Meryl Streep and Martin Short sit side-by-side at Emmys amid dating rumors

Fans noticed Martin Short and Meryl Streep were getting close at the 2024 Emmys – literally.

The "Only Murders in the Building" co-stars sat side-by-side in the front row at the ceremony on Sept. 15.

The two applauded loudly when Jean Smart was won outstanding lead actress in a comedy series.

Emmys viewers reacted to the seating arrangement with glee and speculation, as it's the latest in a series of public appearances for the co-stars, who are rumored to be dating.

For months, fans of the Hulu mystery series have been speculating that the actors, who play a couple on the show, are dating. Viewers noted their undeniable chemistry in the show's third season and they have also pointed out the multiple public appearances the pair have made together recently.

While their characters are head over heels for each other, Short and Streep say their relationship is platonic.

The 74-year-old comedian dismissed dating rumors about them while speaking to The Hollywood Reporter in an interview published Aug. 22. He told the publication that he and Streep are just "friends."

Then, in January, he commented on their friendship during an appearance on the “Club Random with Bill Maher” podcast.

“We’re not a couple,” he confirmed. “We are just very close friends.”

Short was previously married to his wife of 30 years, Nancy Dolman, before she died from ovarian cancer in 2010 at the age of 58. In his August interview with The Hollywood Reporter, he spoke about his late wife and revealed what he told their three children after her death.

"It was absolutely horrible, obviously, and as sad as anything," he said.

"But I will tell you what I said to my kids at the time: 'I believe Mom has zoomed into our souls,'" he added before referencing a George Eliot quote.

He continued, "George Eliot said, 'Our dead are never dead to us until we have forgotten them.' We were together for 36 years. I didn’t want to forget Nancy."

His co-star Streep has been married to her husband, Don Gummer, for over 40 years. But a few weeks after the Season Three finale of “Only Murders in the Building” aired in October 2023, Streep, 75, revealed that she and Gummer, have been separated for more than six years.

Although Streep and Short have been friends for years, they are sharing the screen for the first time as love interests in the hit whodunit series.

Short opened up about working with Streep in a 2023 interview with Backstage, sharing his admiration for the “Let Them All Talk” star’s record-setting 21 Oscar nominations.

“Who’s even made 21 movies?” he joked.

He also shared a funny memory from the set of their Hulu show. He said that once, while Streep was about to begin performing a scene, one of the show’s creators thought she was talking to them on set, and responded to her.

She looked annoyed then, because in reality, she had just delivered her first line in the scene.

“She’s so good that you don’t even know when you’ve started,” Short said.

He later recalled a wry comment Streep made to him after they had finished filming a scene on the Staten Island Ferry.

“I just want you to know that, sometimes, I can be quite good. And that was an example of it,” Streep said, according to Short.

He also described Streep’s process as bringing “full commitment to every rehearsal, and I understand that.”

Read on for a timeline of Short and Streep’s sweet friendship.

February 2015: Backstage on Broadway

On Feb. 3, 2015, Short and Streep smiled together backstage at the Broadway play, “It’s Only a Play.”

They also both posed for photos with the cast members of the play, including Matthew Broderick, Stockard Channing and F. Murray Abraham.

June 2017: Honoring Diane Keaton

Streep and Short were spotted together once more on June 8, 2017, at the Lifetime Achievement Gala honoring Diane Keaton at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood.

They sat next to Keaton at the event, and they were also joined by Steve Martin, who is in "Only Murders in the Building."

February 2023: Another Broadway evening

Short and Streep made another appearance together at the opening night of the Broadway play “Pictures from Home” on Feb. 9, 2023, joined by their “Only Murders” co-star, Martin.

Streep also posed for photos with her “Mamma Mia” co-star, Christine Baranski.

January 2024: Multiple joint appearances

Streep and Short were all smiles as they posed together at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills on Jan. 7, 2024.

The actors appeared to sit side by side during the ceremony and they were captured posing affectionately with each other during the event.

A few days later on Jan. 12, they appeared together once again at the AFI Awards luncheon in Los Angeles.

They laughed together in multiple photos and appeared to be having a great time in each other’s company.

Not long after their two joint appearances in January, romance rumors began to swirl about the pair, with many fans sharing their excitement on social media about the possible pairing.

“so much of my mental health wellbeing is based around Martin Short and Meryl Streep working out,” one person wrote on X.

“Meryl streep and martin short are my TV parents,” another person wrote.

“Meryl Streep and martin short being friends is iconic enough,” another X user wrote, “but can you imagine if they are actually dating ……… legends.”

But again, Short firmly denied these dating rumors on Bill Maher's podcast in late January, and a rep for Short also told People in January that he and Streep “are just very good friends, nothing more.”

Streep, who is typically private about her personal life, does not appear to have commented publicly on her friendship with Short.

March 2024: They attend Broadway show 'Merrily We Roll Along'

Martin Short and Meryl Streep stepped out in New York for a performance of “Merrily We Roll Along” on Broadway.

The two actors attended the performance on March 16 and went backstage to meet the cast afterwards.

Krystal Joy Brown, who stars in the musical as Gussie, documented the moment and shared a picture she took with Streep and Short.

“I am absolutely floored,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “I performed for these two legends and they were so kind and effusive about our show and said some kind words to me I will NEVER forget.”

Brown also posted a video of Streep speaking to the entire crew, gushing, “You were wonderful.”

An attendee at the show also shared to social media a photo of Streep and Short sitting together in the audience.

August 2024: The duo holds hands at the 'Only Murders' Season 4 premiere

At the Season 4 premiere of “Only Murders in the Building,” Streep and Short were seen holding hands and laughing alongside their co-stars on the red carpet.

At the afterparty, Short and Streep were seen holding hands again. Online, fans commented about the moment and said it was “adorable.”

“I am officially deceased!” one person wrote.

Another added, “So cute ??.”

This article was originally published on TODAY.com