If ‘Unwritten’ is your new favorite song or your friends have heard you talking about the return of Shakespeare adaptations, then you’re probably one of many who flocked to see the new rom-com “Anyone But You.” Amid rumors of an affair between the two co-stars, many moviegoers wanted to see if Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney had the same great chemistry on screen as they did on their PR tour and they DID NOT disappoint. But these aren’t the only A-list actors accused of a scandalous affair in Hollywood this year, so why were we all so drawn to this story? One reason, Sydney Sweeney is a genius and I’ll tell you why. Let’s dig in. We all saw how Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell vibed on screen. But what about their chemistry off-screen? After multiple suggestive interviews and paparazzi pictures, this rumored affair buzzed around – right when their movie was getting cooked up and dropped. And you know what? This isn’t the first time off-screen romance and rumors have been used to hype up a film. For example, the fan-favorite “The Notebook.” The on-screen chemistry between Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams in “The Notebook” was undeniable, and rumors of their real-life romance further fueled public interest. The speculation surrounding their relationship undoubtedly played a role in enhancing the movie’s appeal and success. So what’s to say that Powell and Sweeney weren’t in the same situation?
Well, there is one difference. Neither of them was single when shooting for the movie started, unlike Gosling and McAdams. Powell was with his girlfriend of three-plus years, Gigi Paris, and Sweeney is in a happy relationship with her fiancé, Jonathan Davino. It was when Glen called it quits with Gigi halfway through shooting that buzz around his new movie began to skyrocket. However, was this timing a little too perfect? According to an interview in People Magazine regarding his relationship in Dec. 2023, a close source claims that his relationship had been on the rocks for a while. The source states that things had been tense with him and Gigi since being in the movie ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and that she “…was never happy with the long-distance filming, and when she came to Australia [where Powell was filming Anyone But You] they both decided to break up for good.” Could it be possible that they had been keeping their breakup secret, waiting for the perfect moment to come clean? Were there intentions to make it seem like a bitter girlfriend that got jealous or was it as simple as just a mutual breakup regarding distance? Either way, this split helped the movie advance much farther than most people thought it would.
Whether it was because moviegoers wanted in on the gossip or couldn’t resist a chance to see Glen Powell’s abs, “Anyone But You” quickly became a box-office hit and grossed over $152 million. Although critics gave mixed, underwhelming reviews of the movie, the film’s success at the box office underscored the undeniable influence of celebrity intrigue and scandal in driving audiences to theaters. The power of gossip, it seems, proved to be an unstoppable force, overshadowing critical appraisals and turning “Anyone But You” into a cultural phenomenon.
The speculation surrounding Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell’s alleged affair represents how powerful the combination of personal intrigue and calculated promotional strategies is in Hollywood. Evaluating their on-and-off-screen dynamics only further ignites the conversation of a potential PR maneuver orchestrated by Sydney Sweeney herself. Not only can she add producing a box office hit to her resumé, but she can also write in ‘PR genius.’ So if it was ever a question, let me confirm, Sydney Sweeney is a genius.