Hollywood loves a good rumor. Usually, they’re baseless, but when you put Sydney Sweeney and Colson Baker—better known as Machine Gun Kelly—in the same room, the internet basically has a meltdown. It’s not just about two attractive people being famous. It’s the history. The music videos. The weirdly timed breakups.
Honestly, the timeline of Sydney Sweeney and MGK is a lot longer than most people realize. They didn't just meet at some flashy Las Vegas club last year. They’ve been circling each other's professional orbits since 2018.
The "Downfalls High" Era and Where it All Began
If you want to understand why people are so obsessed with this pairing, you have to go back to Big Time Adolescence. This was a 2019 indie flick starring Pete Davidson. Sydney played a character named Holly, and MGK was in the mix too.
During a 2021 interview with BuzzFeed, Sydney recounted a pretty vivid memory from that set. She walked into a room and saw MGK and Pete Davidson literally tattooing each other. Her reaction? "Okay, this is the coolest set I've ever been on."
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That’s where the foundation was laid. They weren't dating then—Sydney was already linked to Jonathan Davino at that point—but the vibe was clearly there. They were friends. They trusted each other. In fact, Sydney later told Elle UK that if she had to choose between Pete or MGK to give her a permanent tattoo, she’d pick MGK. She said she trusted his aesthetic more.
Then came 2021. This was the peak of MGK’s "pop-punk" pivot. He directed a musical film called Downfalls High, which was essentially a 49-minute visual for his album Tickets to My Downfall. He cast Sydney as the lead, Scarlett.
She was the "popular girl" love interest. He was the narrator. Even though they didn't play a couple on screen (TikTok star Chase Hudson played her boyfriend), the behind-the-scenes energy was palpable. MGK admitted he asked her if she was "okay" about 8,000 times a day on set because he wanted to make sure she was comfortable. It was a professional peak for both, but it definitely fueled the "what if" fire for fans.
The 2025 Vegas Photos That Broke the Internet
Fast forward to May 2025. This is when the speculation went from "they're friends" to "are they secretly a thing?"
The setting was the opening of the Palm Tree Club at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Photos started leaking. They weren't just standing near each other; they were seen hugging and talking very closely. Now, in any other context, a hug between old coworkers is a non-story.
But context matters.
At this exact moment in time, Sydney Sweeney had reportedly just called off her long-term engagement to Jonathan Davino. Meanwhile, MGK’s relationship with Megan Fox was... well, it’s always complicated, isn't it? He and Megan had recently welcomed their daughter, Saga, in March 2025, but the rumors of a permanent split were everywhere.
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When two newly "single" (or at least "complicated") stars are spotted getting cozy in Vegas, the tabloids don't just walk—they run.
"Shut Up, Dude": MGK’s Cryptic Non-Answer
The climax of this whole saga happened on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen in August 2025. If you know Andy, you know he isn't going to let a guest leave without asking the messy questions.
A fan named "Kyle P." submitted a question asking if there was any truth to the rumors that MGK and Sydney were more than just friends. MGK didn't give a PR-friendly "we're just colleagues" speech. He didn't say no.
He looked right into the camera and said, "Kyle P., shut up, dude."
The audience lost it. It was peak Colson Baker. It was a classic "non-answer" answer. While some took it as a playful way to dodge a ridiculous rumor, others—specifically the TikTok detectives—interpreted it as a "soft launch" of a secret.
TMZ eventually chimed in with sources claiming the two have "never hooked up," asserting they are strictly platonic. But in the world of celebrity gossip, a firm denial from an "inside source" often does the opposite of what it's intended to do. It just keeps the name in the headlines.
Reality Check: What’s Actually Going On?
Let’s look at the facts. Sydney has been very vocal about wanting to keep her private life under wraps. She told the London Times in 2025 that she was "learning a lot about herself" and "loving" spending time with her friends after her breakup. She didn't sound like someone jumping into a high-profile relationship with a rockstar.
MGK, on the other hand, was busy promoting his album Lost Americana. In his music, he’s been pretty transparent about his "self-destructive behavior" and his journey through fatherhood with Megan Fox.
There are a few things we know for sure:
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- They have a professional history spanning over seven years.
- They share a close-knit circle of friends (including Pete Davidson and Patrick Schwarzenegger).
- Both were navigating major life shifts in 2025.
Is it possible they found comfort in each other as friends during a hard time? Absolutely. Does a hug in Vegas mean they’re getting married? Probably not.
The industry is small. Sydney is the "It Girl" of the 2020s. MGK is a lightning rod for attention. When those two worlds collide, the narrative usually writes itself, whether the stars want it to or not.
Actionable Insights for Following Celeb News
If you're trying to keep up with the Sydney Sweeney and MGK saga without getting lost in the "fake news" sauce, here’s how to filter the noise:
- Watch the "Non-Answers": When a celebrity uses humor to dodge a question (like the "shut up, dude" comment), it’s usually because they want to protect their privacy without lying or creating a boring soundbite.
- Check the Projects: Often, "romance" rumors spike right when someone has a new album or movie coming out. Lost Americana dropped right as the Sydney rumors were peaking.
- Follow the Sources: Pay attention to who is "reporting." A direct quote from an interview is a fact. An "unnamed insider" in a tabloid is often just a guess or a plant.
- Look at the Timeline: Sydney’s split from her fiancé was the real catalyst here. Without that breakup, the Vegas photos wouldn't have meant anything.
The truth is likely much more boring than the internet wants it to be: two talented people who enjoy each other's company and have survived the Hollywood machine together.