Last month, rapper Kanye West was spotted in New York City with Julia Fox, an actress most famous for her role in Uncut Gems. The pair attended a play on Broadway, followed by dinner at the popular restaurant Carbone. During their dinner, West directed a photoshoot for his date. In an article posted later that night on Interview Magazine, Fox released images from their shoot and information about their date. She wrote, “Ye had an entire hotel suite full of clothes,” and that, “it felt like a real Cinderella moment.” This was not the last time Fox would receive such gifts. Since dating West, Fox has sat front row at fashion shows like Schiaparelli and was gifted (along with her friends) Hermes Birkins by West on her birthday.
But since being linked the internet has been rife with gossip and rumors that their relationship is no more than a publicity stunt, often called a ‘PRomance.’ West, currently going through a contentious divorce with Kim Kardashian, has continued to post incendiary messages to social media platforms. West’s actions increased significantly after news broke that Kardashian was linked to comedian Pete Davidson, another relationship many believe to be driven by publicity. It comes as no surprise that West would be spotted in a new (and very public) relationship right after news of Kardashian’s new relationship went public. Although Fox has dispelled the rumors, claiming that “there’s always people that think every single celebrity scandal is a setup,” the relationship is doubted by many.
Doubts about celebrity relationships are far from new. During the Golden Age of Hollywood, Katherine Hepburn and Spencer Tacy were identified as a prominent power couple to the public, while both used the relationship as a cover to conduct same-sex affairs. Taylor Swift and Tom Hiddleston’s short-lived relationship was also the cause of speculation, while Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson only formed a genuine connection after they were encouraged to mimic their onscreen romance in Twilight for fans.
Even though people love to speculate, gossip, and judge the celebrity relationships they deem to be fake, these relationships arguably work sufficiently well. By creating public rumors about a celebrity couple, greater attention is naturally cast towards those respective celebrities. It can serve to heighten attention to a new project, like the release of a new movie, or can divert attention from rumors. Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello’s relationship served both ends. They were romantically linked just weeks before the release of their single and Mendes’s tour while simultaneously used to dispel rumors that Mendes was gay. Just a year before his relationship with Cabello began, Mendes claimed, “In the back of my heart, I feel like I need to go be seen with someone — like a girl — in public, to prove to people that I’m not gay.”
These relationships do not necessarily have to be romantic. When TikToker Addison Rae began to hang out with Kourtney Kardashian, the internet had a ball judging the bizarre pairing. The pairing made sense, coming at a time when Rae was rising to celebrity status and Kardashian was fading from the spotlight (Keeping Up With the Kardashians was ending its 20 season run). But in many ways their odd friendship, which garnered immense media attention, served each celebrity’s ends: Kardashian was cast in a younger light to audiences while Rae was perceived to be more ingrained in Hollywood celebrity culture.
However fascinating it might be to speculate about a bizarre celebrity couple, every comment or tweet regarding them serves as a means to their own end. In the case of Kanye West and Julia Fox, the reality of their relationship might appear as obvious. Even so, this garners even greater media attention and increased speculation, making the “PRomance” a particularly effective strategy.