Last April, Glen Powell and longtime girlfriend Gigi Paris made the decision to break up. After three years together, their final months were strained by the press tour for the romantic comedy Anyone But You – which saw Powell and co-star Sydney Sweeney being flirty together, inspiring all kinds of romance rumors. A year-and-a-half has passed since then, and Paris has moved on… but one can’t help but notice a funny coincidence in the news of who he is now dating.
Per Page Six, the actress/model attended the 2025 Angel Ball in New York City earlier this week, and the event was an opportunity for her to go out with her new beau, retired NFL player Cooper Helfet. There isn’t really any direct connection between Helfet and Glen Powell to be made, the former having played tight end for the Seattle Seahawks and Oakland Raiders during a seven-year career, but it is funny that he is dating the actor’s ex right at a time when Powell is getting a lot of attention for portraying a football player.
I am, of course, referring to the new series Chad Powers (the first full season of which is now available to stream with a Hulu subscription). The Top Gun: Maverick star doesn’t play an NFL player but instead a disgraced college quarterback whose life falls to ruins after he makes an egotistical mistake that costs his school the opportunity to win a bowl game. Years later, he finds a path toward a second chance in the sport when he learns of an open audition for a college in Georgia, and he uses special effects makeup and a hillbilly voice to transform himself into a new person: Chad Powers.
Gigi Paris has specifically blamed the Anyone But You press tour for causing turbulation in her relationship with Glen Powell, saying during a podcast appearance in June that it was difficult to deal with the speculation. Recently speaking with Variety, Sydney Sweeney defended the connection that she had with her co-star during the run-up to the release of the romantic comedy, and she told the trade that the press was responsible for all of the rumors rather than there being any manipulation. Said the Christy star,
Honestly, the press did it themselves. There was no leaning in, per se. Truly the tabloids and journalists just created it and kept going. Even if we were just standing next to each other, it was ‘They’re standing two inches apart!’ Glen and I genuinely care for each other and have a love and respect for one another. I love being with him. And I think people just truly saw a really beautiful pairing.
While Gigi Paris is dating Cooper Helfet, Glen Powell is staying busy with new projects and press tours. In addition to the aforementioned Chad Powers, the actor is also the star of writer/director Edgar Wright’s upcoming Stephen King adaptation The Running Man – which will be in theaters everywhere on November 14.