Why am I posting about a non-story? We’ve been conditioned to be skeptical of celebrities when they’re perceived to be protesting too much and over at The Squawk there have been some questions about the latest pap shots of Dakota Johnson that were taken shortly after those reports of a breakup. It’s a good example of media hygiene.
It was the Daily Mail that reported on Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin’s alleged split. They claim they have a source but it would seem that they were basing their story on pap shots that were taken of Dakota on a hike and she wasn’t wearing her engagement ring.
Shortly after the Daily Mail’s story, several mainstream American outlets were able to get a comment from Dakota’s publicist, on the record, refuting the Daily Mail’s report; that includes PEOPLE, TMZ, and Page Six. Dakota’s team shut it down swiftly.
But some people remained suspicious, perhaps because a few months ago, after giving a lift to a woman who was on the way to the Coldplay concert in England, she went on social media to share the experience and casually mentioned that Chris was single. The fan ended up correcting that detail and sources at the time connected to both Chris and Dakota also placed assurances in the media confirming that the two are still together but the seed was already planted.
And then Dakota went hiking without her ring on. So the Daily Mail does what they do, with their usual f-ckery, and blasted out an exclusive about a breakup.
What is unusual is that, just for added emphasis, Dakota very blatantly flashed her ring for the paps the next day. I laughed when I saw that photo I just linked to – because while it’s not typical of Dakota to do a pap walk, it is very on brand for her to be a punk. And that expression on her face is so hysterically irreverent, she’s at once impatient but also trolling, like she’s about to laugh, laugh in the face of the f-cking Daily Mail.
Is this a case of protesting too much? Well, according to TMZ, two weeks ago she was at the Coldplay show in Helsinki. I’m never here to give the Daily Mail any credit. And while I understand why some might consider the possibility of Dakota and Chris being over, it’s also possible that she came too hard with the shutdown because she wanted to make them look like clowns?
