Martin Short and Meryl Streep Don’t ‘Want the Pressure’ of Labeling Their Rumored Romance: Source

Martin Short and Meryl Streep have played coy amid the longtime rumors that they’re more than just good friends – and a source says they’re even beginning to frustrate their pals by failing to confirm their relationship status.

“It’s not a secret that they’re together, but it’s also not something they want to be forced to address,” a source exclusively tells Globe.

Short, 75, and Streep, 76, find the attention surrounding their potential private relationship “uncomfortable” and they don’t “want the pressure” of making a statement or putting a “label” on their relationship, the source explains.

The Only Murders in the Building costars were both previously married. Short’s wife of 30 years, Nancy Dolman, passed away from cancer in 2010 and Streep separated from ex Don Gummer in 2018 after 40 years together. Following their long-term romances, they want to “take things very slowly,” according to the source.

“They love spending time together,” reveals the source. “The only thing they care about is enjoying their lives and living on their own terms.”

While the pair continue to insist that they’re nothing more than “good friends,” their “actions tell a very different story,” the source says.

“They arrive and leave together when they go to parties and events and are very cozy together,” the source notes. “It’s really the worst kept secret, but they seem to want to keep it that way, for now at least.”

Last year, Short and Streep were spotted seated next to each other at both the AFI Awards and the 2024 Golden Globes. This past March, they were seen attending a Broadway performance of Oh, Mary!, and later that night, they went to a taping of Saturday Night Live together.

This comes after the Globe reported that their rumored romance has been causing issues with their colleagues on Only Murders in the Building.

“Meryl is a big presence and she’s the focus of energy every day that she’s on set. She wants to be there, she’s well paid, but she has changed the show — and Steve Martin has let that happen,” an insider said earlier this month.

The actors and production team reportedly “long for the days” when Martin and executive producer Dan Fogelman called the shots.

“Once Meryl came on board, so much of the time and scripts seemed to cater to her, and everybody else had to step in line,” the insider shared at the time. “Nobody asked for this.”