- Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal first connected on Twitter (now X) in May 2020
- Mescal starred in the music video for Bridgers’ “Savior Complex” in December 2020
- Bridgers wrote the 2022 love song “Sidelines” about Mescal
- Mescal would not address breakup rumors with Bridgers in a February 2023 Vanity Fair interview
Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal have called it quits.
The “Kyoto” singer and the Irish actor’s romance was first sparked by a series of flirty Twitter (now X) exchanges in May 2020. After watching Mescal star in the romantic drama series Normal People, Bridgers shared her thoughts on Twitter, writing: “Finished Normal People and now I’m sad and horny oh wait.” The following day, Mescal responded, saying, “I’m officially dead,” to which the singer replied, “Nooo don’t die your [sic] so talented aha.”
The duo continued to interact on social media until they made their red carpet debut in November 2021. While the couple made some notable public appearances, they kept their relationship relatively private. Mescal seemingly spoke about Bridgers in a 2020 interview with GQ and though he didn’t explicitly name her, he said his girlfriend was “a lifesaver” during the COVID-19 lockdown.
“To have someone to lean on through such a mad, mad time has been invaluable,” Mescal said. “Really, I don’t know where I’d be without her.”
When fans began to speculate that they had broken up in late 2022, both Bridgers and Mescal continued to keep the details of their relationship — and rumored split — private.
However, Bridgers is now rumored to be dating comedian Bo Burnham, and in August 2024, PEOPLE learned that Mescal is ” hooking up” with singer Gracie Abrams.
Keep reading for a complete timeline of Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal’s relationship.
May 12, 2020: Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal interact on Twitter
On May 11, 2020, Bridgers shared her thoughts about Normal People, the buzzed-about Hulu series based on the Sally Rooney novel of the same name, on Twitter. “Finished Normal People and now I’m sad and horny oh wait,” she wrote. Mescal, who starred in one of the lead roles as Connell, responded to her the following day, saying “I’m officially dead,” to which Bridgers replied, “nooo don’t die your [sic] so talented aha.”
May 23, 2020: Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal interview each other on Instagram Live
Bridgers and Mescal, who both appeared on separate covers of the summer 2020 issue of Wonderland Magazine, hosted an Instagram Live together on the publication’s page. Their chemistry was undeniable as they chatted about the singer’s forthcoming album, Punisher, and Mescal’s role in Normal People.
In one particularly flirtatious moment, Mescal said, “I think it’s well documented that I love your music.” Bridgers replied, “Well, that makes me blush.”
June 12, 2020: Phoebe Bridgers talks about Paul Mescal in an interview
In an interview with NME, Bridgers said she had started watching Normal People and referred to Mescal as the “cute boy.” She also mentioned that he had followed her on Instagram, saying, “I got a little pitter-patter in my heart when I saw.”
The outlet reported that Bridgers sent Mescal her album Punisher in preparation for their Instagram Live interview for Wonderland.
July 23, 2020: Phoebe Bridgers reportedly visits Paul Mescal in Ireland
While they had yet to confirm a romantic relationship, Bridgers and Mescal were reportedly spotted together in Ireland, where Mescal is from. No photos were released, but the Lemon Leaf Café in Kinsale, Ireland, shared via Twitter that the pair had apparently dined at their establishment earlier that day.
“Fan- Tas- Tic day thanks to @mescal_Paul and @phoebe_bridgers for calling to our café this morning for breakfast,” the tweet read. “Such amazing talented young people.”
November 28, 2020: Paul Mescal mentions his relationship in an interview
Though he did not explicitly name Bridgers, Mescal spoke about his girlfriend during an interview with GQ. The actor said he wanted to keep her identity private, but called her “a lifesaver” throughout the quarantine period of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“To have someone to lean on through such a mad, mad time has been invaluable,” Mescal said. “Really, I don’t know where I’d be without her.”
December 8, 2020: Paul Mescal stars in Phoebe Bridgers’ music video for “Savior Complex”
In a collaboration that made fans go wild, Mescal starred in the music video for Bridgers’ song “Savior Complex,” which was directed by Fleabag creator and star Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The video was filmed in black-and-white and while it only features a brief interaction between Bridgers and Mescal, it was enough to fuel even more speculation from fans that the pair were dating.
November 6, 2021: Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal make their red carpet debut
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Seemingly confirming the pair’s romance, Bridgers and Mescal walked the red carpet together at the 2021 LACMA Art + Film Gala in Los Angeles. The couple were dressed to the nines, with Bridgers in a cream-colored lace blouse and red tartan skirt and Mescal in a black tuxedo.
They posed for photos with Mescal’s arm around Bridgers’ waist, and at one point, Bridgers rested her head on Mescal’s shoulder as they smiled for the cameras.That same night, Bridgers posted a playful tweet that has since been deleted, in which she poked fun at Mescal for a misnomer during the event’s dinner.
