Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney became one of Hollywood’s biggest talking points while promoting Anyone But You. Their chemistry drew huge attention, but Powell was dealing with a difficult period in his personal life at the same time.
Looking back, the actor now sees that experience differently. Powell’s relationship with model Gigi Paris ended around the same time the Anyone But You promotional campaign was gaining momentum.
As rumors about a romance between Powell and Sweeney grew, the two actors played along with the chatter to help promote the romantic comedy. Powell has since said the situation was difficult because he was going through a real breakup while taking part in a campaign built around a fictional romance.
According to a recent report from Esquire, the actor now says he would not repeat that experience. Reflecting on the period, Powell said, “I’ve moved on to a new chapter of my life.”
The situation also made Powell question whether he could build a stable personal life while dealing with the demands of his career. He eventually turned to his father, Glen Powell Sr., for advice.
His father helped him understand the difference between a relationship with a partner and the professional relationships he forms while working on a movie.
The real-life breakup that unfolded alongside the movie’s biggest talking point
During an appearance on the Too Much podcast, Paris opened up about the emotional toll the public campaign took during their April 2023 split. While the couple had already been experiencing relationship strains, the constant media circus and romantic speculation surrounding Powell and Sweeney made a private separation impossible.
“It was just, this is what I have to do for my job,” Paris said via People. “I had two options. I could either pretend like I was going along with everything and have everyone wonder, like, ‘Are they hooking up? Are they not hooking up? Is she okay with this? What the f—?’ Or stand up for myself and say, ‘No, I’m actually not okay with this, and I’m walking away.’ So that’s what I decided to do … I was shattered.”
At the time, Sweeney also addressed the attention and said the two had fun together and respected each other. Their public chemistry became a major part of the movie’s promotion, helping Anyone But You attract attention before its release.
Today, Powell has applied all these hard-won lessons to his relationship with Landman star Michelle Randolph, emphasizing personal boundaries, shared values, and keeping his private life grounded away from publicity stunts.
Originally reported on ComingSoon.
