Are Meryl Streep and Martin Short Dating? The Truth Behind Their Sweet Offscreen Chemistry
Could 'ShortStreep' be the next celebrity couple nickname on everyone's lips?
If you’ve watched the past two seasons of Hulu’s Only Murders in the Building, you already know just how delightful it is to see Meryl Streep and Martin Short share the screen, and season four ended with their characters getting married. The two veteran actors are just as charming offscreen—so charming, in fact, that there’s recently been much speculation that Streep and Short are a real-life couple.
While the stars haven’t confirmed if they’re together, there’s no denying that they have some serious chemistry, and if they are in fact a couple, they’d take the crown as one of our favorites in Hollywood. Here’s a deep dive into the possible pairing.
How Meryl Streep and Martin Short first met
Meryl Streep, 75, and Martin Short, 74, have both been acting for well over 40 years. Streep of course, is known as one greatest actresses of all time and has won countless awards for her intense performances, and Short has long been acclaimed for his hilarious comedic roles.
On the surface, the actors seem like a bit of an odd couple, but they’ve known each other for a decade or more, as they were first spotted together backstage after a performance of It’s Only a Play, a Broadway play Short appeared in in 2015.
In 2017, Streep and Short were seated together at an AFI gala honoring Diane Keaton.
Who were Meryl Streep and Martin Short with before the rumors started to fly?
Short was married to actress Nancy Dolman from 1980 until her tragic death from ovarian cancer at 58 in 2010. They had three children. Streep married sculptor Don Gummer in 1978. They had four children, and separated in 2017.
Why it seems like they’re dating
Fans delighted in seeing Streep and Short fall in love onscreen, and took note of what a cute couple they made. The rumor mill really started spinning when they were spotted holding hands at the Golden Globes in 2024. More public appearances followed, as they were seen going out to dinner and attending Broadway shows. At the premiere of Only Murders in the Building’s fourth season, they held hands as they walked the red carpet.
In his characteristically funny fashion, Streep and Short’s Only Murders in the Building costar, Steve Martin, helped spread the romance rumors even further on his Instagram, where he shared a picture of the three of them with a big red crossed-out emoji covering his face. He didn’t include a caption or further context, but the implication seemed to be that Martin was crossing himself out so as not to be a third wheel, which would coyly appear to confirm their romance.
Just this month, they were spotted at a Saturday Night Live taping and photographed backstage at the Broadway show Oh, Mary!, along with Jennifer Lopez (Lopez and Oh, Mary! star Betty Gilpin will be sharing the screen in the upcoming movie Office Romance).Given all this, we wouldn’t be surprised to have another Streep/Short sighting soon!
What Meryl Streep and Martin Short have said about each other
When asked about Streep in a 2024 interview with the podcast Club Random With Bill Maher, Short said, “We’re not a couple, we are just very close friends.” Short also claimed they were just friends in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
In a People interview, Short said that while he doesn’t feel actually weird being asked about the potential relationship, “It’s always interesting. Show business relationships and spec . . . She’s fabulous. There’s no one who doesn’t adore her,” and revealed that he was initially nervous to work with her. He then told Extra that he loves Streep, albeit platonically. As he put it, “I think a friendship always grows if you work with someone and love that person.”
Streep hasn’t publicly said anything about Short, but judging by all the pictures of them together, she clearly enjoys his company. Whether or not Streep and Short are really an item, we can’t help but love seeing the two icons together.
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