Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet have kept their romance out of the spotlight – until now.
On Sunday, the actor, 30, won the Best Actor trophy at the 2026 Critics Choice Awards and made a very public declaration of love for his girlfriend, Kylie, 28.
The sudden display of affection in the third year of their ‘on-off’ relationship comes just two months after reports the pair had split.
Now, psychologist Darren Stanton has told the Daily Mail the couple are sending a ‘very clear message to the public’.
Speaking on behalf of Press Box PR, he said: ‘In terms of Kylie and Timothee, one of the reasons they’re being very overt with their gestures and declarations of love is something called social proof and relationship validation.
‘They’re sending a very clear and direct message to the public that the relationship is real, secure and intentional.
Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet have kept their romance out of the spotlight – until now. The actor, 30, won Best Actor at the Critics Choice Award and made a declaration of love
The couple showed off their affection just after Timothee’s name was announced with a sweet kiss as he rose to accept his award
‘It isn’t just for the cameras – they’re in this relationship for the long haul.’
‘When people display affection in public, it’s also designed to reduce speculation and discourage trolls or those who may not believe the relationship will last.
‘They’re very strategic about where they display these moments, like last night’s Critics Choice Awards.
‘It plays into them wanting to show off their relationship in an open, public setting.
‘Timing is very important and they tend to do this when there’s a lot of press and media present, so they get maximum attention.
‘Kylie especially is very media trained and controlled. The strategy they’re employing is well planned and not off the cuff.’
Meanwhile relationship psychologist Dr Kathy Nickerson added: ‘When we look at celebrity relationships, we have to remember that public figures like Kylie Jenner and Timothee Chalamet are not just people…they are also brands.
‘Their relationship is part of their public narrative, and that narrative has real implications for public trust, likability, and business partnerships.
‘When a celebrity relationship appears stable and affectionate, it tends to cast a positive light on both individuals, as well as their businesses and projects.
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Psychologist Darren Stanton claims their sudden PDA is ‘strategic and social proof’ as actor declares his love for her at the Critics Choice Awards
Darren said: ‘In terms of Kylie and Timothee, one of the reasons they’re being very overt with their gestures and declarations of love is something called social proof’
However, the same couldn’t be said for Jenner, especially as they sat down at their assigned table
Following the Saturday night ceremony, Kylie shared photos of her Marty Supreme-inspired look on Instagram, showing off an orange sequined Ludovic de Saint Sernin gown
Timothee responded in kind by ‘liking’ the post and leaving several orange heart emojis in the comments
‘Fans feel reassured, sponsors feel safer, and the overall brand feels steady. When there are rumors of trouble, speculation intensifies, headlines multiply, and the brand can feel destabilized.’
She added: ‘Psychologically, a noticeable increase in public displays of affection often functions as reassurance signaling.
‘In a media environment where silence is frequently interpreted as confirmation of problems, increased visibility becomes a way of saying, “Everything is okay.” It can also be an effort to regain control of the narrative when outside speculation starts to take over.
‘There’s also a very human element. Constant public scrutiny puts real pressure on relationships.
‘When negative rumors circulate, couples may increase visible affection both to quiet the noise and to prevent that speculation from becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy that adds stress inside the relationship itself.’
After winning in the category for his acclaimed dramedy Marty Supreme, Timothee finished his acceptance speech with a tribute to Kylie. He said: ‘Lastly, I’ll just say, thank you to my partner of three years.
‘Thank you for our foundation. I couldn’t do this without you. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.’
Kylie was seen in the audience resting her chin on her folded hands and mouthed: ‘I love you.’
The couple showed off their affection just after Timothee’s name was announced with a sweet kiss as he rose to accept his award.
It comes after they subtly put their long-standing no-social-media boundary to the test after Kylie supported Timothee at the Palm Springs International Film Festival.
Following the Critics Choice Awards, the beauty mogul shared photos of her Marty Supreme-inspired look on Instagram, showing off an orange sequined Ludovic de Saint Sernin gown.
Their relationship appeared stronger than ever last month, as Kylie joined the actor on the Marty Supreme press tour
After making headlines with a rumoured break-up, the couple put all speculation to bed as they stormed the red carpet hand in hand
What makes their sudden PDA all the more shocking is that, in November, an insider told the Daily Mail that the actor had dumped Kylie
She captioned the post simply with orange heart emojis, a nod to the film’s press-tour color theme.
Timothee responded by ‘liking’ the post and leaving several orange heart emojis in the comments.
The interaction marked the first time the pair have publicly commented on one another’s social media accounts. Until now, they had only exchanged discreet likes.
Darren continued: ‘They’ve made a decision to escalate the level of affection they show in public rather than keeping it under wraps, making it very clear that this is a serious relationship.
‘Saying that, the pair do seem to have a solid relationship and chemistry together. What’s interesting is that there’s no power dynamic between either of them.
‘From a non verbal point of view, they match and mirror, they touch each other, they reciprocate and lean in towards each other.
‘This demonstrates that the power dynamic is equal between them, not one of them has more control or feels more powerful than the other.’
