Matthew Rhys had plenty to celebrate after making history at the 2026 Emmys on September 14, but his treatment of girlfriend Keri Russell quickly overshadowed his achievements.
The 51-year-old Welsh star won two Lead Actor honors, yet viewers focused on the fact that he “did not acknowledge his partner of more than a decade and the mother of his child” in either acceptance speech.
Highlights
- Matthew Rhys faced scrutiny after failing to acknowledge Keri Russell during his Emmy acceptance speeches while she enthusiastically cheered for him.
- Body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass saw an “unmistakable imbalance” in their respective displays of affection.
- Glass also offered her take on their red carpet exchange.
Rhys took to Instagram on Wednesday to reflect on the big night, while body language expert Dr. Lillian Glass also weighed in on his conduct.
“Sometimes it is not what someone does that speaks volumes. It is what they do not do,” she said.
Matthew Rhys upset netizens by snubbing Keri Russell in his acceptance speeches
Rhys’ first win on Monday came in the Limited or Anthology Series or Movie category for the psychological thriller The Beast in Me, in which he starred alongside Claire Danes.
As he stood up after his name was announced, the actor shocked viewers by not even glancing at Russell, but stopping to embrace his overjoyed co-star.
Onstage, while thanking the team behind the project, he once again made no mention of his girlfriend.
Rhys had another opportunity to address the slight later that night when he was called back to the stage to collect the Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series award for Widow’s Bay.
Yet again, he left Russell out of his speech while thanking several family members including his parents and sister.
“I came here to see if everyone sensed what I did. All is not well between the two,” added another.
Despite being left out of Rhys’s speeches, Russell appeared to fully support him as she was seen cheering and applauding enthusiastically.
Behind the scenes, though, the situation was not as merry, according to footage shared by Yahoo News reporter Taryn Ryder.
Russell was seen swatting Rhys’s hand away as he attempted to wrap his arm around her for a picture with a photographer.
Rhys’s behavior had a body language expert thinking, “He’s just not that into you”
In a September 15 post on X, Dr. Lillian Glass, author of books such as The Body Language of Liars and Toxic Men, described Rhys’s reaction to winning his first award as shocking.
She found the reaction “particularly interesting” because spontaneous moments give a person little time to plan their response, often exposing their priorities in an instant.
In Rhys’s case, “as he rose, he did not appear to immediately turn toward Keri Russell. Instead, he embraced his co-star,” she said.
Analyzing the actor’s conduct during his second win, Glass said he had another opportunity to spare Russell some attention but failed to do so despite her beaming and cheering for him.
“That contrast is what caught my attention,” Glass said. “What I saw was an unmistakable imbalance in public acknowledgment in those moments.”
She advised people to monitor “who do you look for,” “who do you touch,” “who do you acknowledge,” and sometimes “who do you leave out” to determine the health of their relationships.
“In body language, an absence of behavior can sometimes be every bit as interesting as the behavior itself,” she explained.
Watching Russell and Rhys’s sequence brought to Glass’s mind the popular phrase: “He’s just not that into you.”
Rhys’ acceptance speeches, meanwhile, weren't the only thing Glass analyzed.
According to her, the couple also spelled trouble during their red carpet appearance, where Russell looked up at Rhys with a smile while he looked the other way.
Russell’s demeanor “screams desperation,” she concluded.
Matthew Rhys is yet to address the alleged tension with Russell but reflected on his Emmys night on Instagram
Rhys shared a photo of himself holding his two trophies yesterday, describing his experience at the 2026 Emmys as “surreal.”
He said he woke up “hungover” the next day, then thanked his followers for “all the lovely” congratulatory messages.
While he did not clarify the discussion surrounding his apparent snub of Russell, he appeared to reference the situation in an interview at the ceremony when he said he would not display his trophies at home until Russell also collects one.
Speaking to the press after his wins, he also joked that his family had been betting on whether he or Russell, who was nominated for The Diplomat, would scoop the awards this year.
“It’s not playful. It’s all serious,” he quipped. “I put a lot of money on myself. It’s been a rough week for her.”
Rhys then praised his partner as “always a class act,” saying she “is always really the winner” and that he thought she “might get one” next year.
Rhys and Russell were seen embracing and kissing after the brief frosty moment at the Emmys
Seconds after swatting Rhys’s hands away in front of the cameras, Russell pulled him closer and kissed his cheeks.
She stayed warm toward him as they sat down, engaging him in conversation and patting his shoulder.
Rhys and Russell met on the set of The Americans in 2013, when they were cast as married KGB spies.
The pair welcomed their son, Sam, in 2016, and that same year marked their red carpet debut as a couple at the Primetime Emmy Awards.
Although Russell and Rhys often refer to each other as husband and wife, they are not legally married.
“We literally haven’t got round to marriage yet,” Rhys said in an interview with The Times last year.
"He's never been good enough for her," a netizen said about Matthew Rhys
