Alia Shawkat reveals truth about those Brad Pitt dating rumors

Sameen Chaudhry, USA TODAYTue, August 18, 2026 at 4:03 PM UTC

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Alia Shawkat is setting the record straight about those Brad Pitt dating rumors once and for all.

The "Arrested Development" actress shut down years-old speculation that she and Pitt were once romantically involved, saying the two were simply friends.

Shawkat, 37, addressed the rumors during an Aug. 16 appearance on "What What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" alongside her costar Kristen Stewart.

"I was obsessed with the Brad Pitt rumors," host Andy Cohen told Shawkat before asking how the speculation began.

"This is my favorite questions to get asked," Shawkat joked. "He's just my friend. We became friends."

Shawkat explained that filmmaker Spike Jonze introduced the pair and they bonded over their shared interest in art.

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"It sounds all very chic and Hollywood," she said. "But we met, and he's really into art and he's very cool and we became friends."

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As for why their friendship sparked romance rumors, Shawkat jokes that it was simply the consequence of being seen with Pitt. "Everyone thought we were dating, because if you stand next to him, everyone thinks you're dating. Like, even his own mother."

During the interview, Shawkat also recalled her grandmother saving an Us Weekly cover featuring her and Pitt amid the dating speculations.

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"I was like, 'I've been working in film for 30 years, you've never seen anything, but you love this,'" she joked.

The speculation began in 2019 after Shawkat and Pitt were spotted on several occasions, including an art exhibition in Los Angeles. A source close to Pitt shut down the rumors shortly after and told People "they are absolutely just friends."

Shawkat later told The New Yorker in 2022 that the attention surrounding their friendship became overwhelming, describing the experience as "so weird."

Pitt, 62, is currently in a relationship with jewelry executive Ines de Ramon. The couple were first romantically linked in 2022 and recently made their relationship Instagram official.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alia Shawkat reveals truth about those Brad Pitt dating rumors

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