Lip-readers caution fans against reading too much into viral videos of celebrity conversations: 'We have no idea what they were really talking about'

A recent wave of viral lip-reading videos posted on social media claim to reveal the secrets of some of Hollywood’s biggest stars.

The internet was abuzz after Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards, when a video of Selena Gomez gossiping with Taylor Swift went viral. Fan theories suggested that Gomez told Swift that Kylie Jenner wouldn’t let her take a photo with Timothée Chalamet, both of whom were also at the awards show that night.

Turns out, none of it was true.

Gomez set the record straight Wednesday on an E! News Instagram post about the incident, commenting that she “told Taylor about two friends who hooked up. Not that it's anyone's business.”

Chalamet also shut down rumors around the alleged incident in an interview with TMZ.

Separately, Chalamet and Jenner were having their own private conversation analyzed. Nina Dellinger, who posts lip-reading videos on TikTok, shared a video of the couple during a commercial break at the awards ceremony. In it, she tried to dissect their conversation by reading their lips.

“I love you,” Chalamet told Jenner, according to Dellinger's interpretation. After Jenner said, “I love you too," Chalamet replied, “I wasn’t talking about you.”

Dellinger then read Jenner's reply as, “I wasn’t talking about you. I was talking about someone else.”

A third conversation from the Golden Globes was also being analyzed online. A video surfaced of Emily Blunt and John Krasinski having a short conversation on the red carpet. In an attempt to read his lips, viewers speculated that Krasinski told his wife that he “wanted a divorce.”

Once the video blew up, a source close to the couple told Us Weekly that the lip-reading theory was false.

“There are no issues with Emily and John. They are absolutely not talking about divorce,” an insider told the outlet. “They think the rumors are funny and ridiculous.”

Dellinger posted her own lip-reading of the married couple's conversation on Wednesday. In that iteration, she interpreted Blunt telling Krasinski, “It's chilly here, right?” and interpreted his reply as, “Can't wait till we're indoors. It's windy.”

This isn’t the first time fans have used video clips of audio-free conversations to jump to conclusions. Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez, and members British royal family have all been subjects of juicy internet lip-reading theories.

Meanwhile, lip-readers tell Yahoo Entertainment that their interpretations should always be taken with a grain of salt.

'People are fascinated with gossip'

Dellinger was 16 when she realized she had a talent for reading lips. Years later, she began making popular TikTok videos to dissect filmed conversations of the rich and famous. She said none of her videos are meant to be an exact translation.

“I do this just for fun and for entertainment,” she explained to Yahoo Entertainment. She has a disclaimer in the bio of her TikTok account that reads: "ALL CONTENT IS ALLEGED"

"I am not a professional lip-reader. I’m actually not hard of hearing, either," she explained. "I simply have this ability sometimes to lip-read somewhat accurately.”

Lip-reading has always been of fascination, particularly around celebrities in conversation. Dellinger said it's because “people are fascinated with gossip.”

“Another part of it is a genuine care for these celebrities. Their fans would give anything to meet them or to speak with them because they are their idols,” she explained.

That's why she tries to “genuinely put the best read out there,” striving to “never put words in people’s mouths” simply for the sake of being salacious.

“People want to see these celebrities happy, which is why I try to only publish readings that are positive or funny or don't have a necessarily negative undertone,” Dellinger explained. “They want to see Kylie and Timothée be happy so they can say, ‘Oh, if this is true, then I'm happy for them.’”

'Not an exact science'

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, around “40% of the sounds in the English language can be seen on the lips of a speaker.” A good lip-reader may be able to see only “4 to 5 words in a 12-word sentence.”

Jeremy Freeman, an expert forensic lip-reader who uses the skill to aid law enforcement, says lip-reading is serious business and requires a high level of “dedication and precision.”

“Lip-reading is more than a skill for me, it’s a responsibility,” he told Yahoo Entertainment. “Whether I’m interpreting for public figures or helping someone communicate with their family, I bring the same level of commitment and ethical consideration to each task.”

Born profoundly deaf, Freeman has been lip-reading since he was a child and has relied heavily on it all of his life for his own communication skills. Like Dellinger, he urges viewers to be cautious of what they see online.

“It’s an art and not an exact science,” he explained. “While it can be quite accurate, factors such as the speaker’s clarity, camera angles and context can influence the reading. So, it's important to approach lip-read interpretations with a bit of caution and an understanding of their potential limitations.”

A reader's training and credibility are equally as important, Freeman said.

“The difference between a qualified forensic expert witness lip-reader and an amateur lip-reader is that [professionals] are trained to look at all the homophemes — when more than one sound shares the same viseme, or mouth shape,” he explained. “A forensic expert lip-reader can determine the intended meaning of a speaker by utilizing all visual clues including lip movements, body language, facial expressions and context.”

Shelly Tisius, founder and CEO of MT & Associates, a firm providing American Sign Language services with lip-reading support, added that while videos make for engaging content, credible lip-readings should be handled by professionals.

“Any sentences taken out of context of the greater conversation can be easily misconstrued,” she told Yahoo Entertainment. “It’s like you are walking into a group of friends already talking and trying to figure out what they are saying.”

Tisius pointed to the popular NFL’s bad lip-reading videos as an example of “how easy it is to misread what people are saying” when you are 100% relying on lip-reading. “It’s fun to play and try to guess what people are saying. It’s also common for us to get [unfounded] gossip from these types of events.”

The recent viral videos at the Golden Globes are no different. “I do think they are making a bigger deal about it than it was,” Tisius said. “We have no idea what they were really talking about.”

Dellinger takes that idea to heart. “I have no way of knowing 100% that I'm correct, because people would have to confirm every time and, of course, that doesn't happen," she said. “I think of myself as an entertainer, overall, because I didn't go to school. I didn't train for this.”

The interest in celebrity lip-readings isn't dwindling anytime soon, Dellinger explained, simply because the demand for “shock value“ is constant.

“I've been telling people that I won't do the Selena and Taylor Swift read because I can't get a good read on it, and I'm just not going to put words in their mouths,” she says. “When I tell people that on the internet, they tell me, ‘Just post it!’ So, I think that that goes to show that they simply want that reaction. They want that, ‘Oh, my gosh!’ wow factor.”