The actress has been spotted holding hands with a female pop star who is 26 years old, shortly after the pair spoke about the close bond they developed while filming Nine Perfect Strangers
Actress Christine Baranski has found herself at the centre of dating speculation after being spotted hand-in-hand with singer King Princess, who is almost half her age.
The Emmy-winning actress, 73, and the 26-year-old pop star – whose real name is Mikaela Straus – first raised eyebrows earlier this year when they were photographed together at the opening night of The Picture of Dorian Gray.
The pair were seen holding hands on the red carpet, which quickly sparked rumours about whether their friendship had taken a romantic turn.
This week, the speculation intensified when the duo arrived together at the Broadway gala reopening of Mamma Mia. Once again, they walked in hand-in-hand, prompting whispers about a possible relationship.
King Princess added to the intrigue by sharing a photo of them at the New York event with the caption: “#loveislove”. Fans flocked to the comment section and some were ready to celebrate the possibility of their budding romance, while others were convinced it was just a playful joke.
One Instagram user wrote: “My fave thing about this is idk if this is real or not,” while another added: “SAME! and if it is, HECK YES!” Even celebrities weighed in, with Hacks star Hannah Einbinder commenting: “Ava and Deborah vibes,” in reference to a complex mentor-mentee relationship on her show.
On Reddit, however, the reaction was more sceptical. “KP is a longstanding s**tposter, I don’t think this is serious,” one user noted, while another said: “This reads like a joke to me. I’d love it if Christine was in a lesbian relationship but I think they’re simply being silly.”
In light of the speculation, Christine’s rep told Us Weekly on Friday in a statement that the two were just friends. “Christine and King Princess are strictly friends and nothing more. They have never been in a relationship, nor are they now,” the rep said, before adding the dating rumours are ‘pure speculation’.
While they may not be romantic, i t is clear the two women have a close bond. They met while filming season two of Nine Perfect Strangers, where King Princess made her acting debut.
In a chat with Interview Magazine, Baranski explained: “We sat at the bar, ordered our martinis, and suddenly we’re talking about our grandmothers who deeply affected and influenced our lives. I think that’s where we profoundly bonded.”
The actress continued: “We have our martinis and steak frites. And we’re friends, which is so delightful… possibly the greatest gift [was] developing a friendship with this wildly talented young woman who’s so opinionated, deeply funny and witty. We’ve curiously bonded and wanted to remain friends. That’s a great gift.”
King Princess herself playfully warned: “Well, be careful, Christine, because people will talk.”
Baranski, best known for her roles in The Gilded Age, The Good Wife, and Mamma Mia, has kept her personal life private for the most part since the death of her husband Matthew Cowles in 2014.
Meanwhile King Princess, who is a self-identified lesbian, has been using her platform and music to explore themes of identity and sexuality for a long time.
Meanwhile, just last year Baranski teased that Mamma Mia 3 may be edging closer to reality. The star revealed she had been in London with producer Judy Kramer, who shared plans for a potential trilogy-closer set on a sun-drenched Greek or Croatian island.
Baranski told The Hollywood Reporter: “She gave me the narrative plotline of how it’s going to happen. That’s all I can say! But… Judy Kramer makes things happen. She made number two happen, and it was a phenomenal hit. I wouldn’t put it past Judy Kramer to get everybody back together.”
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