Lost In Translation star Bill Murray is dating American singer Kelis, according to reports.
Murray, 72, is known for his collaborations with director Wes Anderson, as well as for the 2003 romantic comedy-drama Lost in Translation, while Kelis, 43, rose to fame with hit songs including “Millionaire” and “Milkshake”. The pair have been spotted out in public a number of times together in recent weeks, with The Sun and the Daily Mail now reporting that they’re an item.
Fans were surprised when Murray was spotted at the south London festival Mighty Hoopla last weekend (3 June), and then jazz and soul festival Cross The Tracks the weekend prior, both of which Kelis was performing at. The pair have also been spotted together backstage.
Kelis’s husband Mike Mora died from stage four stomach cancer in March 2022, aged 37. She has three children, including son Knight, who she shares with her ex-husband, US rapper Nas.
Ghostbusters star Murray, who has been married twice and has six sons, split from his second wife Jennifer Butler back in 2008. Butler died in January 2021.
In one photo, Kelis and Murray can be seen posing with musician Konny Kon from the soul and hip hop duo Children of Zues at Cross The Tracks festival.
Sources have told The Sun that Kelis and Murray have been “getting close for a while” and have been meeting up between the US and London.
Neither Murray nor Kelis has confirmed the romance. The Independent has contacted representatives for both parties for comment.
Fans, left confused by the unlikely pairing, have been reacting to the rumours, with one writing: “That came from outta nowhere!”
You could sit me in a room until the heat death of the universe with the incomplete sentence ‘Singer Kelis, 43, is dating...’ written down and at no point would it even occur to me to end it like this,” one fan commented.
Referencing Kelis’ hit song “Milkshake”, a fan tweeted: “Didn’t expect her milkshake to bring this boy to the yard.”
“Kelis caught a Ghostbuster,” wrote another, while one said “this was one of those extra messy days”, referring to other news including Trump’s indictment.
One user joked: “This was NOT on my 2023 bingo card.”
“Kelis and WHOMST?!” one fan tweeted, sharing a meme of someone doing a double-take.
Last year, Murray was embroiled in controversy after his project Being Mortal was shut down over allegations of “misbehaviour”.
The directorial debut of comedian and actor Aziz Ansari, Being Mortal, which is based on surgeon Atul Gawande’s 2014 non-fiction book, Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End, suspended filming due to an alleged complaint that was made about Murray.
As well as directing, Ansari – who helms his own Netflix show Master of None – has written and will star in the film, alongside Murray, Seth Rogen, and Keke Palmer.
Murray said in an interview in May 2022: “I did something I thought was funny and it wasn’t taken that way...
“As of now we’re talking and we’re trying to make peace with each other. We’re both professionals. We like each other’s work – we like each other, I think.
“If we can’t get along and trust each other, there’s no point in going further working together or making a movie… It’s been quite an education for me. I’ve been doing not much else but thinking about her for the last week or two.”
