Dakota Johnson and Machine Gun Kelly Fuel Romance Rumours on Late-Night LA Date
(Illustration: USA Current Affaires)
Dakota Johnson and Machine Gun Kelly spent a very late night together in Los Angeles this week — and the photos have set the rumour mill spinning.
On the night of Tuesday, November 11, Johnson, 37, hosted a screening of her 17-minute short film "Flesh Impact" at the Sunset Tower in West Hollywood. The film, directed by Maggie Gyllenhaal, stars Johnson and Ellen Burstyn as younger and older versions of Marilyn Monroe. For the occasion, Johnson wore a strapless black Valentino dress with a sheer pleated skirt — and her plus-one for the evening was Machine Gun Kelly, 36, dressed down in baggy jeans, a white T-shirt, a flannel shirt and a bright red Chrome Hearts beanie.
After the screening, the pair dined at the Sunset Tower Hotel, sitting in a corner booth with friends. Sources told PEOPLE they were leaning into each other and occasionally nuzzling over food and drinks — the kind of detail that fans were always going to notice.
The night did not end there. The two then headed to MGK's recording studio, and were photographed leaving shortly before 3 a.m., holding hands, with MGK helping Johnson down the stairs. She had changed into a white T-shirt, baggy jeans and a tiger-print shearling coat for the late-night exit — and the hand-in-hand photograph is now doing the rounds on social media.
A Slow Burn That Started Months Ago
This was not the first time the pair have been spotted together. Romance rumours first began in September, when they were seen leaving a black SUV together in New York City — weeks after Johnson's split from singer Role Model was confirmed.
Sources say they reportedly hit it off at Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding in July, and that they have "a lot of chemistry" and share a dry, dark sense of humour. Johnson has also been spending time at MGK's studio while he works, according to reports, and the sightings have been stacking up: they matched in black leather jackets for a November 3 dinner in Calabasas and attended a Khaite party together on November 5.
It is a pairing few people would have predicted — the famously private "Fifty Shades" star and the tattooed rapper-turned-rocker, whose young daughter Saga he shares with Megan Fox. But those who know them say the connection is real, if still early.
Nothing Confirmed — Yet
For all the speculation, it is important to be clear about what has — and has not — been said. Sources told PEOPLE the dynamic between Johnson and MGK remains casual, and neither star has publicly confirmed a romantic relationship. Everything so far is rumour, sighting and source chatter, not an official announcement.
That has not stopped fans from reading into every detail, from the matching leather jackets to the 3 a.m. hand-holding. Johnson has always guarded her private life closely, and MGK is no stranger to a headline romance either — so if there is something to announce, it will almost certainly come on their own terms and in their own time.
Until then, the late-night Los Angeles date is the strongest signal yet that something is brewing between the two stars. It comes in a season of high-profile splits too — Tyga and Madelaine Petsch recently ended their relationship after nearly two years — while Taylor Swift, at whose wedding the pair reportedly first clicked, is returning to the CMA Awards stage for the first time in 13 years.
Do you think Dakota and MGK are the real deal, or is this just a late-night friendship? Tell us in the comments.
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