Glen Powell reveals why he and Sydney Sweeney leaned into ‘chemistry’ amid dating rumours

‘Sydney and I have a ton of fun together, and we have a ton of effortless chemistry,’ Powell says

Glen Powell has revealed why he and Sydney Sweeney leaned into the speculation that they were dating leading up to the release of their rom-com, Anyone But You.

The 35-year-old actor addressed previous rumours he was having an affair with Sweeney during an interview with The New York Times, published on 23 April. The speculation first came while the pair were filming Anyone But You in Australia in 2023, amid reports that Powell and his now ex-girlfriend, Gigi Paris, had broken up. Meanwhile, Sweeney is engaged to fiancé Jonathan Davino, who was an executive producer of the movie, which hit theatres in the US in December.

Speaking to The New York Times, both Sweeney and Powell confessed that when the rumours of their alleged relationship first came out, they wanted to maintain their chemistry off-screen, for the sake of making their movie a success.

“The two things that you have to sell a rom-com are fun and chemistry. Sydney and I have a ton of fun together, and we have a ton of effortless chemistry,” Powell said. “That’s people wanting what’s on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit — and it worked wonderfully. Sydney is very smart.”

Sweeney went on to detail the ploy that she came up with, as she explained how she wanted the duo to continue making public appearances with each other amid the dating rumours.

“I was on every call. I was in text group chats. I was probably keeping everybody over at Sony marketing and distribution awake at night because I couldn’t stop with ideas,” the Euphoria star explained. “I wanted to make sure that we were actively having a conversation with the audience as we were promoting this film, because at the end of the day, they’re the ones who created the entire narrative.”

While Anyone But You was a massive success, it took some time for the film to get there. As reported by Variety, the romantic comedy took in about $6m during the weekend it opened, while the film’s budget was $25m. However, it rose to success at the start of 2024, with ticket sales climbing to $86.5m at the US box office and $112.8m internationally. By February, the film had made $200m globally from the box office.

Leading up to the film’s release, Sweeney and Powell previously addressed the rumours that they had engaged in a romantic relationship. In August, Sweeney discussed the dating speculation, telling Variety: “It’s a rom-com. That’s what people want!”

“Glen and I don’t really care. We have so much fun together, and we respect each other so much; he’s such a hard worker, and I’m a hard worker,” she said.

Sweeney went on to seemingly confirm that any romantic chemistry between her and Powell was just for show, adding: “[Fans] want it. It’s fun to give it to ‘em.”

In November, Powell also hit back at the previous media frenzy about him and Sweeney. “When all that stuff happened, you know, publicly, it felt disorienting and unfair,” the Texas-born actor said in Men’s Health’s December cover story. “But what I’m realising is that’s just a part of this gig now.”

While hosting Saturday Night Live in March, Sweeney didn’t hesitate to poke fun at and deny the dating speculation again. “The craziest rumour I’ve heard is that while I was filming Anyone But You, I was having an affair with my co-star, Glen Powell,” she said during her opening monologue. “That’s obviously not true. Me and my fiancé produced the movie together, and he was there the entire shoot.”

Before the cameras panned to show Powell, Sweeney added: “And I just want to let everyone know that he’s the man of my dreams, and we’re still together and stronger than ever. He even came here tonight to support me. Can we cut to him?”

“That’s not my fiancé! He’s in my dressing room! But we’ve got a great show for you tonight,” The White Lotus star exclaimed.