Gracie Abrams and Paul Mescal kicked off their romance with an epic summer of love – and they’re still going strong. In between their busy 2024 schedules – he worked on the blockbuster film Gladiator II while Abrams opened for Taylor Swift on the Eras tour – the pair found time to make a special connection. Now, Abrams has opened up about their relationship becoming more public, sharing rare insights into how she balances love, fame, and privacy.
The Early Days: June 2024
Let the romance rumors begin! TMZ obtained photos of both Mescal and Abrams enjoying a meal together at BRAT Restaurant in London. In one picture, the actor reached over during the meal and stroked Abrams' cheek. The images sparked immediate speculation, but neither party commented at the time. Abrams, then focused on her The Secret of Us tour preparations, kept quiet. Mescal, meanwhile, was deep into filming Gladiator II under director Ridley Scott.
August 2024: First Public Comments
In a profile for The Sunday Times, Abrams addressed the interest in her personal life. 'It's all spooky,' she said. 'You hope for just privacy in your life as anyone else would. That's just the truth.' Her words reflected a desire to keep the relationship out of the spotlight, even as fans continued to piece together clues. Two months after first being spotted, Mescal and Abrams were photographed together again in London – this time holding hands. According to the Daily Mail, the duo enjoyed a shopping trip before attending the All Points East Music Festival. While enjoying Mitski's set, the pair were joined by Mescal's Normal People costar Daisy Edgar-Jones and her boyfriend, Ben Seed.
October 2024: Support at Concerts
When kicking off The Secret of Us tour, Abrams received some support from Mescal in the audience on October 5. According to People, the actor showed up at Radio City Music Hall in New York City to witness his rumored girlfriend's set. And yes, he was spotted dancing and singing along to her performance. Less than one week later, Mescal expressed his hopes that he can keep his personal life a bit more private. In an interview with GQ, the actor said that he's 'learned that there's certain lines in the sand now for me that just are going to be impenetrable for the benefit of my own sanity.' 'The speculation has been kind of mad for the last x amount of years,' Mescal added. 'I'm not comfortable inviting any access into that part of my life. How I am in my private life is so precious to me because I get very little of it, and it might be public interest, but it's not public-obligated information.'
Swifties spotted Mescal attending Swift's Eras tour on October 20 to watch Abrams' opening set at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida. He seemingly watched the show from one of the private VIP sections on the floor of the stadium. Because there were no tent covers on the VIP suites in Miami, fans had a better view of who was in attendance.
November 2024 – December 2024: Red Carpet Debuts and SNL
Abrams supported Mescal at the Los Angeles premiere of his movie Gladiator II, according to social media footage. They were also seen hugging at the official afterparty. Then, in December, they made their respective Saturday Night Live debuts one week apart. Mescal hosted the December 7 episode, while Abrams served as the musical guest one week later. After Abrams' December 14 performance, they were spotted holding hands in New York City. Days later, Abrams made a rare comment about her private life: 'Abrams keeps it brief when I ask how she's found navigating personal relationships under this new public microscope,' Nylon's Lauren McCarthy wrote in an interview published on December 17. 'That has nothing to do with me,' she said, straight-faced. 'It doesn't affect me.'
July 2025: Instagram Official
After Abrams' set at England's Glastonbury Festival, she shared a recap of her highlights via Instagram. '❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️,' she captioned a carousel. In one of the uploads, Abrams snapped a selfie with Mescal during a beach day. Mescal's sister, Nell, replied, commenting, 'At any moment we can just say we're so back.' This post effectively confirmed their relationship to the world. In September 2025, Mescal made a rare comment on his love life by explaining to Rolling Stone why the couple decided to go 'Instagram official' over the summer. 'I actually do have an answer [as to the timing], but everything to do with that is deeply precious to me and I don't want to. … This isn't … I don't really … umm … I want to protect those things fundamentally,' he told the outlet.
January 2026: Love Declarations and Hamnet
'Also I love him surprise,' Abrams wrote via her Instagram Story alongside a photo of boyfriend Mescal wearing a 'Will Power' T-shirt that had William Shakespeare's face on it. In the picture, Mescal smoked a cigarette and threw open his jean jacket so Abrams could properly see the witty pun on his shirt, which was a nod to his portrayal of the iconic playwright in 2025's Hamnet. Abrams also applauded Mescal and Hamnet his costars in a series of Instagram Story uploads on January 16, calling them all 'singular.' She added, 'Thank god for what they made. Go see it and you will be better off.'
February 2026: Birthday Celebrations and PDA
Abrams celebrated the birthdays of two very special people in her life via Instagram on February 2, including her longtime friend she calls 'Clemmy' and boyfriend Mescal, who turned 30. 'P❤️Clemmy❤️ My whole heart!!!!!!!!!' the singer captioned a series of Instagram pictures of moments with both the birthday girl and birthday boy. 'I love February 2 … Happy birthday❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️I love you both more than words could ever describe. Thank you for making everything better.' Among the photos, Abrams gave fans a glimpse at her PDA-filled romance with Mescal. In one snap, the couple attended a Boston Red Sox game together, while another image showed them kissing in a photo booth. Mescal was also spotted kissing his girlfriend at one of her gigs in a third photo, while Abrams shared a cute snap of the actor at a candlelight dinner in another.
February – March 2026: Red Carpet Couple
Mescal and Abrams made their official red carpet debut at the 2025 BAFTA Film Awards in London, where they cuddled up in sweet snapshots. Weeks later, they had another date night at the 2026 Oscars, where they twinned in all-black. These appearances marked a significant shift from the earlier secrecy, signaling that the couple was comfortable sharing their relationship with the world.
June 2026: Abrams Opens Up
During an interview on The New York Times' 'Popcast,' Abrams was asked how she felt about her relationship with Mescal becoming more public as the pair collaborated on their song 'Imaginary Friend' and made red carpet appearances together. 'I don't like the feeling of hiding,' she admitted. 'I also love privacy where it feels like the right thing.' Abrams also gushed that writing a song with her boyfriend was 'so fun,' but it wasn't anything new. 'That wasn't some groundbreaking event for us,' she continued. 'We have a very creative home with friends who are so good at what they do and everyone feels happy to share that with one another.' Abrams said the relationship is a source of stability and comfort for her. 'That is a part of my life that brings me so much peace and joy,' she noted of her romance with Mescal. 'I'm not going to pretend like that's not true, but I also think it's not like an open-door policy.'
Abrams’ career has also flourished alongside her personal life. Her album The Secret of Us earned critical acclaim, and her opening slot on the Eras tour introduced her to millions of new fans. Mescal, meanwhile, has become one of Hollywood’s most sought-after actors, with Gladiator II and Hamnet cementing his status as a leading man. The couple’s ability to maintain a private core while sharing moments with the public has endeared them to fans. As Abrams put it, the relationship is a source of peace – and she refuses to pretend otherwise. Whether they are dancing at concerts or walking red carpets, Gracie Abrams and Paul Mescal continue to write their own love story, one that balances the thrill of public recognition with the preciousness of private time.
Source: MSN News