Fans were waiting to see how Meryl Streep and Martin Short would handle the 2024 Emmy Awards amid persistent dating rumors.
After opting not to walk the red carpet together, the Oscar winner, 75, and the comedian, 74, were spotted sitting next to each other while they both attended the Sunday, September 15, awards show, which was held at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles.
The pair smiled and whispered to each other while watching Jeremy Allen White accept his award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role in The Bear.
Streep and Short were both nominated for their performances on Only Murders in the Building. Streep is up for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series for her role as Loretta Durkin, competing against The Bear’s Liza Colón-Zayas (who took home the prize), Palm Royale’s Carol Burnett, Hacks’ Hannah Einbinder and Abbott Elementary’s Janelle James and Sheryl Lee Ralph. Meanwhile, Short received a nod for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his portrayal of Oliver Putnam, rounding out the category with White, costar Steve Martin, What We Do in the Shadows’ Matt Berry, Curb Your Enthusiasm’s Larry David and Reservation Dogs’ D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai.
The pair’s Emmys appearance comes after months of speculation about their offscreen relationship, which ramped up after they sat next to each other at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards. In January, a rep for Short denied that the two, who play love interests on the Hulu series, were dating, saying in a statement, “They are just very good friends, nothing more.”
Two months later, Short opened up about acting alongside Streep. “It was one of the great thrills of my life,” he gushed at a For Your Consideration event in March. “In fact, the first day of shooting — which was rare because I’m not brand new — I was driving to work and I thought, ‘I’m nervous today. I’m working with Meryl Streep.’”
2024 Emmys Red Carpet Arrivals
In August, the duo fueled the romance speculation yet again when they were spotted holding hands at the season 4 premiere afterparty of their show in Los Angeles.
Later that month, Short raved about his dynamic with Streep, telling Extra, “I think it’s been a friendship that always grows if you work with someone and love that person.”
Streep was married to Don Gummer for 45 years before confirming their split in October 2023. “Don Gummer and Meryl Streep have been separated for more than six years, and while they will always care for each other, they have chosen lives apart,” Streep’s rep told Us Weekly in a statement at the time.
Meryl Streep and Martin Short’s Friendship Through the Years
Streep and Gummer, 77, are parents of son Henry, 44, and daughters Mamie, 41, Grace, 38, and Louisa, 33.
Short, for his part, was married to Nancy Dolman from 1980 until her death from ovarian cancer in August 2010. The couple adopted three children during their relationship: daughter Katherine, 40, and sons Oliver, 38, and Henry, 35.
