﻿When Paul Mescal and Phoebe Bridgers started dating,
fans got so excited on social media that people say the couple "broke the internet." But there's
something that has stirred up the online world even more and broken fans' hearts:
their alleged split. Have Paul and Phoebe found love again in the arms
of other celebrities? Is one of them Angelina Jolie? Or is the whole breakup just a rumour?
Paul Mescal and Phoebe Bridgers got together in a very "21st century" way:
By openly flirting through social media. Everything started in May 2020, when the
singer tweeted that she had finished watching "Normal People," a show Mescal starred in.
Phoebe wrote, "I'm sad and horny oh wait." To her surprise, Paul replied, saying, "I'm officially
dead," to which the singer wrote, "Nooo don't die you're so talented aha." Can you imagine
flirting with your favorite celebrity this way? Less than two weeks later, the actor and singer
hosted an Instagram Live together for Wonderland Magazine. Their flirting, of course, continued.
Paul told Phoebe that it was "well documented" that he loves her music. The singer replied,
"Well, that makes me blush." Mescal also confessed he had made
a Spotify playlist to get into the mindset of his "Normal People" character. The playlist
included one of the musician's songs, which Paul complimented her on. If you're curious about
listening to the playlist, it is now public and has more than 13 thousand followers!
According to The Mirror, the two stayed online and had a drink together after the event ended.
The pair continued gushing about each other. In June 2020, Bridgers called
Mescal a "cute boy" during an interview. She also revealed that when she saw that
the actor had followed her on Instagram, "I got a little pitter-patter in my heart."
A few weeks later, the musician revealed she had sent Mescal her new album. Aww!
Although all these exchanges were already a little suspicious, relationship rumors
got stronger than ever in July 2020 when Phoebe reportedly flew to Ireland, Paul's native country,
to spend time with the star. There are no pictures of the event,
but an Irish café tweeted that the two had come by to eat breakfast together.
A few months later, Mescal talked about his "girlfriend" in an interview with
"GQ". Although he didn't name this mystery woman, fans believe the actor was talking about Bridgers.
Paul called his girlfriend a "lifesaver" and added, "I don't know where I'd be without her."
In late 2020, Mescal appeared in one of the singer's music videos which, of course,
warmed fans' hearts all over the world. The couple continued keeping things private,
but their cute moments together were occasionally spotted by fans.
For example, a concertgoer caught the actor cheering for Bridgers at one of her shows
and posted a TikTok of him. The caption says, "he looks so proud bless him."
Paul was spotted at multiple shows on Phoebe's tour, which seems to indicate that
he was traveling along with the singer. Mescal continued supporting Bridgers at
various events. In November 2021, the musician walked the runway at Gucci's fashion show. Paul
was photographed sitting in the front row. The couple later danced together at the after-party.
Finally, the lovebirds made their red carpet debut. They
happily posed for pictures with their arms around one another. So cute!
Paul and Phoebe walked the red carpet together at the LACMA Art and Film Gala shortly after.
Not only that, but the musician tweeted about the actor. It seemed like the pair
wasn't interested in hiding anymore. And before the year ended, the celebs
treated fans to a glimpse of their lives together when they became Instagram
official! Bridgers posted an adorable selfie where Mescal rests his chin on her cheek.
We must say that before the couple uploaded a picture on the social media,
Mescal had been featured in several of Bridger's Instagram stories. The
performer usually appeared doing cute things like tying Phoebe's shoe and cuddling with her dog.
The singer must have liked the posting experience because, on Valentine's Day, she did it again.
Phoebe uploaded a picture where she and the actor could be seen cuddling up in bed.
The couple continued going strong. So much so that, just a few months later,
fans began suspecting the lovebirds were engaged. It all started when a source told The Sun that
Phoebe was referring to Paul as "her fiancé". On May 2nd, 2022, the actor and musician attended
the MET gala. Fans soon noticed that Mescal was wearing a ring on his engagement finger. Was
this confirmation that the two were actually engaged? Had Bridges proposed to the star?
The pair were still quiet about their alleged engagement. However, fans were in for a treat
when Paul made a cameo in Phoebe's music video for "Sidelines". In late June,
the musician confirmed the song was partially about the actor.
Bridges described the experience of writing the happy song by saying, "It makes it easy
when you're actually having those feelings." Mescal has also occasionally opened up about
their relationship. After the couple attended a film festival together,
the Academy Award Nominee said, "It's really fun to take your partner to something which is
not their world." Paul revealed that he enjoyed getting to experience premieres together with his
partner and talking about them afterward. Things between the stars seemed as solid as
ever. Phoebe even invited Paul's sister to sing with her onstage at one of her concerts. However,
only a few months later, breakup rumours started circling around.
In November 2022, gossip site DeuxMoi alleged that the celebrity romance could have ended. Things got
even more heated when Bridges contributed to SZA's song "Ghost in the Machine," with some verses.
The lyrics are about a couple fighting, saying things like, "You said all of my friends are
on my payroll/You're not wrong, you're an assh—." The singer also talks about being on
her own. Fans speculated that the verses were about Phoebe and Paul's breakup.
Only a few days after the song was released, Matthew Healy, a musician and one of Bridger's
friends, posted a picture kissing the singer with comedian Bo Burnham standing behind them. The
photo was reposted all over the Internet. Although fans knew the kiss was a joke,
they believed it was confirmation that Phoebe and Paul had called it quits.
The "news" made fans lament all over social media. Some tweeted things like "I can't continue living
in a world where Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal aren't together," while others took to TikTok.
The short video platform was soon filled with edits of the couple, scenes from "Normal People,"
and pictures of Mescal and Bridgers at the MET gala. The hashtag #paulmescalandphoebebridgers
reached MILLIONS of views. As if things weren't complicated enough,
Phoebe and Bo Burnham were seen attending a comedy show together in New York, with a source claiming
their interactions "felt flirtatious." Other insiders claimed that the singer
and comedian were "making out, canoodling and cuddling." Fans were confused because
Bo was supposedly in another relationship. How did things change so much in so little time?
Speculation that Burnham and Bridges were a new couple continued.
In early 2023, the two were seen boarding a plane together. Were they going on a romantic trip?
And what about Mescal? What was the actor doing while all of this happened? Well,
it seems like he also kept busy. In January 2023, the star was performing in a play in
London. And one of the audience members was none other than Angelina Jolie.
After the play ended, Angelina and one of her children sat down to talk with Paul at a café.
The stars were hush-hush about the event, and we only know about it because a fan snapped
a picture! What does this encounter mean? Is something going on between Jolie and Mescal?
One would think that, with all this speculation, Phoebe or Paul would confirm
or deny their breakup. However, the stars have kept quiet about the alleged split.
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Paul did talk about the rumours, although very indirectly.
The actor said there was pressure to "talk about the status of my whatever", but he
preferred to keep his personal life private. "The temptation still exists to be like, 'Shut the
f--- up. This is my life. This is what's going on. Or this is what's not going on," he confessed.
In a different interview with the Hollywood Reporter, the Oscar contender revealed
that he wanted to keep his thoughts about the rumored breakup to himself.
"Just not now. It's just difficult territory. Yeah," he said.
Paul and Phoebe's relationship and possible breakup has sure stirred up quite a lot of drama.
Their potential relationships with other celebrities have also kept fans alert.
Will we ever get a confirmation on what's going on? Will any of the new possible
romances become official? Or is this all just a big misunderstanding? Only time will tell.
Here at Rumour Juice, we wish Paul and Phoebe the best in their personal and professional paths.