Um, did Ayo Edebiri and Paul Mescal just soft-launch a relationship?

The internet nearly imploded on Sunday when Ayo Edebiri (Ireland’s honorary princess) shared a St. Patrick’s Day photo with Paul Mescal. “Happy St Paddy’s,” she wrote, with the pic of them laughing side by side on some steps.

“They’re my Barbie and Ken” reacted one fan. “They look beautiful together,” added another. “A very romantic relationship,” claimed a third as the pandemonium continued. 

This is not the first time Ayo and Paul have posted pics together. But there’s something about this photo which has spawned a million dating rumours. So, here’s what seems to be going on with all the information we have so far: 

Awards season – Endless red carpet pics and Insta uploads 

Ayo and Paul have been friends for ages and were most recently seen together at the BAFTAs taking a pic with his All of Us Strangers co-star Andrew Scott. In the weeks before, Paul also shared a pic partying with Ayo to his private Instagram’s story, which had everybody asking “How do you get in this friend group, please?” 

26 November – Paul says he wants to be in a rom com with Ayo 

While doing press for his last film All of Us Strangers Paul revealed his acting dream would actually be to star alongside Ayo in a rom-com. “I think the next five years I’m going to set myself a challenge to do maybe a rom-com with Ayo or something like that would be cool,” he said. 

“Paul and I have spoken about it,” Ayo responded. “Something that’s got, like, a heart, so he [Paul] can still flex his drama muscles where it’s like, the covert rom-com. Like, still a rom-com, but we got to get something inventive.”

17 March – The St. Patrick’s Day photo 

Obviously Ayo was always going to lean into the St Patrick’s Day celebration amid the internet’s running joke she’s from Ireland (she’s actually from Boston). It’s not really clear whether this pic was actually from Sunday or if it’s an old one of her and Paul together but, either way, it has everybody obsessed. This could be a soft launch – only time (and more keyboard rattling selfies) will tell. Because Paul and Ayo are yet to confirm or deny anything themselves. 

(Later on) 17 March – The author of Book Lovers gets involved 

The other running theory about Paul and Ayo is that they’re not romantically involved at all but actually about to star in the adaptation of Emily Henry’s novel Book Lovers together.  

Book Lovers is being adapted by the producers of Aftersun (which Paul starred in) and Emily posted the St Paddy’s day pic to her story after Ayo shared it, which obviously now has everyone down a deep rom-com conspiracy theory. Please, say it’s so. 

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Wait, does this TikTok catch Paul Mescal in the act of running away from one night stands?

• Take this quiz to see if Ireland would adopt you like they’ve adopted Ayo Edebiri

• Despite what Twitter says, no Ayo Edebiri isn’t actually Irish

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