In Hollywood, it’s not uncommon for some of the industry’s brightest stars to be romantically linked. Dating rumors are actually so common at this point that some people now follow them religiously, waiting to see if they pan out to be true. Sometimes they are, as was the case with former couple Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas in 2020 and apparently Mission: Impossible 7 co-stars Tom Cruise and Hayley Atwell. However, a few years back, sparks did not actually fly between rumored couple Brad Pitt and Alia Shawkat. Now, Shawkat is now recalling how Pitt responded to the reports that surrounded them.
The initial rumors initially started to surface towards the latter part of 2019 but, by November of that year, it was confirmed that there was nothing going on between the two. The following year, Alia Shawkat explained to Vulture that they were introduced by director Spike Jonze and that they were only friends. While the actress does seem to remain in the know when it comes to these kinds of situations, her once-rumored boyfriend is the opposite. Because according to Shawkat, he was totally unaware of what was being reported:
He had no awareness of it at all. Which is so funny. Because he doesn’t read that shit. I was, like, ‘You know everyone thinks we’re dating? And there’s this whole thing, and I’m being followed.’ And he was, like, ‘I’m sorry. It happens. If you hang out with me, it happens.’ He had no awareness of it at all.
Based on his public persona, the Oscar winner doesn’t seem to be one to concern himself with rumors, so this definitely tracks. It can, however, be hard to ignore the noise in some cases, as Alia Shawkat learned. During the same interview with The New Yorker, she recalled how the news humorously reached her grandmother:
But the other day I was at my grandmother’s house, my father’s mother. She’s been in this country for over thirty years and still barely speaks English. An Iraqi Muslim woman. She’s sitting there, watching her Turkish soap opera. And next to her is this old gossip magazine with Brad’s face, and my face in a small circle. And it says ‘Brad’s New Girl!’ And then on the inside it’s old Instagram photos of me and friends at dinner. It was, like, ‘ALL ABOUT ALIA.’ This whole made-up story about how we were healing each other by spending time together. All this crazy shit. I looked at my grandmother, like, ‘Why do you have this?’ She’s, like, ‘It’s you and this movie star! And it’s your face.’ I was embarrassed by it. I told her she had to throw it away. And she laughed.
Well, I’d say that’s a pretty awkward situation, though it sounds like the Being the Ricardos cast member’s grandmother got a real kick out of it. It can’t be easy for public figures to deal with constant dating rumors, but she seems to view things through a somewhat humorous lens. I mean, hey, if all else fails, laugh, right?
Mr. Pitt, having been in the limelight for decades now, has been the subject of plenty of dating rumors, aside from those connected to his past marriages to Jennifer Aniston and Angelina Jolie. In 2016, there was speculation as to whether he was dating Kate Hudson while, in 2020, he was rumored to be seeing a married woman. Just last year, he was linked to The United States Vs. Billie Holiday’s Andra Day, who responded to the claims in a somewhat witty way.
Most would agree that romance rumors can definitely be wild and unexpected. For instance, I don’t think anyone would’ve predicted that Brad Pitt’s ex, Angelina Jolie, would find herself linked to The Weeknd following the release of a new single. It can be difficult to determine what’s fact and what’s fiction, so it’s definitely appreciated when stars like Alia Shawkat set the record straight.
