‘I really cared about her’

Glen Powell is giving Sydney Sweeney ‘all the credit for’ for suggesting they play up the dating rumors between them while promoting their film Anyone But You. 

When asked about their decision to lean into their characters, Ben and Bea, the actor star, 35, opened up about utilizing their ‘authentic chemistry’ to entice viewers to watch their rom-com.

‘I don’t have the mental capacity to pull anything like this off, but she’s very smart. She’s very smart,’ the Top Gun: Maverick actor told Business Insider. ‘I had such a wonderful journey with her on this thing. But in terms of actual dating and actually being together? [Laughs.]’

As for how their chemistry on-screen and natural rapport at press events may have created a ‘lot of headaches for’ him, the performer acknowledged his split from Gigi Paris. 

‘Well, look, the only reason it made things harder for me to lean into that stuff was that I was going through a very real breakup amidst a promotional tour,’ he explained.

Powell continued: ‘I was with someone that I really loved and cared about and was trying to kind of make sense of a lot of stuff.’

Meanwhile, the Scream Queens alum pointed out that ‘it was a lot easier for Sydney to lean into something like that because she’s in a very committed and wonderful relationship and she’s very happy.’ 

‘So it was a little harder for me,’ he admitted. 

Rumors about Glen and Sydney’s relationship began to stir at the beginning of the year during filming, and quickly gained traction after Glen quietly split with his model girlfriend Gigi Paris in April.

Sydney, who is engaged to Jonathan Davino, 40, shot down the rumors during a tell-all interview with Variety in August.

‘It’s a rom-com. That’s what people want,’ she said.

‘Glen and I don’t really care. We have so much fun together, and we respect each other so much; he’s such a hard worker, and I’m a hard worker.

‘We’re excited for the press tour, and I literally just left ADR with him. We talk all the time like.’

Her comments came as a member of production working on the film claimed that a number of people on the set ‘thought they were already a couple.’

‘I knew him from Top Gun,’ they said. ‘But I just assumed they were a couple in real life. That’s what it looked like to most of us. And to some of the extras as well.’

Sweeney is engaged fiancé, Jonathan Davino, 40.