Entertainment

Sam Smith & Brandon Flynn Are Still Going Strong, But They Had A Mysterious Beginning

by Sophy Ziss
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Some celebrity couples sneak up on you, and some really sneak up on you. Singer Sam Smith and actor Brandon Flynn, for instance, who are in their mid-'20s and are going strong. How did Sam Smith and Brandon Flynn meet, though? Smith is an English singer, and Flynn is an American actor. Smith is more of a household name, thanks to his hit songs "Stay With Me" and "Latch" (with Disclosure), but Flynn star is on the rise — he recently appeared in the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why. Smith's music doesn't appear on the 13 Reasons Why soundtrack, and Flynn has not appeared in any of his videos. For real, how did these two meet, how are they so handsome, and what is up with the engagement rumors?

On Jan. 8, the Daily Mail reported that Smith and Flynn were not engaged, but they expressed interest in getting married in Australia and the next day, The Daily Mail spotted Flynn wearing a ring on his ring finger — you know, that finger. Neither actor has publicly confirmed that report or spoken about an engagement; a spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Jan. 9: "Sam and Brandon are not engaged."

Though rumors of the relationship had flown for weeks, the two only made it social media official on Jan. 1, 2018. This was on the heels of Flynn coming out for the first time, at least in the media, and announcing he proudly identifies as part of the LGBTQ+ community. Back in October, Smith revealed he was indeed in a relationship on Ellen, though he declined to mention his partner by name. Instead, he insisted he was partnered up and extremely happy about it, two things that felt unusual to him. Aww.

Us Weekly reported that Smith and Flynn hadn't been shy about PDA since at least October 2017, which was two months before they confirmed their relationship to the press. As Smith told V Magazine in an interview on Jan. 3, "I’m in a relationship right now and for the first time, I think I deserve to be happy. I’m actually asking myself if I’m going to be writing some happy love songs soon.” Seriously, they couldn't be any cuter. What would a happy Sam Smith love song even sound like? Fans would be lying if they said they weren't eager to find out.

It's sweet that Smith is surprised to find himself promoting a breakup album while in a relationship, one that by his own admission is not just his first successful one, but his first. It's obvious that Flynn has improved the singer's mood and possibly his music, too. Where has he been all his life? All of the social media love and the PDA, though, can't solve one eternal puzzle: The mystery of how the couple met. If they were rumored to have been dating since October 2017, that doesn't mean a lot. That might be the first time they were comfortable going public, even without labeling it. Also, Flynn didn't come out until October, so it's possible that they met even earlier and kept their relationship a secret. Until one of them discloses to the media, fans might never find out how Sam Smith met Brandon Flynn.

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Smith is still promoting The Thrill of It All, but he'll likely have newer, Flynn-inspired songs to debut before too long. Flynn's career is equally wide open. Before starring in 13 Reasons Why, he was a virtual unknown; the young actor has just two other credits to his name. Though Netflix reportedly ordered a second season of 13 Reasons Why, Flynn is only credited for one episode on IMDb — right now. There are no projects listed as announced or in development, so it's unclear what his next career move will be. Will Flynn continue acting past 13 Reason Why, or take a break to pursue something else?

Maybe he'll sing, or join Smith on tour for his 2018 dates. Whatever they decide, their 2018 is off and running.