Getty Katie Maloney
Katie Maloney kicked off the New Year with a photo that had fans buzzing.
The 35-year-old “Vanderpump Rules” star, who recently finalized her divorce from ex Tom Schwartz, shared a photo that suggested she has a new man in her life – and fans recognized him right away.
Here’s what you need to know:
Katie Maloney Posed in Bed With Actor Lukas Gage & Fans Freaked Out
In a post shared on her Instagram story on January 1, 2023, Maloney shared a photo of her and actor Lukas Gage lounging in bed, after what appeared to be a late New Year’s Eve. “Bb,” Maloney captioned the pic. In another photo, Maloney wore sunglasses and had her hair and makeup done as she teased, “The bounce back of a lifetime.”
Gage also shared the bedroom photo on his Instagram story, but he added the caption, “Us only in 2023.”
Gage is 27 years old and is best known for his roles in the TV series’ “Euphoria” and “The White Lotus,” per IMDb. According to Us Weekly, the actor has played multiple LGBTQIA+ characters over the past few years, prompting speculation on his sexuality, but he once responded “No” when asked to clarify his dating preferences.
While Maloney’s status with the actor is still unclear, they both attended writer/TV producer Phoebe Fisher’s birthday party at the TomTom bar in March 2022. At the time, Gage was reportedly dating Fisher, according to Page Six. In April 2022, Maloney interviewed Gage and Fisher on her “You’re Gonna Love Me” podcast, where Gage revealed that he is a huge “Vanderpump Rules” fan.
So, was the New Year’s bedroom photo just between friends? Fans reacted on social media.
“Are they together? I hope so,” one fan wrote on Reddit. “I listened to a random podcast of hers this year and he was on it,” another wrote. “He was complimenting and crushing on Katie so hard. … If they are an item now, it 100% makes sense after that podcast earful,”
Another commenter noted that Gage and Maloney have been friends for a while.
“Eh I’m getting more of a ‘friends but trying to make my haters/exes jealous’ vibe here,” one fan added. “Would love if they were together tho. I like everything I’ve heard about him and Katie deserves it.”
Katie Maloney Previously Dated Another Young Actor
Maloney, who turns 36 in January 2023, has admitted that she is attracted to younger guys. “A lot of [the guys] are really young and that’s kind of fun,” she told Us Weekly in July 2022. “I’m kind of, like, in a cougar era.”
During BravoCon in October 2022, Maloney told Page Six, “There’s a guy who’s, like, 25 that I’ve been hanging with. It’s fun. It’s just casual. It’s just fun.”
According to Us Weekly, Maloney’s 25-year-old boyfriend was actor Satchel Clendenin. The outlet noted that Clendenin had met some of Maloney’s “Vanderpump Rules” co-stars and “hung out with some of her friends.”
In December 2022, Maloney revealed that her brief romance with Clendenin was done – and that it was never serious. “That was a casual thing,” Maloney clarified on the December 1 episode of “The Viall Files” podcast. “That’s something I think got a little blown out of proportion, but he’s the sweetest person ever. But again, a very casual thing.”
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