Hey, everyone!
You would have to be deaf and blind to have missed the TONS of rumors swirling around these two right now. It's essentially the biggest "scandal" of Bo's career, and the gossip is certainly overshadowing everything else about him.
There are no official answers currently, but what I can provide is a clear timeline of their interactions, starting with the release of Inside.
DISCLAIMER: We know NOTHING about their current relationship, and all I have provided here is a timeline of their interactions since 2021. I am not condemning or condoning any breakups/hookups that might have occurred—just recording for posterity what I've gathered in a descriptivist manner.
Let's take a look!
June 17, 2021—
Phoebe posted an Instagram Story about how she wishes she had written That Funny Feeling.
July 2, 2021—
Bo and Phoebe met up for lunch in L.A., likely to discuss her covering his song on her upcoming tour.
A fan even posted about meeting the two in person and said they are both ridiculously hot lol.
August 3, 2021—
Bo and Phoebe performed together as surprise guests in Pete Holmes' show at the Largo. Bo had actually appeared there previously as part of Chelsea Peretti and Friends the month before (July 17).
This time around, Phoebe sang a few songs to the intimate crowd, and then she brought out Bo!
While there is no video footage available of the two performing That Funny Feeling together (the venue has a very strict policy), Variety wrote about the show:
Both Burnham and Bridgers were surprise special guests at Pete Holmes’ monthly “Living at Largo” show. Bridgers came out first with Marshall Vore and Harrison Whitford for an acoustic version of “Motion Sickness” before leading into a solo performance of “Moon Song.”
“I’m gonna play a song I wish I wrote,” Bridgers said to the audience of 280 people. “I know I love something when it fills me with rage.”
Then the singer-songwriter motioned off-stage, and Burnham came out and sat down at a keyboard. The intimate audience went nuts as Bridgers and her bandmates waded into a delicate rendition of Burnham’s flagship acoustic song from “Inside.”
With Bridgers taking the lead, Burnham contributed overlaying keyboard chords and subtle vocal harmonies. After the song’s bridge, “Hey, what can you say? / We were overdue / But it’ll be over soon / Just wait,” Whitford delivered a folksy guitar solo.
In addition to Bo providing backup vocals, he apparently sang The Chicken at the very end!
As Bridgers and Co. left the stage, Burnham performed a song he’s done over the years at the Largo about a chicken crossing the road.
This was Bo and Phoebe's first duet together. Will there be more in the future? We'll see!
September 3, 2021—
Phoebe started performing a cover of TFF as an encore for her fall tour, playing it for the first time in Missouri.
Rolling Stone wrote about it as well as Stereogum. There is also a great video on Reddit of Phoebe explaining to the crowd in Columbus about her meeting up with Bo and performing together—very insightful!
"I’m gonna do a song by somebody that I met because I thought he was cool. But... it's funny-- So, I'm gonna do a Bo Burnham song. And the first time we... so, we hung out and we did it at this club in LA. And I forgot that he's never done it for people, so we played it for the first time and he's like, 'It's interesting to see what people laugh at and stuff.' And I was like, 'Oh my god, I fully stole it.' I fully stole it, and now I play it for people. It's funny, but... Anyway, I think it's genius. I think he's a genius."
By the way, Phoebe's outfit of choice, a skeleton suit, is also something Bo AND Lorene have similarly worn in the past haha.
“I put on the skeleton suit, and it’s like, ‘Damn, this is comfortable.’ So I think being a character is funny but it also, it is rooted in reality. Like I really have been wearing the same pajamas for like two months. I wash them every three days, and tried to get another pair online, but they’re sold out.”
October 1, 2021—
Phoebe released her official cover of TFF on Bandcamp with all proceeds going to the Texas Abortion Funds.
Bo even retweeted a Pitchfork article about the song (marking one of the VERY few times he has interacted on social media outside of promoting his work)!
The cover was quite successful, entering multiple Billboard charts in its first week.
Phoebe also later discussed with Elle magazine that she got the abortion pill at the time from Planned Parenthood.
