Glenn Howerton Slams Rob & Kaitlin’s ‘Sunny’ Romance as ‘Compromising’
Buckle up: apparently the Philadelphia gang’s off-screen antics are messier than Paddy’s Pub on trivia night. During a recent speaking event, Glenn Howerton didn’t hold back when he told co-stars Rob McElhenney and Kaitlin Olson that their budding real-life fling on the set of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia was downright “compromising.” Yes, the guy who plays Dennis Reynolds dropped the F-bomb that had everyone raising eyebrows—and not just because they were worried about offending the studio lawyers.
According to People Magazine, the trio was reminiscing about those infamous love scenes when Howerton leaned in and deadpanned, “You’re F—— compromised,” referencing how on-screen chemistry can slip into off-camera complications (People, May 2024). His blunt call-out was met with equal parts laughter and feigned horror—McElhenney said it felt like Dennis lecturing Mac and Sweet Dee in character, while Olson rolled her eyes so hard you could almost hear them.
Sources close to the Producers Guild event tell Dotdash Meredith that Glenn’s quip came after Rob and Kaitlin admitted they’d been “overly aware” of their performance during recent season shoots. Glenn claimed he had to ask them to “tone down the PDA” because their real tensions were leaking through the cameras and risking the show’s carefully calibrated brand of cringe comedy (Dotdash Meredith, May 2024). If you’ve ever wondered how the most dysfunctional fictional family maintains its chaos, it’s apparently a three-person intervention led by one jaded co-star armed with a sharp tongue.
This isn’t the first time Howerton has played enforcer. Over the years, he’s politely reminded everyone that Sunny’s magic relies on audience discomfort, not actual heartbreak. But pairing up America’s least subtle romantic duo just crossed a line—especially when you consider the show’s low-budget house set and the fact that everyone still goes home together at night. Talk about mixing business with pleasure.
Of course, neither McElhenney nor Olson seemed ready to file for an on-set restraining order. McElhenney joked that Dennis’s roast was “the highlight of my month,” while Olson teased him back with a promise to bench him in the next softball game. All’s well that ends with a killer mic drop, right?
So there you have it—another slice of “Sunny” backstage chaos, courtesy of a man who refuses to sugarcoat anything. Whether you love Dennis’s deadpan or side with the doomed romance, one thing is clear: when these three share a stage, sparks fly—and not always the good kind. So what happens when the trio finally films that steamy season finale? Stay tuned, because if it’s as “compromising” as Glenn says, cameras won’t be the only thing catching heat.
Sources: Celebrity Storm and People Magazine (people.com)
Dotdash Meredith (dotdashmeredith.com)
Attribution: Creative Commons Licensed
