Anyone But You came as a complete surprise in 2023. Starring Sydney Sweeney (who leads the upcoming biographical drama Christy) and Glen Powell (who now stars in Edgar Wright's The Running Man Reboot) the film—an adaptation of Shakespeare's "Much Ado About Nothing"—focuses on Bea (Sweeney) and Ben (Powell), who, after the perfect date together, end up estranged from one other. Six months later, however, the pair is forced to reunite for Bea's sister's wedding. The film was a bonafide hit, grossing $220 million worldwide on a reported $25 million budget.
Most surprisingly, though, the Will Gluck-directed movie was also responsible for perhaps one of the biggest affair rumor mills in Hollywood, as fans frantically speculated (with increasing intensity) that Sweeney and Powell were cheating on their respective partners with each other (detailed timelines on the rumors are readily available online). Everything about the "scandal" seemed to be carefully orchestrated to generate hype for the film. Now, however, Sydney Sweeney herself has addressed the rumors, providing a new perspective on the situation.
Variety published a profile on Sweeney for the release of her biographical drama Christy. During the interview, the Anyone but You speculation was brought up. Sweeney stated the persistent rumors were, in fact, a result of the media blowing her close friendship with Powell out of proportion.
"Honestly, the press did it themselves. There was no leaning in, per se. Truly, the tabloids and journalists just created it and kept going. Even if we were just standing next to each other, it was 'They're standing two inches apart!' Glen and I genuinely care for each other and have a love and respect for one another. I love being with him. And I think people just truly saw a really beautiful pairing."
Her comments echo what she said in 2024 about her involvement in the film's marketing. When talking to The New York Times (via The Hollywood Reporter), the actress stated she was very involved in the marketing process of Anyone But You, but stated the audience was ultimately the one who sparked the relationship speculation:
"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. 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."
Sweeney's outlook is completely understandable, but the prominence of affair rumors between the two actors isn't necessarily entirely on the press and the audience.
Glen Powell's Perspective on the Speculation
On the same Times interview where Sweeney discussed her work on the movie's marketing strategy, Glen Powell mentioned he and his co-star did slightly lean into the dating rumors, crediting Sweeney for the idea:
"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. 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."
Then, in 2025, Glen Powell's former partner, Gigi Paris, stated during an appearance on the "Too Much" podcast that the speculation at the time affected her, and that it ultimately played a part in the end of her relationship with the actor. Powell later commented on her statement, telling GQ: "I will always have nothing but love for her and respect for her. Everybody's always going to have their own narrative on things and all that. And she's welcome to it. Relationships are really hard. And when two people break up, they each go to their own brunch, and they will each tell their own narrative."
Look, this is an interesting situation, but it ultimately boils down to a perfect storm of circumstances that allowed the smart marketing from Sweeney and Sony's marketing department to succeed. Whether the calculated "chemistry" between the two actors went further than professional strategizing is really no one else's business other than that of Powell and Sweeney.
Sydney Sweeney's Christy is scheduled for release on November 7, 2025. Glen Powell's The Running Man comes out November 15, 2025.