Kissing in the street? It’s perfectly Normal for People like Paul!
HE earned heart-throb status as lovestruck Connell in the steamy hit TV drama Normal People. And two years on, actor Paul Mescal is clearly still keen on a clinch – if this very public display of passion with his pop star lover is anything to go by.
The 26-year-old Irish actor was spotted canoodling with singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers last week in Los Angeles.
The couple were seen strolling from their car to a fitness studio, with Paul carrying the pair’s yoga mats in readiness for a morning exercise session.
There was no sign of an engagement ring on the beaming singer’s finger despite reports she referred to Paul as her fiance during a weekend of partying at last month’s Coachella music festival in California.
The couple, who have been dating for two years, were dressed casually in T-shirts for their yoga class. Both wore shorts made by O’Neills, the Irish sports brand favoured by brawny Paul for its links with Gaelic sports.
Surprisingly – for a couple noted for head-turning good looks – Paul, in white Adidas trainers and Phoebe, in clumpy black boots, sported unflattering black socks.
‘They were wrapped up in each other,’ said an onlooker. ‘They looked like a young couple in love and didn’t care who was watching.’ Reports that Paul was besotted by the singer emerged in August 2020 after they enjoyed a romantic weekend in London.
In an interview, the Californian star, 27, later said she thought Paul was a ‘cute boy’ after becoming a fan while watching the BBC’s adaptation of Sally Rooney’s novel Normal People.
She followed him on Instagram, with the actor quickly returning the favour. ‘I got a little pitter-patter in my heart when I saw,’ she told a music magazine.
Paul has also opened up about his romance, telling GQ magazine: ‘To have someone to lean on through such a mad time has been invaluable. I don’t know where I’d be without her.’
Earlier this month, the couple were rather more smartly dressed when they enjoyed an evening with other A-listers at the Met Gala, the glitzy New York fundraising event.