Maybe something got lost in translation, but it seems at least possible that singer-songwriter Kelis and Ghostbusters actor Bill Murray are dating. (I write “possible” because the tabloid-reported rumors of their romance have yet to be confirmed, and also because their fans—and critics—are losing it.)
As the U.S. version of The Sun reported on Thursday, the pair “struck up an unlikely romance” in recent weeks, having “reportedly bonded since Kelis’ second husband died in March last year, while Bill’s estranged wife passed away in 2021.” Murray, 72, and Kelis, 43, snapped a picture together after the artist’s performance in London last weekend, and they were reportedly together at the same hotel.
A source—credited as a “friend”—told The Sun, “They’ve met up in the States before, which got people in the industry talking, and now are meeting up in London while they’re both here. They’ve clearly hit it off…They’ve also both shared relatively recent bereavements and have that common bond between them. Whatever it is that has brought them together, and however unlikely it seems, they are both single and are having fun despite the fairly big age gap.”
The news set off a wave of strong reactions across social media platforms.
Nor is the age gap between Murray and Kelis the only factor sparking debate. Murray has incited misconduct allegations on numerous occasions over the years—including public accusations of physical and verbal abuse—leading some to react to the romance rumor with concern rather than humor. (Murray addressed an incident last year, saying, “I did something I thought was funny and it wasn’t taken that way.”) Considering The Sun was also the outlet to first reveal the quick fling between Taylor Swift and Matty Healy, there’s solid reason to believe this relationship could be more than mere gossip.
Culture Writer
Lauren Puckett-Pope is a staff culture writer at ELLE, where she primarily covers film, television and books. She was previously an associate editor at ELLE.