Jon Hamm And Lindsay Shookus Continue To Spark Dating Rumors After Getting Flirty At 'SNL' Afterparty
It's not the first time they've been spotted hanging out.
Getty There may be a new power couple in entertainment. And no, it isn't Camila Cabello and Shawn Mendes, though we totally stan them.
Mad Men alum Jon Hamm has been fueling rumors that he's romancing Saturday Night Live producer, Lindsay Shookus. Shookus is known for her relationship with Ben Affleck, though the two have since ended their relationship.
Back in September, the two were seen at the opening of Derren Brown: Secret. Sources say they were flirtatious and friendly in the theatre, though they didn't leave with one another.
But are Jon Hamm and Lindsay Shookus dating, or is it just the work of our imagination? Well, it's not the first time they've been seen together, and just this past weekend, they were spotted hanging out. Here are a few details that may prove they're seeing one another.
1. She recently ended her relationship with Ben Affleck.
Shookus dated Affleck from July 2017 to April 2019, but their relationship allegedly started as a scandal. They met on the set of SNL and had a brief affair in 2013, but they were both still married at the time.
They denied the rumors of infidelity, but a source told People that Affleck and Shookus “did not date while either of them were married. They started dating when they were separated.” When the two were both single in 2017, they started dating publicly.
They dated for about a year before breaking it off in the summer of 2018. They made one more attempt to make things work in March 2019, but their careers and the stress of trying to have a bi-coastal romance was too much and they split for good.
“It was amicable, but unfortunately it didn’t work out, partly because of work and family obligations on different coasts,” a source told People at the time. “They truly cared for each other and tried to make it work. Unfortunately now is not the time.” Another source added, “They will always have love for each other.”
2. Hamm has been single for four years.
Hamm was in a nearly 20-year relationship with writer/director Jennifer Westveldt until they split in 2015. At the time, sources blamed his partying for their breakup.
"Jon and Jennifer really fought hard to make their relationship work, Jennifer more so than Jon," the source told Entertainment Tonight. "They were together for many years, but in the end, it was too much work. It's no secret that Jon likes to go out and leads a very party-heavy lifestyle. And Jennifer was just tired of that. She wanted him to grow up... and he never wanted to. She was tired of being his mother."
Since then, he hasn't been linked seriously to any women, though there were rumors about him and Dakota Johnson, as well as his Tag co-star, Annabelle Wallis.
3. Hamm and Shookus saw a Broadway play together.
In September, the two were seen at a Broadway show, though it was not clear if the couple arrived together; however, they were seated next to each other and witnesses around them claimed there was a vibe between them.
One source told US Weekly that the conversation was on the flirty side, saying, “The two sat next to each other and Jon was right next to the aisle. They weren’t hiding anything! Lindsay and Jon didn’t show much PDA, but there was definitely some flirtatious banter. Lindsay turned her head to talk to Jon before the show, during intermission and after the show. She was always smiling and looked like she was enjoying her conversations with Jon.”
Always the gentleman, Hamm went to the refreshment stand while Shookus relaxed at intermission. Once he returned to their seats, with a drink for Shookus, she “seemed to be a bit distracted” by her phone at times, “but she still made sure to give Jon attention.”
After the show, witnesses say the pair chatted a bit longer before leaving separately, and Jon was spotted at a reception following the performance.
“Jon headed to the reception that took place nearby at Times Square Edition,” the eyewitness added. “He stayed for a few minutes, chatting with the producer Tommy Kail. Jon was overheard telling Tommy how amazing Derren was and how he loved the show.”
4. Reps for both Hamm and Shookus have denied a relationship.
Friends of the couple were quick to throw old water on the dating rumors, with one source close to Shookus saying they two are “just friends and they have been for over a decade.” The same happened in 2017 when they were seen together at a Kanye West concert.
At the time, Page Six noted that Hamm had hosted SNL three times and made six guest appearances on the show, where Shookus is a producer and talent booker. At that time, Hamm's rep told reporters that they “have not dated [and] are not friends; they are acquaintances.”
Neither Hamm nor Shookus has commented directly on their relationship status.
5. But they were spotted together at an afterparty.
During a Saturday Night Live afterparty this weekend, witnesses say the two had dinner at Le Chalet after Hamm guest starred on Saturday's episode.
Said a source, “It did seem to be romantic between Jon Hamm and Lindsay Shookus. They sat next to each other and would touch each other affectionally throughout the night. However, there was no PDA.” The two were also joined by Lorne Michaels, and according to another source, spent the evening with "a bigger group of people."
Only time will tell if this is actually a budding romance, but for now, it's always fun to wish for relationship like this.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. Her work has been seen at Ravishly, Babble, Scary Mommy, The Mid, Redbook online, and The Broad Side. She is the creator of the blog Stay at Home Pundit and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.