Kate Beckinsale has revealed that she’s “surprised” by the intensity of the media interest in her relationship with Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson.
The 45-year-old actress opened up about the newfound attention from the paparazzi – and the extensive discussion of the couple’s 20 year age gap – in a new interview with the Los Angeles Times, telling the publication that the scrutiny “would be a problem” if she “liked the person less.”
“I’m surprised by the interest,” she told the paper. “I’ve never been in this position before – never dated anybody who comes with their own bag of mischief.
“It’s all quite shocking, and something to get used to. I think if you liked the person less, you would bow out of it. If that were the main thrust of the relationship, there would be a problem. But it’s not.”
She went on to state that she’d “rather not have people hiding outside [her] house” in order to snap a photo of her with Davidson, telling the LA Times: “It’s a little old fashioned to have a woman’s personal life [looked at like that]. It’s a little bit tired.”
Beckinsale and Davidson first sparked relationship rumours back in January, when they were spotted leaving a Golden Globes after-party together.
The pair appeared to confirm their romance earlier this month when they were photographed sharing a kiss at an ice hockey game in New York.
The 25-year-old comedian addressed the relationship on an episode of Saturday Night Live shortly after, describing the public’s “fascination” with their age difference as “crazy.”
“It doesn’t really bother us. But then again, I’m new to this,” he said, before reminding viewers of a number of male celebrities with younger partners.
“So if you have questions about a relationship with a big age difference, just ask Leonardo DiCaprio, