RPF should be treated very carefully, especially when observing a fandom of a known TV show or film. It’s so easy to see a beautiful relationship depicted on screen and want it to exist in real life. You look at these people you see on your screen, you enjoy their chemistry and storytelling, and you want their love to be genuine. Yet, you know it’s only fiction—that’s what acting is. So, what do some fans do? They look for the next best thing and turn to the actors.
The question of whether the two actors are actually dating in real life or not becomes irrelevant once fans decide they are a good romantic fit for each other. Fans begin to blur the lines between fiction and reality, especially with the help of social media. People get access to public figures' social media accounts, and through those, a glimpse into their personal lives. The road from there to a new, and possibly made-up territory, is not that long. If people want it enough, they will see what they want to see, and they will fight anyone who says otherwise.
Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell, the costars of the 2023 rom-com film Anyone But You, are the perfect example of two actors whose on-screen chemistry has leaked into real life and caused fans to blur those lines of reality. Despite Sweeney being in a relationship during and post-filming, fans decided that the co-stars are so good together that their love has to exist off-screen, especially as they watched their dynamic during the press tour. The narrative of Sweeney and Powell dating in real life was and is all over the internet—even two years after the movie’s release. Since it is confirmed that Sweeney broke off her engagement, fans have decided it must be because of her secret relationship with Powell. However, the two professionals continue to deny those allegations.
Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell in Anyone But You
There are a lot of examples of “Real People Fiction” that exist outside of the Hollywood industry as well. As mentioned, people can pair two actors together, but they also do that with other public personas, like influencers and YouTubers, for example. A classic and famous case of RPF happened at the golden age of YouTube, with the two creators Dan Howell and Phil Lester. The two were extremely popular on the platform, and their wholesome apparent “friendship” made many viewers wonder if there might be more to what they show on camera. Before the pair knew it, their audience decided to push the narrative of them being a couple to the center of the fandom. Since that happened without their actual consent, it has affected their on-screen relationship with each other and their loving audience ever since—especially since, at the time, neither of them was out of the closet and they were not ready to open that conversation up to their audience.
Dan and Phil React to Phan Twitter 5
Another example of a heated case of fans shipping real people is with One Direction’s Harry Styles and Louis Tomlinson, whose “ship” name was known as “Larry”. Their fandom, separate from the One Direction fandom, was so loud, it was impossible to ignore. Fans picked up on body language during interviews, looks during performances on stage, and anything else in between, convinced that the pair were hiding a secret relationship. The two were constantly asked about their relationship, yet it was never confirmed. Tomlinson even addressed the conspiracy in an interview in 2024, admitting it was irritating, even if he did consider it to be “part of the job.” Despite that, if you asked the “Larries,” as these fans call themselves, they would swear on the existence of that secret relationship until the end of time.
Every fandom has its own version of “Real People Shipping.” Whether it’s between two actors who play lovers on a screen, two musicians with an appealing chemistry on stage, or two influencers who smile too much at each other on their vlogs.
But why is that such an issue?
People who choose to be in the public eye, like celebrities, surely take into account the loss of privacy due to their careers. Most of them even choose to share their private lives on social media. So why is it a problem when RPF happens as a result?
Well, usually it’s not, at least not at first. Most fans find a way to remain respectful even as they wishfully advocate for a relationship that likely does not exist. They keep their fantasies separate from reality and, most importantly, separate from the actual people. They can create art and fictional stories without invading anyone’s privacy or damaging their relationships with the fandom.
However, other fans, usually a small yet very loud portion of the fandom, take it one step too far. As a member of a significant number of fandoms, I’ve seen many cases of RPF that ruined the relationship between the public figures and their fans. It usually starts when the fans become too obsessed with the relationship, on and off screen, making it impossible for the two individuals to be seen in public together without the romantic implications of it being mentioned. Then, if one of the two dares to get into a relationship with someone else, the “fans” are seriously upset and, in some cases, go as far as getting themselves involved in that relationship. There are stories of actors’ real-life partners receiving a lot of hate on the internet and getting threatening letters because they “dared” to come between the “relationship” fans actually wanted to see.
Moreover, let us also not forget that rumors of actors cheating on their real-life partners with their on-screen partners can put strain on those real relationships and even bring them to an end. Much like the rumors of Glen Powell and Sydney Sweeney. Or how fans may attempt to push public figures to share personal details about themselves that they are not ready to share, like pushing them out of the closet just so they can confirm or deny a relationship.
At these points, it’s unsurprising that it becomes too much to deal with. The two “shipped” individuals might close themselves off to the fandom, avoid being seen together in public, and become somewhat cautious of the rest of the fans, even those who did nothing wrong. For any devoted member of a fandom, being viewed as a threat to those you look up to is disappointing and ruins a significant part of the fan experience.
Put an end to RPF
You have to earn your place in a fandom, and you do that by being respectful to everyone involved. That includes other fans and the people you are a fan of. We often forget that what we do and say on the internet is visible to everyone, especially when it comes to public figures. We assume that since they chose this public life, we are entitled to their private lives as well, and that is just wrong. Forcing a romantic narrative on people whom we claim to look up to will only alienate them from the fandom and one another.
Every fandom would be much better off if its fans did not cross this one line that separates fiction from reality. They might be having fun for a while, and in theory, encourage love and authenticity, but if it hurts and violates the privacy of those who are being “shipped” together, it is simply not worth it. Just stick to the beautiful fictional stories you are given and let real people live their real lives in private—if you must “ship” just write a fan-fiction story about it, and keep them out of it.
