A body language expert has suggested that Olivia Rodrigo may have masked the impending end of her relationship with Louis Partridge with a stoic, performative front during their final public appearances together. The singer and actor, both 22, reportedly ended their more than two-year romance quietly several weeks ago, a split that surprised many of their fans.
The Halloween Performance: A United Front?
One of the couple's last known public dates was on October 12 at Halloween Horror Nights, Universal Studios Hollywood. Expert Judi James, analysing photos for the Daily Mail, noted they appeared "playful" and engaged. "Their Halloween appearance would suggest that Olivia, in particular, thought she was still in possession of a relationship worth investing in," James observed.
She pointed to seemingly intimate gestures: clasped hands, Louis bending his knee across Olivia's body, and the "sweet and slightly infantile" clutching of his thumb on an escalator. "It requires like-minded synchronicity, and it needs mutual engagement to look authentic," James explained of their coordinated poses, admitting their body language at the time "fit the narrative of being young and in love."
The Final Outing: Cracks Begin to Show
The story appeared markedly different just weeks later at their last public event as a couple, the 2025 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony in Los Angeles on November 8. Here, James said the pair seemed "more rigid and less relaxed."
She highlighted a stark contrast in their expressions. "Louis looks very camera-obsessed here," James stated, describing his "sardonic, slightly seductive smile" aimed at the lens rather than Rodrigo. Conversely, Olivia's body language suggested deeper emotional involvement. "Her torso is turned towards Louis, and her neck is bared, suggesting trust and possible devotion," the expert noted, adding this might indicate she was unaware a split was imminent.
A 'Masked Pose' of Stoicism
However, James proposed that Rodrigo's confident smile and pose could have been a deliberate "performance" to "make her appear OK to bluff the press." She found the pose strikingly similar to one Rodrigo used with Lily Allen after the alleged breakup, suggesting it was a "fall-back, masked pose of stoicism" adopted under pressure.
The most telling clue of trouble, according to the analysis, was a micro-gesture: the way Partridge's left hand appeared to be moving away just as Rodrigo's hand moved into the pose. "As an intentional gesture, it could suggest some level of desire for an escape," James concluded.
The split comes despite Partridge speaking warmly of their relationship in a September interview with Esquire UK, stating he had "no doubt that we're both in a relationship for the right reason." The pair, first linked in October 2023, had long expressed a desire for privacy. Partridge told British Vogue in April 2024, "Dating probably shouldn't be done in the public eye."
