Paul Mescal has finally given the internet the gossip it craves, and addressed viral rumours he used to run away from dates after spending the night together.
You might remember the 28-year-old Normal People actor was the centre of internet speculation on TikTok last winter, when allegations were being spread far and wide that he had a particular, er, routine when it came to his romantic life.
As GQ put it: 'Mescal would have one-night stands, take them for walks in the park the next day, point out a bird or a tree, and then take off running in another direction.'
FIND OUT MORE ON ELLE COLLECTIVE
In response to the rumours, the actor 'moaned', 'head in his hands, when I bring it up. He stays there for a while, belly laughing and turning red. "Ohhhhhhh. F*cking hell!"'
Paul revealed the rumours first reared their heads last Christmas when he was at home with his two siblings, adding that they are 'Categorically untrue. And we were laughing, laughing, laughing, laughing.
'And the one thing that upset me was that I was in the kitchen, I remember my mum looking at the videos and she was getting upset. Isn’t that devastating? I was like, Oh, it’s funny to us – my brother, me, my sister – because we know that this is the way the internet works. It’s hilarious.
'If it was true, it’d be f*cking bad, but as a rumour, it’s funny. Then I was like, Oh, if you’re a mother, her impulse is to come out and be like, "He wouldn’t do this."'
ELLE Collective is a new community of fashion, beauty and culture lovers. For access to exclusive content, events, inspiring advice from our Editors and industry experts, as well the opportunity to meet designers, thought-leaders and stylists, become a member today HERE.
Dusty Baxter-Wright is an award-winning journalist and the Entertainment and Lifestyle Director at Cosmopolitan, having previously worked at Sugarscape. She was named one of PPA’s 30 Under 30 for her work covering pop culture, careers, interiors and travel, and oversees the site’s Entertainment and Lifestyle strategy across print, digital and video. As a journalist for the best part of a decade, she has interviewed everyone from Louis Theroux and Channing Tatum to Margot Robbie and Ncuti Gatwa, while she has also spoken on Times Radio and BBC Radio. You can find her on Twitter and Instagram here.
