If you’ve spent more than five minutes on Stan Twitter or scrolling through the chaotic depths of Reddit lately, you’ve probably stumbled across a very specific, very weird image. It’s grainy. It’s suggestive. It looks like two people—specifically a very tan person and a very pale, very lanky person—sharing a bathtub. The internet, being the internet, immediately labeled this the Timothee Chalamet Kylie Jenner bathtub meme.
But wait. Is it actually them?
Honestly, the short answer is no. But the long answer is way more interesting because it explains exactly why everyone believed it was them in the first place. This meme didn't just appear out of nowhere; it’s a perfect storm of weird physical contrasts and the most unexpected celebrity pairing of the decade.
The Viral Photo That Fooled Everyone
Let’s look at the "evidence." The image in question shows two sets of legs in a tub. On the left, you’ve got a pair of legs with a deep, bronzed glow—classic Kardashian-Jenner aesthetic. On the right, there’s a pair of legs that can only be described as "Victorian child who hasn't seen the sun in three years." They are extremely thin, incredibly pale, and have these long, almost bird-like toes.
Naturally, the world looked at Timothee’s famously slender, 5'10" frame and Kylie’s signature tan and said, "Yeah, that’s them."
It wasn't. The photo is actually an old viral image that has been circulating on "cursed image" threads for years, long before Timmy and Kylie were even a thing. It’s one of those photos people post when they want to say something is "giving" a certain vibe. In this case, it was giving "Dobby the House Elf takes a spa day with a billionaire."
Why the Timothee Chalamet Kylie Jenner Bathtub Meme Stuck
Why did this specific meme go so nuclear? It’s the contrast.
Timothee Chalamet is the "indie darling" who made his name in Call Me by Your Name and Dune. He’s all sharp angles and high fashion. Kylie Jenner is the queen of Calabasas, reality TV royalty, and the face of a makeup empire. They exist in different universes. Or they did, until April 2023 when rumors started flying that they were dating.
When they finally went public at the Beyoncé Renaissance tour in September 2023, the internet lost its collective mind. Seeing them kiss in the VIP section was the "proof" everyone needed to start making the weirdest memes possible. The bathtub image became the shorthand for their physical differences.
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People used it to poke fun at the "skinny theater kid" meets "glam mogul" dynamic. It’s funny because it’s a bit jarring. You have Timothee, who looks like he lives on black coffee and cigarettes, and Kylie, who looks like she’s permanently filtered.
A Timeline of the "Chaladashian" Era
To understand the meme, you have to understand the relationship. It’s been a wild ride.
- January 2023: They first meet at the Jean Paul Gaultier show during Paris Fashion Week. There’s a video of them laughing. We should have known then.
- April 2023: DeuxMoi drops the "New Couple Alert." Kylie’s Range Rover is spotted at Timothee’s Beverly Hills house. The internet refuses to believe it.
- September 2023: The Beyoncé concert. They’re seen kissing. The memes, including the bathtub one, start peaking.
- January 2024: They attend the Golden Globes. They’re caught on camera whispering and kissing at their table. It’s intimate. It’s also the night of the infamous "Selena Gomez gossiping about them" rumor (which turned out to be nothing).
- May 2025: They finally make their formal red carpet debut in Rome at the David Di Donatello Awards. Timothee is receiving an award; Kylie is there to support.
- January 2026: They’re still together. At the recent Critics Choice Awards, Timothee actually thanked Kylie during his acceptance speech for Marty Supreme.
The "Club Chalamet" Factor
You can't talk about this meme without mentioning the "Club Chalamet" phenomenon. If you aren't familiar, Club Chalamet is a legendary (and somewhat controversial) fan account run by a woman who is... let’s say, not a fan of the relationship.
The fan base is deeply divided. On one side, you have people who think they’re cute and that Timmy is finally "living his life." On the other side, you have the "stans" who are convinced it’s a PR stunt orchestrated by Kris Jenner. The Timothee Chalamet Kylie Jenner bathtub meme became a weapon for the skeptics. They used the "gross-out" factor of the image to argue that the couple was a "mismatch."
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But honestly? If it’s PR, it’s the longest PR stunt in history. They’ve been together for three years now. He’s met her kids, Stormi and Aire. They’ve spent holidays together. That’s a lot of commitment for a fake relationship.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception is that this meme is "proof" of a leaked private photo. It isn't. Neither Kylie nor Timothee ever posted a bathtub selfie. Kylie is actually quite protective of her privacy when it comes to Timothee. Notice how he never appears on her main Instagram grid? She posts her kids, her outfits, and her horses, but Timmy remains mostly "off-camera."
Another thing people get wrong is the idea that Timothee is "changing" for her. Critics pointed to his style shifts, but let’s be real—the guy was wearing glittery harnesses on red carpets long before he met a Kardashian. If anything, they both seem to enjoy the "quiet luxury" aesthetic lately.
The Cultural Impact of a "Cursed" Image
Memes like this work because they tap into a specific type of internet humor called "IJBOL" (I Just Burst Out Laughing). It’s about the absurdity. The bathtub photo is objectively weird-looking. The toes are strange. The lighting is bad. By attaching two of the most famous people in the world to it, the internet created a piece of digital folklore.
It’s also about the "skinny man" trope. Timothee is the poster boy for the "tall, thin, and talented" archetype. The meme plays on the public's obsession with his physique, contrasting it with Kylie’s highly curated, "perfect" image.
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How to Tell Fact from Fiction
In the age of AI and deepfakes, it's getting harder to know what's real. Here’s a quick checklist for the next time you see a "leaked" celebrity photo:
- Check the Source: Did it come from a reputable news outlet or a random account named "TimmyLuvr69"?
- Look for Artifacts: In the bathtub meme, the image quality is way too low for a modern iPhone.
- Reverse Image Search: A five-second search shows that the bathtub photo existed years ago.
- Consider the Context: Would Kylie Jenner, a woman who carefully curates every pixel of her brand, let a photo of her feet and a pale man's toes go viral? Probably not.
The Timothee Chalamet Kylie Jenner bathtub meme is a classic example of how the internet creates its own reality. It doesn't matter that the photo isn't them; what matters is that it feels like a funny representation of their relationship. Whether you’re a fan of "Chylée" (or "Chaladashian") or you’re waiting for the breakup announcement, the meme is a permanent part of the 2020s pop culture archive.
If you want to stay updated on what's actually real, stick to watching the red carpets. The next major appearance for the couple is expected to be during the upcoming awards season, where Timothee is a frontrunner for his role in Marty Supreme. Skip the "leaked" memes and look for the official photos—they’re usually much easier on the eyes anyway.