Kylie Jenner, Timothée Chalamet and the fascination with couples who seem like an odd fit

Ramniwas

Some couples just make sense – Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds, Beyoncé and Jay-Z, Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos. Others make some people do a double take: Think Elon Musk and Grimes, Olivia Wilde and Harry Styles … and Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet if the internet is to be believed.

Neither party has confirmed or denied a relationship; USA TODAY reached out to the stars’ reps for comment. But many fans are still expressing bewilderment over the idea of a coupled Jenner, 25, and Chalamet, 27, both A-listers in their own right but from opposite ends of the Hollywood spectrum.

“kylie jenner and timothee chalamet dating feels the same as when two people from your high school that never interacted start dating like 6 years after graduation,” a Twitter user mused.

Why do fans find such fascination with celebrity pairings they deem to be odd couples?

‘Imagine ourselves in their shoes’: Why fans obsess over intriguing celeb pairings
Kardashian matriarch Kris Jenner has long been compared to the puppet master strategically pulling strings with her children’s love lives and careers behind the scenes. “The devil works hard, but Kris Jenner works harder,” fans frequently joke.

Kourtney Kardashian’s relationship with Travis Barker has garnered plenty of attention, as has Kendall Jenner’s rumored romance with Bad Bunny. But perhaps no one pairing captivated fans more than when Pete Davidson dated Kim Kardashian.

It was “such an odd pairing that it just catches your curiosity,” Donna Rockwell, a clinical psychologist specializing in celebrity mental health, told USA TODAY at the time. “And I think that’s what celebrity does for the populace anyway: It provides the opportunities to try on various experiences that we see the celebrities go through and imagine ourselves in their shoes.”

When the people dating seem like an unexpected fit, experts sayit can allow us to broaden ideas of what kind of person might make a compatible partner.

Secrecy only adds to our interest, celebrities or not
Much like in our day-to-day lives, when two people fail to confirm a rumored romance, we find ourselves more interested. We search for signs of attraction between the two and stalk their social media posts for sightings. That’s because mystery only adds to our intrigue, experts say.

“The more mysterious one is, the more we lean in to learn more,” explained Amber Kelleher-Andrews, dating and relationship expert, celebrity matchmaker and CEO of Kelleher International. “We want to know what’s behind that curtain.”

But that magnifying glass can be a challenge for two people who are trying to quietly feel out a new relationship.

And trying to keep things under wraps can cause stress and anxiety, which doesn’t exactly make for a fun or loving start.

For celebrities, there are unique challenges when a new relationship is blossoming. “It’s very isolating,” Rockwell, who co-authored the only published, peer-reviewed study on the psychology of fame and celebrity, said of exploring a new relationship in the spotlight. “It puts a lot of pressure on the couple, because not only are they just trying to get to know one another, but they have to deal with this ever-present paparazzi.”

The same can be said for the rest of us – relationship experts highlight the benefits of building a strong foundation with a partner privately before allowing in others and their opinions.

“Solid relationships are built on trust, honesty and communication,” said Kimberly Vered Shashoua, licensed clinical social worker. “If you find that your relationship is floundering after going public, it might just mean that the partnership was better suited for a fling, not something long-term.”