by By Megan O’Keefe
In the world of Hollywood, it’s not uncommon for actors to be linked romantically on and off-screen. So, whenever two co-stars have that electric spark between them, it’s only a matter of time before juicy rumors start flying about a potential love connection. This is certainly the case for Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, whose questionable relationship is the hot topic of social media’s most recent controversy.
As one of Hollywood’s fast-rising stars, 25-year-old actress, Sydney Sweeney, has created quite the buzz with her memorable performances in shows like Euphoria and The White Lotus. Meanwhile, Glen Powell, 34, has been a steadily working actor for over a decade, with roles in blockbuster films like Hidden Figures and Top Gun: Maverick.
The two actors have been the subject of romance rumors for weeks as leaked photos and videos from their upcoming R-rated rom-com, Anyone But You, have taken social media by storm. However, it’s not the spotted on-set connection that has fans talking, but the social media glimpse into the undeniable chemistry both co-stars share in their personal lives. It wouldn’t be so controversial if the two A-list celebrities weren’t already in existing relationships–Glen Powell with his girlfriend of over two years, Gigi Paris, and Sydney Sweeney soon-to-be-married to Chicago-based businessman, Jonathan Davino.
Yet, it’s important to remember that these rumors are just that – rumors. While Sweeney and Powell may appear to be engaging in a scandalous fling, that doesn’t necessarily mean they’re romantically involved off-screen.
It’s worth noting that most rumors speculating co-star romances are fueled by PR strategies designed to promote a film or TV show. In the case of Sweeney and Powell, it’s possible the playful and sensual nature of their relationship was intentionally played up to generate buzz for their upcoming romance movie. Unsurprisingly, this is an effective tactic in the entertainment industry because the media loves to exploit the personal lives of celebrities and audiences love to gossip.
The downside to this tactic is that these PR strategies can have real-world consequences for the actors involved. We are already starting to see backlash from the social media onslaught as Paris confirms her split from Powell with a sassy Instagram clap back and Davino is papped leaving Sweeney’s home with packed bags.
The reality is–stunts like this are successful because social media has revolutionized the way we interact with celebrities. With platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok, audiences now have immediate access to a celebrity’s every move with just a simple click. As a result, this level of accessibility encourages the unhealthy creation of parasocial relationships between fans and celebrities.
A parasocial relationship is a one-sided bond created when fans feel a strong emotional attachment to a celebrity, even though they have never met them in person. Social media has amplified this phenomenon, as fans now have the illusion of intimacy with their favorite stars through direct messages, likes, and comments. This can be positive for fans who feel a sense of connection and community with others who share their admiration for the celebrity, but it can also have negative consequences, like in Sweeney and Powell’s scenario.
This isn’t the first time we have seen this type of behavior from fans. Remember the ‘Brangelina’ drama between Mr. & Mrs. Smith co-stars, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, back in 2005? Although 18 years have passed since the scandal took place, it’s remarkable that most people today could still recall the events and their opinions on it (with heated passion). Despite making their relationship public and getting married shortly after, audiences still questioned whether Brangelina was real or just another Hollywood publicity stunt.
So, the question remains–is the spicy co-mingling between Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell all to promote the new movie? Ultimately, it’s up to Sweeney and Powell to decide how much they want to share their personal lives on social media, and as fans, it’s important to recognize that we don’t genuinely know these people outside of what we see online. Regardless, the rumors are garnering attention for the movie or else I wouldn’t be writing about it. In theory, the relationship is definitely generating publicity, but is it all a stunt? Until someone decides to make a public statement, the world may never know.
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Hi there,
Very insightful post! It’s crazy to me just how small the barrier between us and celebrities has gotten in terms of communication. To able to follow them so closely, reach them so easily and do all of it through a screen is both cool and scary. I think when every person in every single profession and class is displayed on the same social plane, it’s easy to become disoriented and misconstrue things. It’s awesome that we are able to access so much information at the click of a button, but in my opinion, it needs to be balanced with the idea that we’re looking at things through a pinhole, and everything might not be as it seems (like Sydney Sweeney’s off-screen relationship with Glen Powell).
This post provides a great analysis of the impact of parasocial relationships on celebrity gossip in social media through the noteworthy example of Sydney Sweeney and Gwen Powell. I appreciate the mention of the benefits and harms of celebrity gossip from both a business and personal perspective. In recent years, many celebrities have spoken out about the detriments of such rumors and gossip on their mental health and online persona. This is often due to the close relationship fans feel they have with celebrities who share intimate details of their lives through social media. Although this is hugely successful as a PR strategy, as mentioned, it raises ethical questions about the cost of rumors on the celebrities, and their teams and families, involved.
Hi Megan!
Such a great read—I will admit I am a pop-culture/celebrity scandal junky! It is still so surprising to me how much access we have to celebrities and their personal lives. Yes, I do think social media has exacerbated the problem and creates a large platform for rumors to grow. I do wonder, however, if I was better or worse for celebrities when the only people who had a say in the narrative of these PR stunts were the paparazzi. One photo on Page Six and the narrative is set in stone. Now with so many platforms and so many opinions available on comment sections, I wonder if it is better or worse for these celebs.
Hi Megan!
I loved this blog! It’s so fun to read a detailed post about the topics that I read about Twitter all day and I liked how you summarized it all nicely. I appreciated that you said, “It’s important to recognize that we don’t genuinely know these people outside of what we see online.” Often on social media, people seem to think they know everything about people in the public eye. This is exactly what PR professionals and publicists want, so they can control the narrative. I really enjoyed your description of a parasocial relationship.
I have been following this little scandal as it’s been unfolding. I love how you said “…audiences love to gossip.” Because thats the reason this post caught my eye. Im not sure it’s possible for us to determine if it’s a PR stunt or not, just from the information we’ve gained. It’s great you compared it to “Brangelina” as it feels very similar. I like how you give a close analysis of audience-celebrity relationships and how it impacts the medias reaction. If this IS a PR stunt, I would love to hear who’s behind it and their objective for it.
I think it is so strange how we as a society tend to analyze celebrities’ relationships and encounters and also somehow feel entitled to know all the details. Recently I have been seeing so many articles and blogs about how certain couples are too awkward, but then the moment they even interact in a friendly manner they might be having an affair. I do think in this case the interactions seemed very close, yet it is still so intriguing to me how much people feel entitled to an opinion on human beings they don’t know and their possible private relationships.