Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby have raised eyebrows over their intimate interactions while promoting their film, Fantastic Four: First Steps.
Last year, the actress, who is expecting a baby with fiancé Paul Rabil, was seen grabbing Pedro's hand at the San Diego Comic-Con, seemingly to help him overcome his anxiety.
The Chilean actor has previously spoken about how physical touch helps him cope with his anxiety, revealing he often places his left hand on his torso to feel calmer when he's on the red carpet.
Highlights
- Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby divided opinions with their touchy interviews and red carpet moments.
- The co-stars are promoting their Marvel film, Fantastic Four: First Steps, out on July 25.
- The videos have been met with criticism, given that Vanessa is pregnant and engaged to Paul Rabil
In the lead-up to and during the Fantastic Four premiere, the co-stars drew attention for their close interactions, which many deemed inappropriate and intensely suggestive.
Pedro Pascal and Vanessa Kirby divided opinions with their touchy interviews during their press tour for Fantastic Four
Image credits: Mamamia
In a recent Marvel Studios video, Pedro is seen rubbing Vanessa's arm as they pose together on the blue carpet.
The British star has also engaged physically with Pedro at different press events, including stroking his face and neck affectionately, kissing him on the cheek, and clasping hands with him.
Image credits: FearedBuck
A video compilation of their touchy interactions has gone viral on X (formerly Twitter), amassing over 50 million views.
Their gestures have sparked debate about professional boundaries and mental health, with some calling the moments sweet and innocent, while others argue that the stars' PDA-filled behavior crossed the line.
"If my wife was doing this with her coworker I'd k*ll myself in a public space," reads one of the comments, liked by over 400,000 users.
The co-stars are frequently seen holding hands and touching, reportedly to help ease Pedro's anxiety
Image credits: FearedBuck
"This is weird. I know Hollywood is 'different' but for normal people this is weird," someone else wrote.
"Sheeeeeeeesh I feel bad for her man!!" shared another user.
"No man's reaction to anxiety is doing this, he's just weird and people are making things up to defend this," added a fourth.
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Someone else disagreed, writing, "There are men out there who would definitely lie to women about stuff like that so they could hold their hands. I don't think Pedro is one of those guys, but I can see where some men might project their own insecurities onto him."
"Imagine being such an incel that a person would think holding hands automatically equates to s*xual liaisons," another user said.
Their PDA-filled interactions have sparked a wave of memes
During a blue carpet interview, Pedro put his hands on his co-star's waist and told her, "You can't leave me alone that long!"
Image credits: kirawontmiss
In an interview with The Guardian via Wio News, the actor shared that anxiety "is something that I've lived with since I was a child, so it's a part of my chemistry. I don't know what kind of person I'd be without it. It's something that I manage, but it's also part of what makes me, me."
The 50-year-old Last of Us star opened up about his efforts to manage anxiety and stay connected with his loved ones during the pandemic in an interview with Men's Health.
Image credits: finishcinemaboy
Pedro said he identified with the characters in his film Eddington, who struggle with mental health issues in the peak moment of the COVID pandemic in 2020.
"I notice, especially during this period of the summer 2020, and the kind of isolation and how long my FaceTimes were, and my phone conversations, that I had started to make an effort to engage more, having previously lost that option in many ways," he explained.
He said he was "such a talker" when he was in high school and college and used to speak with his friends frequently, but eventually lost that social trait, reaching the point where he "didn't know how many days had gone by" without talking to them.
"I definitely kind of stopped doing that, and instead I'm doomscrolling, or looking for something to watch, looking for different ways to disassociate from the feeling I'm having.
"And then, when it started to feel so critical, I had to go back to what was always the comfort for me in life, which was engagement in my relationships, my friendships, and conversation and shared experience."
Vanessa described Pedro as "incredibly loving" and "such a generous, wonderful friend"
Image credits: LADbible Entertainment
Vanessa described her Fantastic Four co-star as "incredibly loving," telling the Associated Press, "I knew we had to be such close friends to be able to really show love and care on screen, and that has never ended for us.
"Coming into this Marvel universe as complete newbies...all of these things we've shared. He's such a generous, wonderful friend, and he's so supportive."
The actress added that she was "honored" to have Pedro as the male lead of the superhero film.
Some users said their interactions were "inappropriate," while others asked when the pair would be booking tickets to see Coldplay
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