Jesse David Fox of Vulture (and the host of the Good One podcast) even analyzed why Phoebe was drawn to the song (and to Bo):
Was that what that lunch with Burnham was all about? He wanted to be taken seriously, and so to communicate this song was serious, he asked Phoebe to cover it? Maybe the people who tweeted “Inside isn’t a comedy special, it’s so much more” were right.
I think it’s because Burnham and Bridgers are sort of funhouse-mirror images of each other. She is a serious singer often trying to be funny, and he is a funny singer often trying to be serious. The point where they likely overlap as young millennials who found success young is a self-conscious relationship with their fans. This gets at what the song is about.
For at least very sensitive millennials, that’s what living on the internet feels like — slowly your sense of “normal” gets obscured, and previously uncomplicated everyday relationships feel complicated and foreign. Even before the pandemic, the observation that we’ve never been more connected yet disconnected felt trite, and then, as Burnham says near the end of Inside, “the funniest thing happened.” The song, their collaboration, works as a fine allegory for what many people are currently going through right now: trying to rebuild genuine connection, one person at a time.
Here, Jesse pinpoints that the two singer-songwriters are "funhouse-mirror images" of each other. He also astutely notes that both are "very sensitive millennials" who attained fame at a young age and now grapple with how to interact with their audience.
October 22, 2021—
As a special thank you for letting her cover his song, Phoebe got Bo and Lorene tickets to her concert at the Greek Theatre in L.A.
This video of Bo watching Phoebe perform TFF is incredible and never fails to make me smile.
I love how he looks absolutely thrilled to hear his music without him having to sing or play it! Haha
Phoebe also introduced the song in the following way, knowing Bo was in attendance:
"I'm gonna play a song that I didn't write and made me really jealous. And the songwriter...I'm sure you'll hear plagiary at some point in my career. But for now I'm just gonna sing it."
There is even a Reddit thread where the person taking the video explains what happened. All I can say is that they were truly in the perfect spot to capture Bo's reaction to "Logan Paul"!
July 6, 2022—
So, there was no news about Bo and Phoebe for months, but then a photo of the two appeared. This time, they were seated with Lorene and Matty Healy for dinner at a restaurant. No idea when the photo was actually taken, but Matty posted it on Instagram with the caption "Get Out 2" (too many white folks, I guess lol).
Lorene also wore that blue sunflower dress to the Netflix brunch in May (you can see Bo chatting with her in the background of this photo of Bill Burr). Interesting!
November 18, 2022—
As rumors began to grow about how close Bo and Phoebe had become recently, the two popped up on social media with new photos together at the GQ Men of the Year party.
It was the first time fans had seen Bo in a suit since the Emmys in September, and it's rumored that Bo was Phoebe's plus one for the event.
Bo's close friends Jerrod Carmichael and Kate Berlant were also in attendance!
And Bo and Lorene had been photographed with Jerrod's friend Ayo Edebiri of The Bear at the show's premiere party on June 20.
November 28, 2022—
Bo and Phoebe attended The 1975's concert in Inglewood, CA.
There are many photos, TikToks, and even a video uploaded by Matty Healy from this event, and Bo seemed to be having fun joking around with Phoebe.
Looks like Phoebe was right next to Bo for this short video!
December 13, 2022—
The throuple kiss seen around the world!
With the caption of "Gay Poets Society," the pic features Bo with his eyes closed between Matty and Phoebe kissing. Not particularly risque, but boy did it send shockwaves through social media and the tabloids.
Here's a Buzzfeed listicle about the three and what it all means.
December 19, 2022—
The biggest confirmation yet that Phoebe and Bo might be more than just good friends came at the premiere of the winter encore run of Kate, which Bo has been directing in New York since August.
For this performance, my friend and a fellow Bo obsessive attended the show, and she observed that Bo was so happy to see Phoebe and that they were inseparable throughout the night. Bo sat right next to Phoebe and leaned into her in a couple-y manner.
In addition, after some technical difficulties derailed the show, Bo leapt out of his seat and banged his head on the balcony (the boy is TALL).
My friend said everyone was shocked, and Phoebe was touching his head to make sure that he was okay (aww).
