Paul Mescal enjoys a dinner date with Taylor Swift’s singer friend Gracie Abrams in London – after insisting he is ‘just friends’ with Natalie Portman amid romance rumours

Paul Mescal and Gracie Abrams sparked romance rumors this weekend after they were spotted enjoying dinner in London.

The Normal People star, 28, and the singer, 24, looked very cozy in photos obtained by TMZ as they enjoyed a meal at BRAT Restaurant.

Paul and Gracie, who has a close friendship with pop star Taylor Swift, chatted in the busy restaurant and shared a number of small plates.

The actor appeared to be in good spirits as he reached across the table to touch Gracie’s cheek.

He was a nonchalant figure in a white T-shirt while he was ‘our’ singer stunned in a pretty pink blouse.

This came after Paul claimed he was ‘just friends’ with Natalie Portman, following those cosy snaps last month.

Paul and Natalie sparked romance rumors after they couldn’t control their fits of laughter during a night of drinking.

Paul and Natalie, 42 – who interviewed each other for Variety last year – were in a cheerful mood as they stepped outside for a cigarette.

She was no doubt pleased with the fun night out, considering she quietly finalised her divorce from Benjamin Millepied in March after rumours surfaced that he had cheated on her.

However, Natalie’s relationship with Paul is strictly platonic and the two have been on friendly terms for some time, sources told TMZ.

Paul has never made a secret of his admiration for Natalie. He was clearly delighted to be in her company when they were spotted in Islington.

MailOnline contacted Paul and Natalie’s representatives for comment at the time.

When they interviewed each other last year, Paul described Natalie as “brilliant” and admitted: “If I’d known at drama school that I’d be talking to you, I would have pinched myself many, many times!”

He also complimented her performance in May December, in which she shares a steamy sex scene with her younger co-star Charles Melton, 33.

She starred in the film as an actress named Elizabeth who investigated a couple – Gracie (Julianne Moore) and Joe (Charles) – formed when she was 36 and he was 13, leading to a tabloid scandal.

Natalie complimented Paul on his sex scenes with Andrew Scott in All of Us Strangers, describing them as “really hot, but also really tender.”

Natalie finalized her divorce from Benjamin in France in March, ending a 12-year marriage, her rep confirmed. People.

The former couple have two children – Aleph, 12, and Amalia, seven – and lived together in Benjamin’s native France for several years.

Natalie filed for divorce in July last year, a month after the French magazine Voici published a shocking report alleging that Benjamin, 46, had had an affair with a famous 25-year-old environmental activist named Camille Étienne.

After the allegations of his infidelity became public, a source told People Benjamin had a “short-lived” affair with Camille, but the affair was “over.”

The insider added, “He knows he made a huge mistake and he’s doing everything he can to get Natalie to forgive him and keep their family together.”

However, the following month Natalie filed for divorce, and by early March the legal proceedings were completed.

The closest she came to a public speech about her divorce was in Vanity fair in February, when asked how it felt to have her marriage written about, she replied, “It’s horrible and I have no desire to contribute to it.”

A friend said the breakdown of Natalie’s marriage “was really hard on her at first, but her friends supported her and helped her through the worst of it.”

The source noted, “Her biggest priority is ensuring a smooth transition for her children. She and Ben truly love their children and are equally focused on being the best co-parents they can be. Nothing is more important.’

On Saturday, Paul was a low-key presence as he reunited with his All Of Us Strangers colleague Andrew Scott at the Glastonbury festival at Worthy Farm.

The Irish actor, who plays mysterious neighbor Harry in the emotional drama, seemed in good spirits as he reunited with his co-star Andrew, 47, to take part in a special Q&A with Saoirse Ronan, 30.

Paul paired a plain white T-shirt and beige chino trousers and teamed the look with a cream lace shirt that he left unbuttoned. He was wearing a pair of black and white Adidas sneakers.

His co-star Andrew, who plays a grieving screenwriter in the film, opted for a more colorful outfit and wore a cobalt blue waistcoat.

He combined the casual vest with a light blue cardigan and wore wide navy blue trousers.

He completed the look with a pair of chunky white Nike sneakers and appeared in good spirits as he smiled for the camera.

All Of Us Strangers director Andrew Haigh, 51, was also present at the event and made sure to take photos with the pair.

He wore a black T-shirt and light blue jeans and smiled for the photo.

The three then attended a festival screening and Q&A with Saoirse in the Pilton Palais tent to discuss the film.