One story in particular dominated headlines coming out of Sunday evening’s Golden Globes ceremony: Timothée Chalamet publicly making out with his girlfriend Kylie Jenner. Social media exploded with memes about the couple, comparing the coverage to a “kiss cam” and complaining that they were sick of seeing them snogging. They weren’t the only ones at it: Ali Wong planted a smooch on new beau Bill Hader, Cillian Murphy made his acceptance speech with his wife’s lipstick on his face, and Selena Gomez shared a “kisselfie” with Benny Blanco on Instagram after the ceremony.
At this point, it’s far from unusual. Last year, we had Emily Ratajkowski and Harry Styles passionately kissing in Tokyo, then six months later she was locking lips with comedian Stéphane Bak in Paris. It was also in the City of Love that Game of Thrones star and recent divorcée Sophie Turner debuted her new romance with aristocrat Peregrine Pearson. So, just when did Hollywood become so pro-PDA?
Historically, the line for celebrities has very much been “I like to keep my private life private” when it comes to discussing their relationships. Yet lately, Gen-Z A-listers have been flouting the rules, instead subscribing to a more loose-lipped approach—in every sense. (Just look at Olivia Rodrigo and Louis Partridge’s amorous relationship reveal.) In the age of social media and a million smartphone cameras, it’s understandable that celebrities want to take the narrative into their own hands. If the gossip mill is going to turn, why not give it something to really work itself up about, à la Timothée and Kylie?
“PDA has generated significant media coverage throughout history, helping celebrities stay in the spotlight and secure more opportunities,” explains Mark Borkowski, author of The Fame Formula: How Hollywood’s Fixers, Fakers and Star Makers Created the Celebrity Industry, which is being updated later this year. “Using their own channels, like Instagram, for curating imagery or showcasing their relationships allows celebrities to control the narrative surrounding their personal lives, ensuring they have a say in how their relationships are portrayed in the media.”
It’s also seen as more “authentic”—a key buzzword in Gen-Z parlance—a quality that many of the current crop of stars are keen to display. “When celebrities engage in PDA, it is to appear more relatable and down-to-earth, humanizing them and making them seem approachable—which solidifies fan loyalty,” continues Borkowski. Another recent social media trend is the so-called “hard launch” of a relationship, when a couple declares to the world that they are in love via a public appearance (see: Taylor Swift watching Travis Kelce play football) or photograph (see: Selena and Benny, or before that, the Kravis reveal).
It could be argued in the case of 20-somethings Timothée and Kylie that this is simply a case of young love, with two people who just so happen to be both wildly famous and unable to keep their hands off each other. Timothée has priors—remember those pictures of him and Lily-Rose Depp? But he later told GQ how mortified he was to discover they’d been papped at such an intensely personal moment. Kylie, meanwhile, managed to keep an entire pregnancy under wraps—despite being one of the most recognizable women in the world and part of a family who built an empire on sharing their private lives. Even a Kardashian-Jenner can keep a secret when they really want to. These two knew they’d cause a sensation by attending the Globes as a couple and having eyes (and lips) only for each other all night. They did it anyway.
So what else could be behind it? Another potential benefit is the prospect of becoming a “power couple,” points out Dawn Miller, an LA-based publicist who has represented Paris Hilton. “Two celebrities making their relationship public can be hugely beneficial, particularly if they are each successful in their own right,” she says. “Suddenly you have a power couple—we’ve seen it happen so many times before—and it transports this couple into a totally different stratosphere of fame.” Think Brad and Angelina (RIP), Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck, or Beyoncé and Jay-Z.
Before the age of social media, it was a lot easier for celebrities to keep their love lives under wraps. In the golden age of Hollywood, actors were contracted to studios like MGM or Twentieth Century Fox that carefully controlled the images of stars in their stable—even to the extent of staging reputation-enhancing faux relationships. But with the arrival of gossip rags in the 1950s, and the famous Confidential Magazine scandal—which saw A-listers’ private lives exposed—publicists and celebrities were forced to think differently. Stars like Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton capitalized on the media attention, with films like Cleopatra breaking box office records due to the attention on its stars’ turbulent off-screen romance. Yet by the end of the 20th century, as paparazzi intrusion took off, there was a shift towards attempting to regain privacy. Which is where the “I keep my private life private” line came in.
Now, the rise of social media has resulted in a new generation of celebrities attempting to control their image themselves, utilizing this managed exposure for various benefits. “Whether in Hollywood’s past or the digital age, the allure of PDA as a PR strategy for celebrities remains consistent,” concludes Borkowski. “It helps enhance their public image, maintain media visibility, control their narrative, and connect with fans on a personal level. The rise of social media has provided a new and potent platform for celebrities to showcase their relationships, thus making PDA a dynamic and indispensable tool in the celebrity PR playbook.”