Celebrity showmances: what’s real and what’s fake?

From Sabrina and Barry to Taylor and Travis, let's investigate...

Jan 19, 2025

Goes without saying that all my opinions here are trivial speculation and just for fun. I don’t know any of these people personally and I’m probably wrong about all of them!

Showmances, Fauxmances, Sham Marriages. Whatever you prefer to call them, PR relationships are apparently rife in the celebrity world—though the stars and their publicists do a pretty thorough job of keeping them quiet.

One of the oldest tricks in the Hollywood book, as long as we’ve had stars, we’ve had staged relationships. Elizabeth Taylor was in one, as was Jean Acker. The romantic linking of two notable - and often gorgeous - people can be a more lucrative deal than any leading film role or number-one hit. And what’s a little bit of scheduled pretence to those already so adept at performing?

Sadly, showmances were - and still sometimes are - used as a way to conceal a person’s sexuality. In Taylor Jenkins Reid’s novel The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, we’re told the story of four queer people - two women and two men - who agree to become two pairs of husbands and wives to better conceal their desires in an unaccepting world. A fictional story, but one that is based on very real realities for some people.

But there’s also a more current (and hetero) reason for creating false relationships, and that is the compelling Couple Brand.

It’s sometimes why, when two ‘It People’ join forces, or two actors working on the same movie suddenly announce their undying love, it can raise eyebrows. These couples feel convenient in a way that’s more business than butterflies. But whether we like them, loathe them, or couldn’t care less about them, we still hear about them. And that, my friends, is just what they’re hoping for.

The Simpsons" A Fish Called Selma (TV Episode 1996) - IMDb — “Sure you'll be a sham wife, but you'll be the envy of every other sham wife in town!”

So, in the name of idle gossip (can you tell that I’ve been rewatching Bridgerton?) let’s take a look at some of today’s most scrutinised and idolised celebrity pairs to explore whether we think it’s true love, or a good old-fashioned Hollywood sham…

Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keogan

I have to admit, when this couple first hard launched, I did think it was quite a curious pairing. They didn’t appear to have much in common, other than being short. She was the sparkling, innuendo-loving Polly Pocket, he was Ireland’s latest serious-faced Oscar-favourite. In hindsight, though, I think this is exactly why this relationship could be the real deal. Starring in Sabrina’s music video for Please Please Please certainly didn’t do much for Barry’s career prowess. The only reason I can think of is that he was down bad.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Supposedly, there are leaked documents that ‘prove’ Taylor and Travis’ relationship is just for PR purposes—but I’m sure we’re all sensible enough to take this kind of proof with a grain of salt. As a clear romantic, I’m not sure why Taylor - in the prime of her life - would be wasting her time in a sham relationship. Then again, the publicity the pair have gained from this union is both unparalleled and expertly timed. She achieves the highest-grossing tour in history. He wins the Super Bowl. Is it too much of a scripted fairytale? I’m on the fence with this one.

Gigi Hadid and Bradley Cooper

Okay, I’m 90% sure this one is a big ol’ showmance. Not least because apparently people in New York regularly see them loitering on street corners waiting for their paid paparazzi to shout “action”. Objectively hilarious, and I’d love to see these two dawdling about in their matching outfits with zero chemistry, but true love? Please. My sides.

Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet

I don’t think the Kar-jenners do anything without first running it through the brand machine. In this way, I think every relationship they’ve ever had is, in a sense, a showmance. But, similarly to Barry and Sabrina, I’m not completely sold on what Timothée or Kylie is gaining from the other, except for money. And maybe, boringly, that’s all it is? But their brands don’t align in my eyes, so maybe they really do like each other. Or at least came to like each other, after Kris Jenner made them sign the contract in blood…

Chaney Jones and Kanye West

It’s thanks to Julia Fox that we can safely assume the brief relationship between Kanye West and Chaney Jones (or any other girlfriend of his, for that matter) was a fundamental PR stunt. In Fox’s autobiography Down the Drain, she tells us of the militant rules and dress codes West requires all his “girlfriends” to follow, as well as NDAs that they’re made to sign (though Fox refused). Aside from that information, though, it seems clear West dated Jones for the shock factor as she’s the spitting image of his ex-wife Kim Kardashian. In my mind, it was obviously some kind of homage to Kim. Whether complimentary or antagonistic, possibly only West knows.

Victoria and David Beckham

I have this long-held belief that football players and their partners enter into some kind of mutual agreement of non-monogamy because of how much “cheating” goes on. I think their partners get access to near-bottomless wealth, travel and notoriety, and in return, the footballer is free to do whatever he likes—like a sort of corporate polyamory. I think this is the case for Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez, and I think it’s also the case for the Beckhams. The difference is I think the Beckham’s relationship was born from genuine love, but has since become so entangled with their brand that abandoning it would be a PR disaster. I also think that - unlike a lot of sham marriages - David and Victoria do actually like each other, even if they’re not particularly monogamous.

Zendaya and Tom Holland

Ending on a palate cleanser, just in case you’d begun to believe true love no longer exists. There’s a reason why Zendaya and Tom Holland are everyone’s favourite notable couple, and it’s because they radiate genuine, unprompted affection for one another. You could show me video evidence of them admitting to a showmance and I’d still scoff in your face. No notes. I hope they stay together forever.

What do you think, friends? Have I got any of these catastrophically wrong? Are there any other couples you think are all for show, or any you’d shout out as absolutely genuine? Leave a comment below!