Yahoo Lifestyle Who Is Paul Mescal Dating? Inside the Hunky Irish Actor's Live Life
Paul Mescal may be the Internet’s Irish boyfriend—alongside Cillian Murphy, Colin Farrell and Barry Keoghan, of course—but who is he dating in real life?
The Maynooth-born actor became a household name and veritable heartthrob thanks to his breakout role as Connell Waldron in the Hulu adaptation of Sally Rooney’s Normal People, opposite Daisy Edgar-Jones. In the years since that 2020 drama miniseries—for which he earned the BAFTA TV Award for Best Actor, as well as a Primetime Emmy nomination for his performance—Mescal has become one of the most acclaimed and in-demand actors in Hollywood.
He received his first Academy Award nomination for his devastating portrayal of a troubled young father in 2022’s Aftersun, and followed that up with an award-winning turn as Stanley Kowalski in the West End revival of A Streetcar Named Desire, for which he took home the Olivier Award for Best Actor in 2023. That same year, he also was nominated for a BAFTA for his supporting work opposite Andrew Scott in the moving queer drama All Of Us Strangers.
Along with that steady rise as one of the industry’s top young actors (this year, the 28-year-old was honored by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures with the Vantage Award, for emerging artists) has come quite a bit of gossip around who the hunky Mescal might be dating. And now with a starring role in his biggest film yet—Ridley Scott’s Gladiator II—all eyes are surely going to be on the Irish actor and which lucky lady will be by his side during those big premieres and red carpet events.
Here is everything we know about Paul Mescal’s current girlfriend and relationship history.
Related: ‘Gladiator II’ Is Coming to Streaming: Here's How to Watch
Who is Paul Mescal dating now?
Recent rumors had it that Paul Mescal was dating singer Gracie Abrams. The Irish actor seemingly confirmed as much when he attended the after party of the Gladiator II premiere alongside the brunette songstress.
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Who is Paul Mescal’s girlfriend Gracie Abrams?
Photo by Emma McIntyre/TAS24/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management
Gracie Abrams is a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter hailing from Los Angeles, California. The daughter of filmmaker J.J. Abrams (of Star Trek and Star Wars fame) and Katie McGrath, the 25-year-old musician is known for songs like “Close to You,” “I Love You, I’m Sorry” and “That’s So True” from her second studio album The Secret of Us. In 2023, Abrams opened for Taylor Swift on the mega-star’s Eras Tour, and received a nomination for Best New Artist at the 66th Grammy Awards.
How long have Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams been dating?
The pair was first spotted by paparazzi together in June 2024, sharing an intimate meal at BRAT Restaurant in London. After a few months of being seen together around the city (including double-dating at a music festival with Mescal's Normal People costar Daisy Edgar-Jones and her boyfriend, Ben Seed), a source told PEOPLE in August 2024 that Mescal and Abrams were "hooking up."
Though he was publicly seen supporting his rumored girlfriend at her Radio City Music Hall concert in New York City on October 5, a month later in a GQ cover story, Mescal discussed wanting to keep his private life private. "The speculation has been kind of mad for the last x amount of years," the actor said. "I’m not comfortable inviting any access into that part of my life."
However, he seemed to change his tune for the Los Angeles premiere of Gladiator II on Nov. 18, 2024, which the movie’s star attended with Abrams as his date. They posed together for pictures at the after party, which were later posted to the film’s social media handles. (Those pictures have since been deleted.)
Who else has Paul Mescal dated?
Paul Mescal previously dated musician Phoebe Bridgers from 2020 to 2022. He starred in the singer’s music video for “Savior Complex” and the pair attended several red carpet events together, including the LACMA Art + Film Gala in 2021 and the Met Gala in 2022.
Speculation over the break-up (Bridgers was soon after seen with comedian Bo Burnham) was rampant; Mescal told Harper’s Bazaar in August 2023 that gossip about “the personal stuff” hurt: “It’s nobody else’s business and should never be commented on because it’s indecent. And it’s unkind.”
In 2023, Mescal was also seen out and about with movie star Angelina Jolie (though the actress said their coffee date was merely friendly), Irish influencer Keelin Moncrieffe and actress Sophie Wilde.
Related: All About Phoebe Bridgers' Dating History
Did Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones ever date?
Photo by Darren Gerrish/Getty Images
Despite their considerable chemistry onscreen and close friendship off (and the wishes of TV fans everywhere), Normal People’s Paul Mescal and Daisy Edgar-Jones have never been romantically linked.
In July 2024 for Variety, the British actress called Mescal “one of my lifetime best friends” and the Irish star reciprocated, telling the same outlet in November that the duo was discussing their next onscreen project together: “We’re basically flirting around the idea of what the next thing should look like.”
