Florence Pugh and Paul Mescal were both at the BAFTAs this weekend. And of course they hit the afterparties. Now according to the British tabloids they might be a thing – the Sun is reporting that they were hanging out at the Netflix post-BAFTA event. 

 

Here’s how they reported it: 

“Florence, 28, was seen party- ­hopping after the main do, heading to the NoMad Hotel for the Universal after-show bash. She then flitted two miles away to the Chiltern Firehouse, where Paul was enjoying some of the hospitality laid on by Netflix. She arrived at the event at around 1.30am and then spent the rest of the night rubbing shoulders with heart-throb Paul, also 28, as well as stars including Rosamund Pike, Sacha Baron Cohen and Lily James. And it was not the first time Paul is said to have made eyes at Florence — the pair were spotted having dinner in New York in the US last week.”

 

“Rubbing shoulders” is not generally used as an expression that suggests romance. Why are we so short on details here? What exactly were Flo and Paul doing to give people the idea that they weren’t just all there to party? How were they interacting? Were they flirty? Was she sitting on his lap? Was he sitting on her lap? Why is this so f-cking vague?

I want to believe it – but there’s nothing here that’s giving certainty. Except for maybe that dinner in New York last week but even this is flimsy because Flo and Paul have known each other a while. Here they are last year at a couple of industry events: 

Florence Pugh and Paul Mescal attend The 43rd London Critics' Circle Film Awards at The May Fair Hotel on February 5, 2023 in London, England
 
Florence Pugh and Paul Mescal attend the The CAA Pre-Oscar Party at Sunset Tower Hotel on March 10, 2023 in Los Angeles, California
 

They’re the same age, they’re successful actors, they’re based in London, they move in the same circles – a dinner in New York isn’t sufficient evidence. And, again, I’m not trying to discredit evidence, I’m actively looking for more of it, more concrete evidence so that we can add this couple to the gossip curriculum. 

Because if it’s true, if Flo and Paul are indeed a thing, it came straight out of the internet’s fantasy matchmaker forum. She is wildly popular online. He is also wildly popular online. They are prom queen and king of white social media. I’m just not sure if they’re real quite yet. 

We're talking about this on The Squawk! (app link here)