Christine Baranski and King Princess’ Hand-Holding Sparks Romance Rumors—But It’s Just Friendship, Says Rep
Sage Matthews here, reporting live from the edge of sanity, where celebrity hand-holding now qualifies as breaking news. Of course this happened.
If you were hoping for a wholesome late-in-life queer romance between Christine Baranski and King Princess, I’m sorry to disappoint—but also not really. The 75-year-old stage and screen icon and the 26-year-old indie pop sensation found themselves at the center of swirling speculation after being spotted holding hands at the Broadway premiere of *Mamma Mia!* on August 18. Naturally, the internet lost its collective mind.
The moment that set tongues wagging? A cozy blue carpet pose with fingers intertwined, followed by a series of Instagram posts captioned simply with “#loveislove.” Fans chimed in with everything from “Obsessed with whatever is going on here” to the more skeptical, “My fave thing about this idk if this is real or not.” Because of course they did. We’re living in an era where two people sharing a meaningful friendship can be mistaken for a Pride parade headline.
But before anyone starts drafting wedding vows or shipping fan fiction, Christine’s rep stepped in with a firm reality check: “Christine and King Princess are strictly friends and nothing more,” her spokesperson confirmed to E! News on August 22. “They have never been in a relationship, nor are they now.” So much for the dream.
Still, it’s not like the duo hasn’t leaned into their chemistry. During a May interview with Interview Magazine, King Princess (real name Mikaela Mullaney Straus) described their connection as something “unspoken,” calling it a “mind meld.” Baranski, ever the theatrical one, called their bond “the greatest gift” from filming *Nine Perfect Strangers* Season 2, praising King Princess as “wildly talented,” “deeply funny,” and “opinionated.”
And yes, they even joked about the potential for gossip. King Princess teased, “Be careful, Christine, because people will talk.” To which Baranski replied, “Let’s give them something to talk about,” referring to their first dinner date—a martini-fueled night out where they bonded over grandmothers and generational influence. Charming. Also, suspiciously romantic-seeming, but again, platonic.
King Princess, who previously dated actress Amandla Stenberg and director Quinn Whitney Wilson, has made no secret of her preference for women. Baranski, meanwhile, was married to actor Matthew Cowles until his death in 2014 and has two adult daughters. Neither seems particularly interested in reigniting romance—at least not with each other.
Of course, this isn’t the only time Hollywood friendships have been mistaken for flings. Remember when Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer finally admitted they had mutual crushes during the early days of *Friends*? They just…never acted on it. Too many relationships in the way, apparently. And yet, somehow, we still expected fireworks.
So what does all this mean? That celebrities can’t even share a warm hug without sparking a conspiracy theory? That love, or the illusion of it, sells better than facts? Probably. But hey, at least these two are still friends—and maybe that’s enough for now.
In a world where every red carpet photo is dissected like a crime scene, sometimes a hand-hold is just a hand-hold. Or so we’re told.
Anyway, can’t wait to see how this gets worse.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and E! News
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