“Paul thinks thousand island is called hundred years sauce,” she wrote.
December 10, 2021: Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal make their relationship Instagram official
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After plenty of back and forth on social media, Bridgers and Mescal finally confirmed their relationship on Instagram. The singer shared a sweet selfie of the couple that showed Bridgers smiling at the camera while Mescal leaned into the side of her face. She didn’t include a caption, but regardless, the photo itself was a clear declaration of their romance.
The couple gave fans yet another small glimpse into their romance when Bridgers shared a now-deleted black-and-white photo on Instagram that showed the pair strewn across a bed with her arm over Mescal. While the caption didn’t reference the holiday (it merely gave credit to the photographer), the image was posted on Valentine’s Day.
May 2, 2022: Phoebe Bridgers and Paul Mescal appear at the Met Gala together
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Bridgers and Mescal made their second red carpet appearance together at the 2022 Met Gala in New York City. While Bridgers technically attended with Jonathan Simkhai, the designer of her glittering gown, the couple posed for photos together as well as with Mescal’s Normal People costar, Daisy Edgar-Jones.
June 1, 2022: Paul Mescal makes a cameo in Phoebe Bridgers’ “Sidelines” music video
Mescal appeared in another one of his girlfriend’s music videos in June 2022. The video was for Bridgers’ song “Sidelines,” which was created for the Hulu series Conversations With Friends — another Sally Rooney adaption!
It was comprised of behind-the-scenes tour footage and Mescal made a brief cameo toward the end. The couple was seen sitting backstage with a group of people at one of Bridgers’ concerts and laughing.
Bridgers posted the video on Instagram and shared that her brother had made it.
June 24, 2022: Phoebe Bridgers says “Sidelines” is about Paul Mescal
In an interview with The Guardian, Bridgers discussed her love song “Sidelines,” which she co-wrote with her drummer Marshall Vore, and revealed that it is partially about Mescal.
She noted, however, that it was not the easiest song to write as it is a far cry from her usual melancholic, emotional music.
“Writing about my relationship with only good s—, because that’s all I feel, is hard,” she said, adding about the happiness she feels with Mescal: “but it makes it easy when you’re actually having those feelings.”
July 28, 2022: Phoebe Bridgers sings onstage with Paul Mescal’s little sister
During the third night of her sold-out residency at London’s O2 Academy Brixton, Bridgers pulled Mescal’s younger sister, up-and-coming indie singer Nell Mescal, onstage to perform her song “Georgia” with her.
The young artist later told NME of her relationship with her brother’s girlfriend, “It’s just nice to have someone that you respect so much be so kind to you, and just to have them in your daily life.”
September 1, 2022: Paul Mescal supports Phoebe Bridgers’ new project
Bridgers’ upcoming project, a collaboration with The 1975, was well underway in September 2022 when the pop rock band and the “Motion Sickness” singer filmed a music video together in London.
Mescal was on hand to support his girlfriend and snap some impressive behind-the-scenes shots of the musicians. Bridgers shared the images on Instagram, captioning the post simply, “Paul took these.”
Bridgers is set to sing on four tracks of the band’s fifth studio album, as frontman Matty Healy told Music Week.
Mescal spoke to PEOPLE about taking Bridgers to the Telluride Film Festival, where they enjoyed new films together.
“We do have the same taste, but it’s also really fun to take your partner to something which is not their world,” Mescal said. “It’s cool to sit in at the Women Talking world premiere with your partner and get to experience that together and talk about it after.”
December 2022: Fans think Phoebe Bridgers is hinting at breakup with Paul Mescal in new song
Bridgers contributed a verse to SZA‘s song “Ghost in the Machine.” The lyrics, which Bridgers said she penned in the past month, tell of a massive fight — and they have fans speculating that she and Mescal have called it quits.
“You said all of my friends are on my payroll/You’re not wrong, you’re an assh—,” Bridgers sings on the track. “Screaming at you in the Ludlow/I was yours for free.”
February 14, 2023: Paul Mescal says he won’t address rumors that he and Phoebe Bridgers broke up
In an interview with Vanity Fair, Mescal opened up about his hesitancy to share personal information, such as the status of his relationship, with the public.
The Normal People actor noted that while there is a “temptation to say the status of my whatever,” he prefers to keep his personal life private and said addressing rumors doesn’t “serve” him.
“The temptation still exists to be like, ‘Shut the f— up. This is my life. This is what’s going on. Or this is what’s not going on.’ But moving forward as much as I can, that’s going to be my life that is private,” he said.
August 19, 2024: Source says Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams are “hooking up”
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Weiss Eubanks/NBCUniversal/Getty; Jeff Spicer/Getty
A romance is reportedly blossoming between Mescal and singer Gracie Abrams. “They’ve been hooking up and it’s still early stages,” a source told PEOPLE.
The couple were first spotted together in June 2024 at BRAT Restaurant in London.
