Are Paul Mescal and Natalie Portman dating? Rumor explained

Paul Mescal and Natalie Portman have been spotted sharing a smoke and a smile, but are the two actors dating in real life?

Arguably one of the best TV shows of all time, Normal People shot Paul Mescal to fame, and he’s now starring in the crop of 2024’s hottest new movies with Gladiator 2.

Meanwhile, fans will have been familiar with Natalie Portman for many years, from her appearance in the Star Wars timeline to her turn as an evil ballerina in Black Swan.

Suddenly, the two have been seen together, fuelling the rumor mill — but are Paul Mescal and Natalie Portman actually dating?

Are Paul Mescal and Natalie Portman dating?

Paul Mescal and Natalie Portman are not confirmed to be dating. However, new photos of the pair have fuelled rumors on social media.

The pair were seen together in London wearing matching T-shirts a few months after their joint appearance on Variety’s Actors on Actors, released in December 2023.

A source told People Magazine that the pair were “just friends,” but fans have questioned the duo’s chemistry seen in the interview.

28-year-old Mescal called Portman “utterly brilliant,” while the 42-year-old actress described Mescal’s body of work as “always so incredible.”

“If my drama school self knew that I would be talking to you, I would pinch myself many, many times!” Mescal added.

Both pair’s representatives have been asked for comment, with their alleged status unknown.

Natalie Portman divorce explained

Natalie Portman finalized her divorce from French choreographer Benjamin Millepied in March of this year, ending their 12-year marriage. Millepied had previously directed Mescal in the 2022 adaptation of Carmen.

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Portman filed for divorce in July 2023, one month after French magazine Voici alleged that 46-year-old Millepied had an affair with 25-year-old environmental activist Camille Étienne. People Magazine later followed up that the interaction was a “short-lived fling.”

Millepied directed his first feature film Carmen in 2021, with the Mescal replacing original male lead Jamie Dornan in November 2020. Female lead, Rossy de Palma, also replaced Scream’s Melissa Barrera as the titular character. The director also wrote the script.

The former couple have two children — Aleph, 12, and Amalia, seven. They lived together in France for several years.

No public comments were made by either party.

Daisy Edgar Jones rumours

It has never been confirmed if Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar Jones dated after their time starring in Normal People. However, a new photo of the pair stating they have an announcement to share has reignited rumors.

Normal People fans quickly went feral after the pair’s cryptic news announcement, with reveals such as Normal People Season 2 and a movie spinoff suggested alongside the pair’s confirmation of being a couple.

Sadly for them, none of these things came true, with the announcement simply being for a charity marathon screening they were hosting on behalf of Pieta and UNICEF.

Dating Rumors have been rife about the stars of the binge worthy TV show since 2020, with Edgar Jones once stating that she “fell in love” with Mescal during filming the series.

Paul Mescal dating history

Paul Mescal’s confirmed dating history includes American singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers, and the pair were reported to be engaged after two years of dating.

However, they are no longer together, with both Bridgers and Mescal hinting at their breakup between the end of 2022 and the beginning of 2023. Bridgers has been dating comedian Bo Burnham since 2022.

While the rest of Mescal’s dating life or history has never officially been confirmed, the actor was praised for his romantic chemistry with Andrew Scott in the 2023 movie All of Us Strangers.

Find even more of the best movies and TV shows streaming this month, or dive into all the new true crime documentaries around right now. If that’s not enough, find out what’s in store this year for K-dramas coming to Netflix.