Paul Mescal & Phoebe Bridgers’ Relationship Timeline Is An Emotional Ride

Paul Mescal and Phoebe Bridgers were, no doubt, among the cutest couples of 2022. The Normal People actor and “Motion Sickness” singer appeared to confirm months (and months!) of dating rumors at the LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles on Nov. 6, 2021, when they posed for pictures on the red carpet with their arms adorably wrapped around one another. Though this was their first official public appearance as a couple, their romance stretches all the way back to a Twitter exchange in the spring of 2020. Which, much like their photos at the gala, is unbelievably sweet.

On May 11, 2020, Bridgers tweeted that she’d finished watching Normal People, the series in which Mescal starred as Connell Waldron (and, you know, made everyone wish their boyfriend wore a silver chain). “Finished normal people and now I’m sad and horny oh wait [sic],” Bridgers wrote, to which Mescal replied, “I’m officially dead.” But their Twitter convo didn’t end there! Bridgers then replied to say, “noo don’t die your so talented aha [sic],” and Mescal quipped back, “Too late… Dead,” accompanied by a GIF of a woman sliding off a couch.

It was silly and charming and the perfect digital meet-cute for this pair, but things haven’t stayed quite so simple in the years since. In December 2022, breakup rumors started circling the couple although they haven’t confirmed anything yet. So, before you start mourning too much, here’s a look at Mescal and Bridgers’ full relationship timeline.

May 2020: Bridgers & Mescal Hosted An Instagram Live Together

Later that same month — on May 21, 2021 — Bridgers and Mescal teamed up to host an Instagram Live for Wonderland magazine, during which Bridgers interviewed Mescal (and his plant, Henry).

“I feel like I should be interviewing you because honestly, like, I think it’s well-documented that I love your music,” Mescal said, making Bridgers blush. I mean, have you ever heard anything cuter?

Rumor has it, once their Instagram interview was over, the two continued chatting and enjoying drinks over Zoom, as reported by The Mirror. And not long after that, Mescal reportedly invited Bridgers to visit Ireland, where she flew to see him that July.

June 2020: Bridgers Said Mescal Gave Her Heart “A Little Pitter-Patter”

In an interview with NME that ran the following month, Bridgers was quick to call Mescal “the cute boy” from Normal People and saying she “got a little pitter-patter in [her] heart” when she saw he’d followed her on Instagram.

July 2020: Bridgers & Mescal Hung Out In Ireland

While it’s unclear whether Bridgers flew to Ireland specifically to see Mescal or just to enjoy the Irish countryside, the two were spotted canoodling at a cafe in Kinsale that July, officially launching a flurry of dating rumors.

December 2020: Mescal Appeared In Bridgers’ Music Video

Months later, Mescal and Bridgers publicly joined forces again to bring Bridgers’ new song, “Savior Complex,” to life. Mescal starred in the song’s music video, directed by Fleabag’s Phoebe Waller-Bridge.

February 2021: Bridgers Wished Mescal A Happy Birthday On Instagram

On Feb. 2, 2021, Bridgers wished Mescal a happy 25th birthday on her Instagram story, saying, “Happy birthday pizza boy @paulmescal.” How deliciously sweet!

October 2021: Bridgers & Mescal Stepped Out For Halloween

For most of 2021, things were pretty quiet on the Bridgers and Mescal front, with little news of the couple making headlines. On Oct. 31, though, the two appeared in a photo dump on comedian Ziwe Fumudoh’s Instagram page, seemingly dressed as Machine Gun Kelly and Megan Fox in coordinated black ensembles.

November 2021: Bridgers & Mescal Made Their First Official Public Appearance Together

And then (and then!), on Nov. 6, Bridgers and Mescal gave us the greatest gift of all: a public appearance at the 2021 LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles — locked in a loose embrace — essentially confirming that yes, they were indeed a couple.

That same day, Bridgers also tweeted, “paul thinks thousand island is called hundred years sauce [sic].”

December 2021: Bridgers & Mescal Went Instagram Official

Posted without comment or caption, Bridgers shared an adorable selfie with Mescal (looking like he was about to kiss her cheek!) on her Instagram page on Dec. 11, further verifying their relationship. The internet subsequently lost its mind. MTV commented to say, “i’m prying (pretty crying) [sic].” Same, MTV.

June 2022: Bridgers Opened Up About “Sidelines”

In April 2022, Bridgers released her song “Sidelines,” a much happier version of her typical music. “Writing about my relationship with only good sh*t, because that’s all I feel, is hard,” she told The Guardian in June 2022. “But it makes it easy when you’re actually having those feelings.”

November 2022: Engagement Rumors Swirled

When The Guardian published a profile of Mescal on Nov. 6, the outlet casually dropped that Mescal and Bridgers were engaged, seemingly confirming previous reports. However, the outlet later retracted the statement, explaining, “An earlier version said that Paul Mescal and Phoebe Bridgers were now engaged; this had been reported elsewhere but has not in fact been confirmed by the couple.”

December 2022: Breakup Rumors Started

In December 2022, Bridgers and Mescal’s relationship reportedly hit a rough patch, as rumors surfaced that Bridgers was dating comedian Bo Burnham. Per Jezebel, Bridgers was spotted at Burnham’s comedy show on Dec. 19. Earlier that month, an anonymous source told @DeuxMoi that Bridgers and Burnham was spotted “canoodling” and “making out.” Another claimed, “Can confirm the engagement is off between Paul Mescal and Phoebe Bridgers. It’s not an open relationship in the slightest. Paul found out about Phoebe and Bo and called off the engagement."