Paul Mescal, star of Gladiator II, recently opened up about a viral TikTok rumor that left him feeling “devastated”—not because of its impact on him, but because it upset his mother.
The rumor, which began circulating last winter, claimed Mescal had an odd post-hookup habit: allegedly, he would take his dates for a morning walk in the park and then vanish abruptly. Mescal found the rumor laughable and “categorically untrue.” He recalled, “We were looking at the videos, and we were p****** ourselves at them. It’s hilarious. If it was true, it’d be f**king bad, but as a rumour, it’s funny.”
However, his mom wasn’t amused. Mescal recounted a moment in the kitchen when he noticed her reaction to the videos. “She was getting upset. Isn’t that devastating,” he reflected. Although he found humor in the situation with his siblings, his mom’s reaction made him realize how the internet’s gossip culture could affect loved ones. “If you’re a mother, her impulse is to come out and be like, ‘He wouldn’t do this.’”
Reflecting on the scrutiny around his personal life, Mescal shared that he’s established strict boundaries to protect his privacy. “My private life means a lot to me because I have so little of it,” he explained, underscoring his desire to keep personal matters out of the public eye.
Despite the pressures of fame, Mescal remains focused on his career, preparing for his role alongside Denzel Washington and Pedro Pascal in Gladiator II.