If you’ve spent any time on the corner of the internet that obsesses over silver chains and Irish accents, you already know the vibe. Paul Mescal isn’t just an actor anymore; he’s a mood. But for a guy who once famously said he wanted to keep his personal life in a "locked box," the box has been looking a little more like a glass case lately.
The internet's favorite "sad boy" is officially off the market.
Honestly, the Paul Mescal girlfriend search has been a wild ride of TikTok theories and blurry paparazzi shots since 2024. But as we kick off 2026, the speculation has finally settled into a very real, very public reality. The lucky lady? Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Gracie Abrams.
The Hard Launch and That Golden Globes Night
Just a few days ago, on January 11, 2026, the pair basically shut down the "are they or aren't they" conversation for good. After the 83rd Golden Globe Awards—where Mescal’s film Hamnet took home the top prize for Best Motion Picture (Drama)—the two were spotted hand-in-hand heading into the Chateau Marmont.
They weren't just attending; they were matching.
Dressed in coordinated all-black ensembles, they looked exactly like the kind of effortlessly cool couple you’d expect. While Paul hit the actual red carpet solo (classic move for a guy who values his craft), Gracie was right there for the after-party circuit. It’s a huge shift from his previous "no comment" era.
Remember that September 2025 Rolling Stone profile? He was asked about the relationship and basically shut it down, saying it was "deeply precious" and he wanted to "protect those things fundamentally." Fast forward to this week, and Gracie is posting him on her Instagram Stories with the caption: "Also I love him surprise." Short. Sweet. Chaos-inducing for the fans.
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How Did This Actually Start?
If you’re trying to trace the timeline, you have to go back to the summer of 2024. That's when the first cracks in the secrecy started to show.
- June 2024: The "Brat" Summer. No, not the album—the restaurant. They were caught by TMZ sharing a meal at BRAT in London.
- August 2024: Hand-holding at the All Points East festival while watching Mitski. They were even double-dating with Paul’s Normal People co-star Daisy Edgar-Jones and her boyfriend.
- November 2024: Gracie shows up as Paul's plus-one for the Gladiator II premiere after-party in Los Angeles.
- July 2025: The "Glastonbury Launch." Gracie posted a photo of them together at the music festival, which was the first time she really acknowledged him on her main feed.
It’s been a slow burn.
Gracie, who is 26 and the daughter of director J.J. Abrams, has built her own massive career apart from her famous dad. She’s opened for Taylor Swift, released hit albums like The Secret of Us, and has a vibe that perfectly meshes with Paul’s indie-darling energy.
Dealing with the Long Distance Struggle
It isn't all red carpets and after-parties, though. Sources close to the couple have recently leaked that the two are working hard to maintain a long-distance relationship.
Paul is 29 and currently at the absolute peak of his career. Between filming the four-film Beatles event (where he's playing Paul McCartney) and promoting Hamnet and The History of Sound, his schedule is a nightmare. Gracie is equally busy, touring and recording.
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According to an insider tip from Us Weekly earlier this month, the two "struggle to find personal time" but are "fully committed." They’re both ambitious. They both get the industry. Maybe that’s why it works.
Why People Still Bring Up Phoebe Bridgers
You can't talk about Paul's dating life without the ghost of relationships past. His two-year stint with Phoebe Bridgers (2020-2022) was legendary in the indie world. When they broke up—amid rumors of her moving on with Bo Burnham—the internet took it personally.
Mescal told Harper’s Bazaar in 2023 that the gossip felt "indecent" and "unkind."
Since then, he was briefly linked to Australian actress Sophie Wilde in early 2024 (they were spotted "smooching" at a BAFTA after-party), but that seemed to fizzle out before the Gracie era began.
What’s Next for Paul and Gracie?
If you're looking for signs of a "breakup," you won't find them here. Just yesterday, January 16, 2026, Gracie went on a mini-rant on her Instagram Stories praising Paul’s performance in Hamnet. She called him "singular" and urged people to see the film in theaters.
"We are sat in the kitchen right now and I am looking back on these pictures and got immediately teary," she wrote.
They’re literally sitting in a kitchen together while the world Googles them. That’s a level of domesticity we haven’t seen from Paul before.
He's even mentioned wanting to take a "break" from the spotlight soon to attend to "different priorities" in his personal life. After 2026, he’s suggested he might disappear until 2028. Whether that means he’s settling down or just hiding out in London or Ireland with Gracie remains to be seen.
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What you should do now:
- Watch Hamnet: It's the film that has everyone (including Gracie) crying.
- Listen to The Secret of Us: Gracie’s latest album reportedly has several "Paul-coded" tracks.
- Ignore the TikTok "Breakup" Rumors: Unless you see them unfollow each other, they seem more solid than ever.
The "locked box" might be open, but Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams are doing it on their own terms. And honestly? Good for them.