It started with a whisper on social media and exploded into a full-blown Malibu mystery. If you’ve been anywhere near the intersection of NBA Twitter and Hollywood gossip lately, you’ve definitely seen the names Max Christie and Jenna Ortega linked in the same sentence.
It's the classic "rising star meets rising star" narrative that the internet absolutely devours. On one side, you have Max Christie, the 6-foot-6 guard who recently locked in a massive $32 million contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. On the other, Jenna Ortega, the "Gen Z Scream Queen" who turned Wednesday into a global phenomenon and basically owns the gothic-glam aesthetic.
But when a professional athlete and an A-list actress are spotted at the same high-profile dinner spot, is it a romance or just two famous people breathing the same expensive air? Honestly, the truth is a lot more nuanced than the TikTok edits would have you believe.
The Night at Nobu: Where the Max Christie Jenna Ortega Rumors Took Flight
Most of the frenzy traces back to October 2024. Eyewitness reports surfaced claiming the two were seen together at Nobu in Malibu. For those not in the loop, Nobu isn't just a sushi joint; it’s the unofficial stage for celebrity "soft launches."
Witnesses claimed they were acting "very close" and even holding hands. Naturally, the internet did what it does best: it spiraled. Within hours, there were side-by-side photo collages and deep dives into their social media followings.
But here’s the thing about "eyewitness" reports in Malibu—they're often about as reliable as a weather forecast in a hurricane. Neither Christie nor Ortega ever posted a photo together. No grainy paparazzi shots emerged that definitively showed them as a couple. It was a classic case of a high-profile sighting turning into a definitive relationship status without a single word from the actual people involved.
Why Everyone Was So Ready to Believe It
The pairing actually makes a lot of sense on paper, which is why the rumor had such long legs.
- The LA Connection: Christie is a Laker. Ortega lives and works in the heart of the industry. They run in the same elite circles.
- The Age Gap (or lack thereof): Both were born in late 2002/early 2003. They’re both roughly 22-23 years old, navigating massive fame at a young age.
- The Professional Peak: Max just signed a four-year deal keeping him in Los Angeles through 2028. Jenna is currently filming or promoting projects like Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Wednesday Season 2.
When two people at the top of their respective games are single and in the same city, the public basically tries to manifest the relationship into existence.
Separating Fact from Fan Fiction
Let’s talk about Max’s actual life for a second. Before the Ortega rumors, Max Christie was famously linked to Sydney Parrish, a standout basketball player for the Indiana Hoosiers. They were the ultimate "hooper couple." However, after some very public (and messy) social media drama involving cheating allegations from an Instagram model in late 2023, that relationship seemed to fizzle out.
By the time the Jenna Ortega rumors hit in late 2024, Max was officially on the "most eligible bachelor" list in the NBA.
Jenna, meanwhile, has a history of being linked to literally everyone she stands next to. Remember the Johnny Depp rumors? She had to go on a full press tour to explain that she’d never even met the man. She’s been incredibly vocal about how "insane" it is that the media just invents quotes and narratives about her love life.
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"Articles really do just make up their own quotes... it is so insane to me," Ortega told BuzzFeed during her famous puppy interview.
She's a private person. Like, extremely private. She doesn't do the "Instagram official" thing. So, if she and Max were actually a thing, we probably wouldn't know until they were walking a red carpet together—and even then, she’d probably just say they’re "good friends."
The Gwendoline Christie Confusion
There is a hilarious technicality that often messes up the search results for this topic. Jenna Ortega’s co-star in Wednesday is Gwendoline Christie (who played Principal Weems).
If you search for "Jenna Ortega and Christie," half the results are about Jenna and Gwendoline being "mother and daughter" goals or joking about their massive height difference. It’s entirely possible that some of the early search traffic for "Max Christie Jenna Ortega" was just fans getting their Christies mixed up.
Where Do They Stand in 2026?
As of early 2026, Max Christie is locked into a heavy rotation with the Lakers. He's earning roughly $7.7 million this season and is focused on proving he’s worth every penny of that $32 million extension. His life is road trips, practice facilities, and trying to win a championship alongside LeBron James (who is somehow still playing).
Jenna is deep into the "Goth Glam" era of her career. Between the release of Wednesday Season 2 and her work with A24 on films like Alba, she doesn't exactly have a lot of downtime to sit courtside at Crypto.com Arena.
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The Verdict on the Relationship
Is there a "Max Christie Jenna Ortega" secret romance?
- The Evidence For: A single, unverified sighting at a celebrity hotspot and a lot of fan "shipping."
- The Evidence Against: Zero public interaction, zero social media breadcrumbs, and Jenna’s track record of debunking every dating rumor that comes her way.
Basically, they might have grabbed dinner once. They might have met at a party. But as far as a serious, committed relationship goes? There’s no hard evidence. In the world of celebrity gossip, no news is usually... well, no news.
Practical Takeaways for Fans
If you're following this story, it's best to take everything you see on TikTok with a massive grain of salt. Fans often use "shipping" as a way to engage with their favorite stars, but it rarely reflects reality.
What to watch instead:
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- Max’s Minutes: If Jenna starts appearing in the front row of Lakers games, that’s your smoking gun. Until then, he’s just a guy playing ball.
- Jenna’s Interviews: She usually addresses major rumors once they get loud enough. If she stays silent, it’s because the rumor isn't big enough to bother with.
- Official Sources: Check trade news for Max and film production wraps for Jenna. Their careers are currently much more active than their public dating lives.
The intersection of the NBA and Hollywood will always produce these kinds of stories. Whether it’s Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker or (allegedly) Max Christie and Jenna Ortega, the allure of the "power couple" is just too strong for the internet to ignore.
For now, Max is focused on his jump shot, and Jenna is focused on her next scream. If they ever do decide to go public, you won't need a rumor mill to tell you—it'll be the biggest story on the internet.
To keep up with the latest actual developments, monitor the official Lakers roster updates for Max Christie's career progression and follow Netflix’s production notes for Jenna Ortega’s upcoming series releases. These are the only places where you’ll find facts instead of filtered speculation.