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Why Mckenna Grace and Mason Thames Are Sparking Dating Rumors in NYC
The Handmaid Tales' Mckenna Grace, 18, and How to Train Your Dragon's Mason Thames, 17, are playing love interests in the film adaptation of Colleen Hoover's Regretting You, but their off-camera rapport is sparking romantic rumors, too.
Fans first questioned whether they could be dating when a TikTok of them sharing a playful staged kiss went viral in April 2025. Since then, they've been seen spending time together off set. On June 14, they were even photographed walking hand-in-hand in New York City.
Although neither actor has explicitly confirmed they're romantically involved, they've spoken about the experience of working together and hanging out outside of work.
Thames, in particular, had glowing things to say about his co-star: 'She is one of the most driven people I've ever met in my life,' he told Seventeen in June 2025. 'Every day I'm on set with her, I just want to be as good as Mckenna. She's such a sweet person, and getting to do this movie with her is so cool.'
Here's a full breakdown of their relationship history so far:
Grace and Thames made their first public appearance together at Netflix's Incoming House Party event. At the time, news had just surfaced that they would co-star in Regretting You.
On April 7, Grace shared a TikTok clip of herself and Thames lip-syncing to a well-known 500 Days of Summer audio. The video ends with the two leaning in for a kiss before falling out of frame. Commenters quickly jumped to conclusions, wondering if the clip was a soft launch of a real-life romance or simply promotion for their film.
On April 18, the two were spotted together at the Miami Heat vs. Atlanta Hawks NBA game at State Farm Arena.
On May 5, Grace posted an Instagram carousel that included a photo of her and Thames. 'This is my jam!!🍓🎶🦈💕🎬,' she captioned it.
In a June 13 interview with Seventeen, Thames addressed the viral kissing TikTok, saying, 'I didn't really know what to expect, but it was really funny. I had a lot of friends text me. It was hilarious.' He added it was Grace's idea: 'She was like, 'This is a TikTok—do you wanna do it?' And I was like 'Yeah, let's!' And we posted it, and then…Jesus.'
While he didn't confirm or deny a romance, he acknowledged that the fan speculation about his love life has been strange to take in. 'I've always sort of been off the internet,' he said. 'I've always kind of kept everything to myself and been very personal. Having people speculate so much, especially having mutual friends texting me and asking…it's wild. I'm still not used to it.'
He spoke a little about his adventures with Grace outside of work though, noting they once visited an aquarium. 'She has an aquarium playlist in her AirPods,' he recalled. 'So she had one in her ear, and I had one in mine while we looked at sharks.'
He said that he hopes Grace has learned from his humor: 'I'd like to think I'm a funny person,' he said. 'So, you know, I'd like to think I make her funnier. Even though honestly, Mckenna is one of the funniest people I've ever met. She'll just says some stuff, and it catches me so off guard.'
On June 14, Grace and Thames were photographed walking hand-in-hand through Soho in New York City, just as How to Train Your Dragon opened in theaters. The sighting further fueled dating rumors:
