Since her split from Brad Pitt after two years of marriage and 12 years together, Angelina Jolie has kept her dating life out of the public eye. That’s why when Angelina was seen with author, activist and rapper Akala, fans were quick to jump to the assumption the pair are dating. Angelina and Akala, known for the tracks Shakespeare and Carried Away, were spotted leaving a hotel together at the Venice Film Festival.
Sadly, we're here to confirm that the rumours are just that, rumours. A source has confirmed to PEOPLE magazine that Angelina and Akala are not dating.
Where did the Angelina Jolie and Akala dating rumours come from?
After being spotted together in Venice, the dating rumours were compounded by a source telling In Touch that the Maleficent actress had started casually dating Akala over the past year. They mistakenly claimed, ‘Angelina has been seeing two different men over the past year or so. They’re totally different men, but she’s falling for both of them.
The two men were said to be Akala - who apparently met up with her abroad on more than one occasion - while the other was Broadway composer Justin Levine, with whom she worked alongside on the Outsiders musical in NYC.
Romance rumours first started swirling when Akala - who, fun fact, is the brother of the Ms Dynamite - joined Angelina and Zahara and Shiloh at the Calabash Literary Festival in Jamaica in May 2023. An eyewitness shared at the time that Akala was 'very protective of them as he shepherded them around.'
But, despite the fact that they would make an incredible couple, it's not to be. ‘She and Akala are not dating,’ a source told PEOPLE. ‘She is friends with him and his partner, Chanelle, who was also there. They share the same passion when it comes to social and humanitarian causes. They did several collabs over the years that focus on global issues like human rights. Angie speaks very highly of him.’
Yeah, it seems like fans conveniently forgot that Akala is currently in a relationship with music producer Chanelle Newman! And while Angelina's ex-husband Brad has been in a relationship with Ines de Ramon since 2023, Angelina hasn’t been seriously linked to anyone in recent years.
In 2021, the internet became convinced that she was dating The Weeknd when the pair were spotted having dinner together in LA. Then, in 2023, the 49 year old was linked to the man of the moment Paul Mescal after the pair enjoyed a coffee date in London. It was later revealed however, that the pair had met up after the actor has seen the Normal People star on the West End in A Streetcar Named Desire with her daughter Shiloh – who was, it’s worth noting, also on the ‘date’. Doesn’t sound like a date to us!
Daisy Hall is a News and Entertainment writer on Grazia