A lot can happen in a year. In November 2022, indie savior and famed singer/songwriter Phoebe Bridgers was rumored to be engaged to her soon-to-be Oscar-nominated, Irish heartthrob boyfriend, Paul Mescal.
Now, in the penultimate month of 2023, Bridgers is in a relationship with one of the century's most experimental and provocative comedians, Bo Burnham.
In that time, awards have been bestowed, power trio bands have formed, relationships have ended and the riveting timeline of a new one has emerged.
The most tangible catalyst of the Bridgers/Burnham partnership is an Instagram post from Dec. 12, 2022. The picture depicts the frontman of The 1975, Matty Healy, kissing Bridgers while a euphoric-looking Burnham stands centered behind them, eyes closed and hands wrapped around the singers’ shoulders.
The image was widely circulated as fans of the Bridgers/Mescal relationship mourned the newly disproven engagement rumors.
The nail in the coffin of Bridgers’ split from Mescal was her verse on SZA’s "Ghost in the Machine," a track off "SOS," which was released Dec. 9. The lyrics, “You said all my friends are on my payroll / You’re not wrong, you’re an a------ / Screaming at you in the Ludlow / I was yours for free,” capture the pain of Bridgers’ extremely recent fight and resulting breakup with Mescal, and was confirmation enough for fans to accept the split.
In the wake of the Instagram post, sightings of Bridgers and Burnham were reported everywhere, from a New York comedy show in December 2022 to Los Angeles International Airport in January 2023.
Throughout it all, the two never confirmed their relationship, and Burnham had yet to confirm his split from filmmaker Lorene Scafaria. The two were reportedly dating for nearly a decade but remained very private about their personal lives the entire time.
In late spring of 2023 came global popstar Taylor Swift’s highly anticipated “Era’s Tour,” an act that attracted approximately 70,000 spectators per night. Two of those spectators at a Philadelphia show in May were celebrity spouses Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman.
Urban posted a video on TikTok of him and Kidman having the time of their lives at the concert, a celebration of Swift’s performance and a show of support between musicians.
Upon closer inspection, the short video is more than a show of singer solidarity. It is a glimpse into the life of another celebrity couple who are depicted in the background, displaying public affection and enjoying the concert as a pair. Burnham and Bridgers’ attendance at the “Era’s Tour,” at the very least, confirmed their continued social interactions. It also fueled speculations about the nature of their passionate relationship, resulting in an apology from Urban for his pot-stirring post.
In November, Bridger’s collaborative band with artists Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker, Boygenius, was the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live,” hosted by Timothée Chalamet.
The trio put on a spectacular performance, and the evening was spotlighted in Chalamet’s opening monologue as the first SNL show since the Writers Guild of America strike ended. This excitement resulted in a unique guest list for the coveted afterparty.
One of the party's attendees was media personality – and the girlfriend of the evening's host – Kylie Jenner. Another guest was a similarly supportive partner, Burnham, there to celebrate Bridgers’ successful performance. The two were seen arriving hand-in-hand at the venue, this time a less accidental visual capture of their continuing relationship.
Perhaps the relationship between Burnham and Bridgers was destined from well before the Matty Healy post. In 2021, Bridgers released her cover of "That Funny Feeling," a song from Burnham’s seminal comedy special, “Bo Burnham: Inside,” that had been frequently performed on her tour.
Her heart-wrenching rendition of the already gutting number demonstrated their connection, if not as a couple, as lyricists and victims of life’s deepest emotions.
Whether the next year will bring an engagement, musical collaborations or a split between Bridgers and Burnham, it is certain to be another year of excitement and continued infatuation from fans of the duo.
With the momentum of Boygenius’ success and an endless string of possibilities from the mind of Bo Burnham, there’s no saying where the couple is headed, together and as individuals.
