in New York, Paul Mescal posed for the cameras with his then-girlfriend, singer Phoebe Bridgers, whom he had met in the most Gen Z way possible: flirting through comments on social media, and with whom he had already been in a relationship for two years.
But in the middle of the gala, instead of looking at her, the actor turned his gaze to look at another woman… Daisy Edgar-Jones.
Paul had recently worked with Daisy on the British series “Normal People” and they had become close friends; it was only natural that he would want to say hello. A paparazzo captured the moment, and the image spread around the world. People compared it to the distracted boyfriend meme, but it sparked a rumor that neither of them had asked for: that there was more than acting between Mescal and his Normal People co-star.
It’s crazy when you consider the innocence behind this photo.
Many fans and people close to them speculated that the love the couple had been required to portray onscreen had crossed over into real life and was now captured in an image. This not only suggested a possible relationship, but also an infidelity. However, both of them denied the rumors and have emphasized on several occasions that they are just friends.
In an interview with WhoWhatWear, Daisy revealed the true context of this photo. “‘I was having some kind of out-of-body experience with the Met Gala”,’ she explained. “Then Paul said to me: ‘Come see me and we could do it together’”.
The actress revealed that Mescal ended up arriving late to the red carpet and that “she was standing at the entrance to the Met Gala”.
She explained that Mescal arrived late that night and she waited alone at the entrance. “Finally, Paul arrived with Pheebs and we waited and did the carpet together… He’s my friend, so he was probably just saying: ‘Look, there he is’”.
However, many believe this is because the actress put Paul in the friend zone and broke his heart—in secret, of course; no one wants anyone to find out that they’re suffering over unrequited love—and, between having her close and losing her, he may have preferred friendship.
But we shouldn’t forget that they both met when they were in relationships and have had a very close bond ever since, mutual friends, and even double dates with their partners. Paul is the one who has had the most relationships.
Currently, he has been with singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams for more than two years, and they seem very happy. He also has an excellent relationship with Daisy, who, for her part, has a very solid relationship with photographer, writer, and director Ben Seed.
The photo, incredible though it is, is just part of a rumor. No one can know for certain what happened in someone else’s heart, but if we look at it from another angle… sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words.
Do you think Paul’s eyes lied?