Eric Andre has spoken out about how the media covered his brief relationship with Emily Ratajkowski.
The comedian and model were first spotted together in January, then appeared to confirm their rumoured relationship on Valentine’s Day as Andre shared a NSFW photograph of himself and the model in the nude.
In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Andre was asked about headlines in the press that expressed shock at the pairing, with interviewer Marlow Stern pointing to one that read: “How could this happen?!”
In response, Andre described himself as “ugly”, but added that there was a perception that “attraction is only based on physical appearance”.
“‘How could this happen!’ No man. I’m ugly. I looked like Steve Urkel for the first 20 years of my life.
“I think people think attraction is only based on physical appearance, but beauty is only skin-deep.”
He pointed towards other comedians who are married to Hollywood stars, including Colin Jost and Scarlett Johansson, as well as John Mulaney and Olivia Munn, adding: “So you’d think comedy… works.”
Asked what he thought of how the relationship was covered, Andre said: “I think the think pieces and the mythology are more interesting than the reality.”
In the Valentine’s Day photograph, Andre is shown reclining on a sofa while Ratajkowski’s reflection is seen in the mirror behind him. Both are nude, with a Cupid’s arrow emoji placed strategically over Andre’s crotch, while Ratajkowski is turned away.
The Eric Andre Show star said: “Emily popped up and took that picture. I was really in the moment: I was drinking wine, she started dying laughing and she was like, ‘I have to take a picture of this’.
“She took the picture, we both started cracking up and she was like, ‘This is iconic’. She kept saying ‘iconic’. We both agreed this was a beautiful image that we had to share with the world.”
However, Ratajkowski hinted that the relationship had come to an end just days after the photograph was posted on Instagram.
In a TikTok video, the model suggested the end of a “situationship”, which is a romantic relationship that is casual or undefined.
The clip shows her lounging in bed as the text “what do you do when a situationship ends?” appeared on the screen. Later, the on-screen text changed to: “Start another one?”
Andre did not confirm if they had indeed broken up in the interview, which was published on Tuesday (14 March).