There was also a Jezebel article that helps verify this perceived public affection:
According to a fellow Jezebel staff member who was in the audience, the play started about 45 minutes late due to technical difficulties but was eventually called off about 15 minutes in. Burnham got on stage to apologize for having to cancel the show and then “hopped off to go sit down next to [Bridgers].” He then proceeded to give her his undivided and doting attention. Hm.
In addition to this timeline that I've provided, unsubstantiated gossip has appeared that Bo and Phoebe have been seen making out in a dive bar and at the Magic Castle.
There have also been potential signs of trouble based on Lorene not posting a photo of Bo since September (when she was with him and Kate Berlant) and her changing her profile picture on December 20. Matty Healy also unfollowed Bo on Instagram on December 21 (UPDATE: he might have never followed Bo to begin with), and Paul Mescal and Phoebe have broken up apparently.
December 27, 2022—
Bo and Phoebe were spotted at a bar in Idaho (apparently her father lived there, and they were visiting for the holidays before his death).
Bo took some pics with a fan that they tweeted.
I see he's still rocking the baseball hat haha!
And Phoebe took a pic with a fan as well (that is CLEARLY the same establishment).
And we got confirmation on Twitter that they were BOTH at that bar at the same time.
In lieu of any couple photos, I would say this proves Bo and Phoebe are together!
I will certainly update this timeline as soon as new details surface.
April 2023 Update: The LA Times reported on Phoebe's Them interview from last week and mentioned that Bo had accompanied her to the airport as she was traveling to her father's wake.
At that time in January, I did not post those photos nor more recent ones of them walking on the street because I will NOT support sleazy paparazzi. Just google it if you're curious.
Anyway, here's more confirmation that they are together as a couple:
The paparazzi were hounding Bridgers as she walked through a Los Angeles International Airport terminal with comedian and “Promising Young Woman” actor Bo Burnham this January. She had announced the death of her father with an Instagram post days before, and she was en route to his wake.
In the videos of the two at the airport, Bridgers is heard asking someone off-camera to please leave her alone.
By the way, you are NOT a true fan of either of these artists if you took part in bashing and harassing them online.
I hope you've found this timeline helpful and can more easily determine what Bo and Phoebe have done in the past.
But, as Producer Bo so wisely said during The Dump interview in the Outtakes,
Our doing isn't done, and our done-ing isn't did, okay? So know that.
May 2023 UPDATE: We finally HAVE confirmation, people!! 🙌🏼
Never!
Let's break down the past weekend and today's news.
May 13: Bo and Phoebe attended Taylor Swift's Eras Tour at the Lincoln Financial Field in my hometown of Philadelphia (ugh...so close, yet so far away!). Phoebe was there opening for Taylor for three nights, obviously. [Ed. note: For more interactions between Bo and Taylor Swift, please check out my timeline here.]
Then, footage of Gigi Hadid dancing popped up on social media, and who happened to be behind her? Bo, of course (you can see him and his new shorter hair behind Gigi's arm)!
May 14: The big day!
First, there was confirmation that Bo was still in Philly as he was seen with a group of people outside (no one that I can recognize though).
You can actually see his *reflection* in the pic!
Next, fans spotted Bo in the arena, walking around before the show started.
Then, there was confirmation that Bo and Phoebe were together at the show since a fan named andria captured them chatting in the VIP tent. (Thank you for your service!)
It's great to see Bo beaming at Phoebe (he looks SO happy!), but that was the last update I had seen as of yesterday.
May 15, 2023—Keith Urban outs Phoebo
So I was busy at work today, when my good friend messaged me that of course I'd seen the news about Bo, right? I had NO clue, but I quickly found out what had happened!
A speedy Google search revealed that Bo and Phoebe had been caught hugging and making out in the background of Keith Urban's TikTok video.
Now, after months and months of speculation (since November 2022), I can finally say with certainty that they ARE a couple—woo-hoo!
And it's since been reported on by a number of major publications, including People Magazine!
That EW article is the funniest take on Phoebo I've read yet! Here are two wonderfully snarky quotes from it:
Unbeknownst to him, Swift pal and occasional opening act Phoebe Bridgers was in the background, also minding her own business, while in the midst of climbing incredibly tall, award-winning filmmaker and actor Bo Burnham.
