Sydney Sweeney & Glen Powell’s “Messy Relationship”: What Really Happened—and What Was Just Movie PR

If you followed the press tour for Anyone But You, you probably saw the headlines: “Are Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell more than co-stars?” “Did he dump his girlfriend for publicity?” The internet loves a romance—especially a scandalous one—and the Sweeney–Powell rumor mill became the unofficial marketing subplot to a rom-com that went on to crush expectations at the box office. But separating clicks from facts matters. Here’s a sober, 1000-word look at what we know, what we don’t, and why the story spiraled the way it did.

The spark that lit the gossip

In early 2023, photos and videos from the Anyone But You set and off-set outings in Australia painted a picture of two young stars with electric chemistry. Around the same time, Powell’s then-girlfriend, model Gigi Paris, unfollowed Sweeney on Instagram and posted a now-famous caption—“Know your worth & onto the next”—which the internet promptly read as breakup confirmation and a pointed subtweet. Glamour

That was enough to ignite months of speculation. In the social-media news cycle, a single cryptic post can morph into a narrative. Before long, TikTok edits, red-carpet side-glances, and press-tour banter were being strung together into a storyline far juicier than “two actors promoting a movie.”

What the principals actually said

When the frenzy peaked in late 2023, Powell finally addressed the chatter. In a Men’s Health cover story (summarized widely), he called the affair rumors “disorienting and unfair,” describing the spotlight on his private life as a jarring by-product of the job. He also acknowledged he’d gone through a real breakup. None of that, notably, confirmed the gossip; it pushed back on it. Vanity Fair

Sweeney, for her part, kept things professional during release week. In an on-the-record conversation published by People just as the film opened, the pair framed their connection as exactly what it needed to be for a rom-com: undeniable on screen, friendly off it. The piece underscored that Sweeney was (at that time) engaged to Jonathan Davino, and Powell was single—another clear signal that the narrative fans were writing didn’t match the facts the stars were stating. People.com

The breakup backdrop—and a late addendum

So, did Powell “betray” his girlfriend for PR? That claim is speculation, not established fact. Paris and Powell did split in spring 2023, and her caption became part of the gossip mosaic. But more than two years later, when Paris finally spoke at length about the moment, she criticized the circus around it and the way “headlines” were handled—without asserting that Sweeney caused the breakup. The thrust of her comments: she felt disrespected by the situation and chose to walk away rather than be part of a spectacle. It’s a human response to a public breakup, but it still isn’t proof of an affair. People.com

PR, perception, and the thin line between them

Here’s where things get thorny—and interesting. As Anyone But You rolled out, industry watchers noted how the audience energy online (shipping, rumor-spinning, thirst edits) effectively became part of the campaign, intentionally or not. Post-release coverage credited the movie’s sleeper-hit status in part to that ambient buzz: the sense that you had to see the film to judge the chemistry for yourself. By mid-February 2024, trade trackers and box-office sites were marveling at the run. No Film SchoolBox Office Mojo

Later profiles and interviews have argued that Sweeney—also a producer on the film—leaned into fan enthusiasm with a canny understanding of what drives modern marketing. Some pieces go further, calling the whole thing a “masterstroke” that blurred fact and fiction. That’s a spicy take; it’s also retrospective commentary, not a signed confession. What’s solid is that Sweeney publicly acknowledged how the film benefitted from strategic, internet-first promotion during a period when her other projects were delayed—an acknowledgment of savvy timing rather than an admission of an off-screen romance. Teen Vogue

Why the “betrayal” narrative stuck anyway

Three forces helped the rumor take root:

1. Rom-com logic bleeding into real life. The movie is a sunshine-and-snark enemies-to-lovers romp; the press tour gave flirty banter and knowing winks. Fans connected the dots the way rom-coms train us to: if the chemistry looks real, maybe it is.

2. The Instagram effect. In celebrity culture, an unfollow and a cryptic caption can feel like hard evidence. They aren’t—but they kick up dust that algorithms love. Paris’s “know your worth” line was a ready-made screenshot for stan accounts and gossip blogs. Glamour

3. Media incentives. Entertainment outlets and creators alike are rewarded for engagement. “Are they or aren’t they?” fuels more clicks than “Two actors promote film professionally.”

What’s fact, what’s fan fiction

Facts supported by on-the-record reporting:

• Powell and Paris split in spring 2023; Paris posted “Know your worth & onto the next.” Glamour

• Powell said the Sweeney affair rumors were “disorienting and unfair.” Vanity Fair

• In December 2023, Sweeney (then engaged) and Powell (single) told People they were just friends amid the movie rollout. People.com

• Anyone But You outperformed expectations, with box-office trackers recording a robust worldwide take. Box Office Mojo

• In 2025, Paris reflected on the episode, criticizing the media circus and how the situation was handled. People.com

Claims that remain unproven or speculative:

• That Powell “betrayed” his girlfriend as a deliberate PR move for the film. There’s no verified reporting to substantiate this. Commentators have analyzed the effect of the rumors on marketing; that’s different from proving intent or infidelity. Teen Vogue

The bottom line

The messiness around Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell says less about moral failings and more about how star images are made in 2020s Hollywood. The internet collapses boundaries: on-screen chemistry becomes off-screen rumor; a breakup becomes an explainer for a film’s heat; a wink on a red carpet becomes “evidence.” In that swirl, the tidy “he betrayed his girlfriend for PR” headline is tempting—but it doesn’t hold up to the record.

What is true is that both actors denied an off-screen romance during release, and credible outlets reported them as friends, not lovers. It’s also true that the conversation—true, false, and everything in between—helped Anyone But You punch far above its weight commercially. Call it a cautionary tale about reading too much into PR moments, or a case study in how modern fandom can power a movie. Either way, the real story isn’t betrayal; it’s the feedback loop between celebrity, social media, and the business of selling romance—on screen and off. People.comBox Office Mojo