WHY THE WORLD THINKS PAUL MESCAL AND GRACIE ABRAMS ARE DATING

If there's one thing that gets the public more excited than Connell's chain, it's Paul Mescal's dating life.

In recent months, the actor has been linked to a string of potential flames. There was his coffee run with Angelina Jolie, some cosy Instagram posts with _The Bear'_s Ayo Edibiri, and a cheeky smoke break with Natalie Portman. Of course, there was also that viral TikTok rumour about the actor running away from his one-night stands in a park (but there's no proof in the pudding when it comes to rumours of oddly specific jogging habits.)

Who is Paul Mescal dating? The Gracie Abrams rumours explained

Now, it seems there may well be another romance on Paul's books. The Normal People star was spotted in London over the weekend enjoying a dinner date with none other than 24-year-old Gracie Abrams (who has just finished supporting Taylor Swift in her record-breaking Eras Tour.)

Much like his ex Phoebe Bridgers, Gracie is also a US singer songwriter. The nepo baby is no stranger to the world of celebrity, given her dad is Star Wars director J.J Abrams.

Paul and Gracie were seen having a meal together at BRAT restaurant in London, reportedly bonding while sharing small plates. Secretly snapped pictures from onlookers appeared to show Paul breaking hearts across the globe as he reached across the table to touch Gracie's face.

And with Paul potentially off the market, fans took to X (formerly Twitter) to share their thoughts about what could be the showbiz world's most exciting new couple.

'Me when I realise I'm not an indie singer songwriter so Paul Mescal won't give me a chance,' lamented one, as another added, 'If I had a nickel for every time Paul Mescal dated an American singer who opened for Taylor Swift, I would have two nickels. Which isn't a lot, but it's weird that it happened twice.'

One fan quite simply tweeted, 'Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams dating? Do they need a third?'

Are Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams in a relationship?

It's unclear whether the couple are actually dating, as they have yet to confirm or deny rumours - and frankly, it doesn't appear that we'll find out anytime soon. Since skyrocketing to heartthrob status in 2020's Normal People, Paul has been notoriously private when it comes to his personal life. After splitting from singer Phoebe Bridgers in 2022 after the pair were rumoured to be engaged, the actor said that the 'entitlement to the information' about his relationships left him uncomfortable.

Opening up to Vanity Fair, Paul shared, 'I definitely feel the temptation to say the status of my [relationship], that will always be there. But I don't think that's a wise thing to do.'

'When Normal People came out, I was very forthright in interviews, and it didn't actually serve me... But moving forward as much as I can, that's going to be my life that is private. That's a difficult thing to achieve, but giving strangers an answer about my life doesn't actually help me.'

 Charlotte Roberts is a News and Entertainment Writer for Grazia, writing interviews and features around everything pop culture.