Which just goes to show: If you're maybe dating the tallest man in a 300-ft radius, be wary of Australians wildly bearing camera phones.
I will continue to update this post with any new developments. We're all good with Phoebo though, right? ✌🏼
Update 5/25/23: Phoebe posted a new Instagram post about Keith Urban...yeah, she and Bo are DEFINITELY official now (and I had a feeling she'd be the one to confirm, albeit in a cryptic manner) 😉
Update 6/14/23: Keith Urban has apologized about the TikTok video snafu during a recent ET interview. Here's the video from Stereogum. Crazy that they both reference Phoebe's Instagram clapback!
Fun fact: When Phoebe dressed up as a drag queen for their Nashville show on June 25th, she chose the name Queef Urban.
Per Uproxx, this was a direct reference to the outing of her relationship with Bo:
Phoebe Bridgers’ name was Queef Urban (poking fun at the country star accidentally leaking her kissing Bo Burnham), Lucy Dacus went as Lucille Balls, and Julien Baker took Shenida Turns.
Update 6/17/23:
And the hits keep coming. This time, Boygenius was headlining Re:SET in New York at the Forest Hills Stadium in Queens, and Bo was in attendance with the Boys!
First, a kind Redditor u/jaykaner411 shared a lovely photo of the couple in which Bo has his arms wrapped around Phoebe. So sweet and you can see Lucy Dacus next to them!
Secondly, a TikTok of Phoebe and Bo chatting in the VIP section has been circulating. How anyone could identify the couple from that far away is beyond me...it always takes me a few minutes to confirm that, yes, that very tall and skinny man is indeed Bo haha.
Finally, there are three absolutely precious videos where you can see Bo kissing her, rubbing Phoebe's shoulders, and playing with her hair. So sweet it'll make your teeth hurt!
Update 6/22/23:
So many more amazing moments have been captured while Bo has been in his boygenius groupie era (hat tip to Rachele for that brilliant term for Bo's recent escapades!).
First, Bo was at the Boston show (it is his home state) on Father's Day, and he brought his ENTIRE family with him (from left to right: his older brother Pete, his dad Scott of 1985 fame, Bo obviously, his mother Pattie, and his older sister Samm is in front of Bo).
So sweet to see the Burnhams supporting Phoebo!
After that, Bo attended the Pittsburgh show on the 20th (back in my own home state, but the opposite side), and we got to see him wearing the boygenius Tennessee pride merch—love it.
Update July 16, 2023:
Bo and Phoebe were both tagged in an Instagram story for Claud's album release party. In the video, you can see Bo trying to help the singer-songwriter open a bottle of champagne while Phoebe is next to Bo, filming them on her phone and laughing.
The height difference between Bo and Claud is pretty amusing! haha
Update August 6, 2023:
Phoebe posted a pic taken by photographer Ashley Gellman of a suspiciously tall pianist leaning into Phoebe's open arm on Instagram today.
I believe this is the most public the two have been about their relationship yet, and it's nice to see some confirmation directly from Phoebe herself instead of just from fans catching them at concerts. Maybe we'll get a proper front-facing version soon (wishful thinking with Bo involved lol).
Update October 2, 2023:
Well, looks like we've got a partial Bo face (complete with smile and his signature dimple) in an official IG post from Phoebe.
What an adorable photo, and it actually reminds me of one his ex Lorene took on the opening night of Kate last September!
Update November 12, 2023:
It's been nearly a year since Phoebe and Bo started dating and with boygenius performing on SNL last night, it looks like the pair decided to make things a bit more public.
Please note: Normally, I avoid posting paparazzi pics, but this was clearly done to shut down any lingering rumors (I imagine).
I love that the emphasis is on them holding hands (clearly not shying away from being portrayed romantically), and boy are they a handsome couple!
Maybe we'll get some official photos of the two now? One where they are both facing the camera, perhaps? We'll see.
Keep it here for more Phoebo updates! ✌🏼
For interesting facts about the couple, please click here.
For more on Bo and Taylor Swift, please click here.
Comments