Cara Delevingne & Ashley Benson's Uncomfortable Body Language Reveals So Much
Rumors have been swirling left and right about a potential relationship between Ashley Benson and Cara Delevigne ever since the two started working together on their film Her Smell, where they reportedly play — you guessed it — love interests. And, trust me, I could not be any more pumped about that possibility. But, unfortunately, Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson's Toronto Film Festival body language suggests that, even if they are in a relationship, things aren't necessarily going so great.
First, let me give you some back story. Why do people think they're dating? Well, they've given people plenty of reason to speculate. They were spotted leaving a Lauryn Hill concert together in May, they post pictures together on Instagram, they've been seen kissing at the airport, and, most recently, Benson commented "mine" on a picture Delevigne posted of herself on Instagram.
So, yeah, we've got lots of hints that suggest they're an item. But experts are perplexed by their body language at their recent appearance at the Toronto Film Festival. "Wow, these are interesting pics," says Traci Brown, body language expert and author of Persuasion Point. "I wouldn't think they were a couple unless you told me."
"They're just not showing up as a couple," agrees Patti Wood, body language expert and author of SNAP: Making the Most of First Impressions, Body Language, and Charisma. "When you're looking at these photos, one of the things that strikes you as a little bit off is that they're not appearing as a couple. The body language isn't showing them up as a couple."
What's so off? Let's discuss.
Even When They're Standing Side-By-Side, They Aren't Registering As A Couple
Yes, they're standing side-by-side in this image, but Wood reminds us that "even that is not an indication of a couple. They're in [a] close intimate zone of space but, in this instance, it's just so that they can both see the face of the woman they're talking to."
In general, their body language doesn't give romantic signals. "When it's two women [in a relationship], typically they orient more towards each other," continues Wood. "All their body windows — that's the front of the body, the ventral front — are facing towards each other and they're not orienting that way."
And they're not even on the same page about the conversation they're in. "[Delevingne] is clearly having a heartfelt moment with whoever she's talking to and Ashley couldn't be more bored," Brown asserts. "There's no emotion on her face and she's playing with her ring."
They're Definitely Playing Games With Each Other
"[Benson] looks more like she's with [actress Elisabeth Moss] on her left. See her arms wrapped around her? And [Delevingne] looks downright angry," asserts Brown
But why is Benson giving Moss more attention than her rumored girlfriend? Wood has a theory.
She explains that the way Benson is holding Moss is more the way we'd hold an object than how we'd hold a human being we're actually interested in. "The way she's holding her is akin to holding a glass like a beverage glass," she tells us.
Whether or not Benson is actually into Moss, Delevingne is definitely not pleased with what's going on. The tilt she has in her chin goes to show just how upset she is. "This is a little game," she asserts. "So the chin point and the look on [Delevingne's] face is suppressed anger. She's going, 'This is my woman over here,' with the chin point. I don't see the chin point very often. Period. So, I find that very interesting."
On the other hand, Moss seems happy to be held by Benson. "[Moss] is kind of getting into it like, 'Look at me, I got her. She's holding me.' So there's a game being played here."
Benson Could Just Not Be Ready To Take Their Relationship Public
"There's a real big tell if you look at the feet," says Wood. "See how [Benson] has her feet pointed not at her partner, but back towards [Moss]? If you look at her pelvis, the twist is a slight turn and twist towards [Moss] again and, if you look at the top of her body, see the tilt to the side towards that woman again? It's all extraordinarily subtle."
Wood believes this is both a subconscious and conscious effort being made by Benson to make it seem like she's with somebody else.
"Look at her left hand that is around the back of her partner and look at the finger sticking out stiff and straight and far apart. Those fingers are not surrounding [her], they're not together, they're not cupping, they're not bent around to hold," she explains. "They're just out. And, if you look at the shoulder, it's jutted up rather than relaxed into her partner. It's not softly coming back down into her partner. It's jutted up and forward away from her partner."
All of these clues tell us one thing: Benson's not totally comfortable with this relationship. "She's not comfortable with this yet in public," concludes Wood. "We don't know what we're doing yet in private but, in public, she doesn't want to communicate this."
"We don't see any emotion from the couple that would indicate they're happy together," adds Brown. "Were they just having a bad night? Was the party totally not fun? People are hardly smiling in any of these pics."
Brown says she's "giving them a big thumbs down on the happiness scale."
Now, of course, couples have off nights. One bad night doesn't necessarily mean their entire relationship is doomed. Let's not give up hope on them quite yet.
