If there were a contest for the most unexpected celebrity couple, Matthew McConaughey and Janet Jackson’s short-lived romance would certainly be in the running. Let’s take a dive into the former couple’s oft-forgotten fling.
Rumors Swarmed The Almost-Couple In The Early 2000s
To be totally honest, we don’t know much about Matthew McConaughey and Janet Jackson’s short-lived romance. However, we do know that the rumors began some time in the early 2000s. The actor met Michael Jackson’s younger sister at the 44th Grammy Awards in February 2002.
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That night, Jackson stunned in an extremely era-appropriate pink crop top and low-waisted jeans while McConaughey paired his plaid shirt with daring leather pants. While this pairing certainly sounds outrageous, they certainly look great together.
Entertainment Tonight reported that the celebrities immediately hit it off and decided to go out on a date. However, their romance would remain just a rumor for years. Initially, McConaughey denied that there was anything romantic between him and the “All for You” singer.
“We swapped some good music and she’s a dear lady. She’s a sweetheart but we’re not dating, we’re just friends,” McConaughey insisted, per IMDb.
However, Jackson would go on to at least partially confirm the rumors. “I guess we did [date]… He is a great guy and such a sweetheart. It was just for a minute, that’s why I am so hesitant to mention it,” she told Upscale Magazine in 2006 (via The Telegraph).
Matthew McConaughey Finally Confirms The Rumors
Yet, this celebrity coupling wouldn’t stay buried forever. In 2019, Matthew McConaughey finally admitted that he and Jackson did go on at least one date.
During a game of “Plead the Fifth” on Watch What Happens Live, host Andy Cohen asked “There was a rumor that you once went out with Janet Jackson. Can you confirm or deny, and how would you describe your relationship with her?”
Initially, McConaughey tried to laugh his way out of answering, although he did relent: “We went and had dinner one night. That was sorta it,” he said.
So, there you have it! It’s now a confirmed fact that, at one mystery restaurant, sometime around 2002, Janet Jackson and Matthew McConaughey went out on a date. It’s a shame it didn’t work out, although it seems like they stayed friends there for a while.
Both McConaughey and Jackson went on to get married and have children with other people. Yet, their almost-relationship is certainly an early-aughts relic that we just can’t forget!