A pop star and an NBA player go to Lucien
It's Gossip Time!
Hello and welcome to Gossip Time, a weekly guide to the stars by Allie Jones. This week: a pop star meets an NBA star, a celebrity couple calls off a seven-year engagement, and Jude Law buys bread.
Is now a good time to start dating someone new? If you’re Selena Gomez, I say, why not. The 28-year-old pop star and first-time voter has been spotted hanging out with the Miami Heat’s Jimmy Butler in recent days, sparking, as they say in the biz, romance rumors. The paparazzi haven’t captured photos of the two of them together yet, but a tipster told Deuxmoi they saw them on a date at Lucien in the East Village this week. (I haven’t really discussed Deuxmoi in this newsletter before, but if you’re interested in learning more about the woman behind the account, I recently interviewed her.)
Butler, 31, was last linked to model Kaitlin Nowak; they reportedly had a baby daughter together in October. Gomez, meanwhile, hasn’t seriously dated anyone since she broke up with Justin Bieber for the last time in early 2018. According to Instagram, Gomez and Butler share an interest in the hip millennial brand of evangelical Christianity — Butler reposted one of Zoe Church pastor Chad Veach’s talks before a game last year. (Veach is definitely replacing Carl Lentz in the hot pastor power rankings, right?)
When will we catch a glimpse of Gomez and Butler together? Hopefully soon: Gomez typically doesn’t shy away from the paparazzi, even in casual relationships. Perhaps you remember that she and The Weeknd announced they were dating in 2017 by making out by the dumpsters at Giorgio Baldi in full view of several photographers. And then, of course, there’s this iconic pap shot, taken outside the Forum in 2014. Stay tuned.
Also hanging out this week, unexpectedly: Chris Evans and Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman. Raisman, 26, posted several Instagram stories of her dog Mylo on a “playdate” with Evans’ dog Dodger. Evans, 39, was wearing the Knives Out sweater:
Are these two Massachusetts natives … friends? New romantic partners? Just really into their dogs? It’s not clear, but it seems like they want attention for whatever it is they have going on.
Evans, of course, was last linked to actress Lily James: The two were photographed hanging out together in London over several days in July. That relationship was short-lived, though, as James quickly moved on with the 51-year-old married actor Dominic West. He’s doing great, by the way:
In end-of-relationship news, Olivia Wilde, 36, and Jason Sudeikis, 45, have called off their seven-year engagement. The pair gave People the exclusive, and they timed it so that the story would go live at 7:41 pm on Friday. That PR strategy seems to have worked: There hasn’t been much public interest in the breakup. According to People’s source, the split “happened at the beginning of the year.” Another source told Us Weekly that “they’ve been separated for months now and there really is no drama. They’re handling this like adults.”
What’s odd is that up until the breakup announcement, Wilde and Sudeikis acted like they were still together, even though according to the timeline laid out in the tabloids, they were not. In August, Sudeikis told All Access the story of the couple’s first kiss: "I just had a hunch that the second I kissed her, I wasn't going to end up kissing anyone ever again, so it was like I had to be careful with it," he said. The next month, Wilde told People that she was grateful for the “extra family time” she got this year with Sudeikis and their two kids. Shortly thereafter, they were photographed hugging each other on the beach in Malibu.
So why announce the split now? I’d guess one or both of them wants to start publicly dating someone else.
Two’s a trend: The hot new celebrity moneymaking scheme is partnering with a minimalist sex toy company. On Wednesday, Dakota Johnson announced that she’s joining Maude, a startup that sells $45 vibrators in a range of muted colors. And on Thursday, Johnson’s friend (and rumored romantic interest circa 2016) Cara Delevingne announced that she’s joining Lora DiCarlo, a startup that sells even more expensive vibrators in a wider range of muted colors.
Both stars got fancy titles, which is the trend in celebrity sponsorships these days: Johnson is an “investor and co-creative director,” and Delevingne is a “co-owner and creative adviser.” (Jennifer Aniston also announced an endorsement deal this week with the decidedly non-sexual supplement company Vital Proteins; she is the “chief creative officer and global partner.”)
Let me know one of these announcements influences you to make a purchase.
STUFF BY HILARY DUFF: Hilary Duff got a St. Bernard puppy, for some reason.
Finally, I’ll leave you with this photo of Jude Law carrying a loaf of bread in London on Wednesday:
I hope you all find ways to stay cozy inside this week.
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