The Daily Mail has contacted Kylie and Timothee’s representatives for comment.
What makes their sudden PDA all the more shocking is that, in November, an insider told the Daily Mail that the actor had dumped Kylie.
‘They cool down and they heat up,’ one insider told the Daily Mail. ‘Before the premiere, they were in the cool-down cycle. They hadn’t returned each other’s stuff, they hadn’t blocked each other – they were taking a breather.’
The couple had not been seen together since they were spotted watching the New York Yankees play the Toronto Blue Jays at Yankee Stadium.
As breakup rumours swirled, a new profile ran of Timothee in which he dodged inquiries into his relationship with Kylie.
He flatly declared that he ‘will not talk about’ the romance. He said: ‘I don’t say that with any fear, I just don’t have anything to say,’ via Vogue.
Despite not wanting to talk about his romance, the Vogue interviewer added that the actor ‘didn’t mind at all acknowledging the new stage of his life that he is entering into’.
The couple – whose mutual friend is designer Haider Ackermann – met as far back as 2019 at Nobu Malibu (pictured on March 2)
Kylie also similarly refused to discuss her romance with Timothee in a 2024 interview with British Vogue: ‘Privacy is so important to me in life,’ she said.
Kylie and Timothee were first linked in April 2023 and went public that September when they were seen passionately kissing at a Beyoncé concert.
The couple – whose mutual friend is designer Haider Ackermann – met as far back as 2019 at Nobu Malibu.
Although they have not shied away from being seen together in public, they have kept their relationship off social media and have refrained from mentioning his name on her family’s Hulu show, The Kardashians.
Claims have circulated that their relative privacy about their romance was because Timothee wanted to be regarded as a serious actor.
Their relationship appeared stronger than ever last month, as Kylie joined the actor on the Marty Supreme press tour.
After making headlines with a rumoured break-up, the couple put all speculation to bed as they stormed the red carpet hand in hand.
The duo even wore coordinated orange looks to the Los Angeles premiere.
However, body language expert Judi James picked up on an uncomfortable look on Timothee’s face, suggesting all may not be well in paradise.
Judi suggested the united red carpet move was Kylie’s carefully curated decision to take control of the relationship in a ‘smug’ way.
She explained how Kylie’s body language towards Timothee was ‘overly smitten’ as she clutched tightly onto his body.
She said Timothee, who favours his relationships out of the spotlight, came across as Kylie’s ‘show-pony’ and appeared hesitant to display any form of intimacy, aside from a light hand placement on her torso.
She told the Daily Mail: ‘The romantic signals look one-sided here. Kylie clearly looks happy to depict and define a smitten, romantic relationship, but Timothee’s poses make him look less keen to be seen as any form of celebrity show-pony.
‘His hands and his body poses suggest hesitancy here. His fingers lightly touch onto Kylie’s torso while she looks happy to cling, and he puts far less effort into any active poses of intimacy.
‘His facial expression clearly defines him as being in a happy upbeat mood but these are social smiles for the camera rather than Kylie’s more meaningful, narrative-spinning “look of love” created by her softened features and eye expression here.’
She added: ‘We can see Kylie working their poses, positioning his hand onto her hip and then lifting and replacing it when they change pose. She seems to be the one designing the poses and steering him into position while he just stands and grins amiably.
‘It’s apt that her nails look like claws here because her body language mood is set firmly on “purring”, with some “smugly in love” smiles at the camera as she drapes herself around Timothee.’
Last month, fans also caught a glimpse of Timothee’s presence at the Kardashian-Jenner family’s famously lavish Christmas Eve celebration.
Last month, fans also caught a glimpse of Timothee’s presence at the Kardashian-Jenner family’s famously lavish Christmas Eve celebration
Kylie shares two children with AstroWorld founder Travis Scott and is said to have previously dated Cody Simpson, Jaden Smith, Justin Bieber, Tyga and PartyNextDoor (pictured in 2018)
When outtakes from the 2025 party circulated online, eagle-eyed observers spotted his name written on a gingerbread house.
In August, a source told Us Weekly that Timothee went out of his way to make Kylie feel special while the couple spent her birthday apart.
‘Timothee went out of his way to make her feel special on her birthday,’ the source said, adding that he sent gifts, scheduled a FaceTime call, and coordinated thoughtful surprises with her friends.
During the summer, the pair repeatedly spotted together at the front row of basketball games to watch his beloved New York Knicks play.
In May, the pair walked the red carpet together for the first time before attending the 70th David Di Donatello Awards at Rome’s iconic Cinecitta Studios.
Kylie had accompanied Timothee to awards shows before, including the Oscars and the Golden Globes, but had previously let him walk the red carpet solo before appearing with him inside the ceremony.
Shortly after the Golden Globes, an insider shared the reason that Kylie waited until after the red carpet to materialize at his side later that night.
‘Kylie didn’t want to make it about them. She wanted this night to be all about Timothee, how it was intended to be,’ the source told Page Six.
Kylie shares two children with AstroWorld founder Travis Scott and is said to have previously dated Cody Simpson, Jaden Smith, Justin Bieber, Tyga and PartyNextDoor.
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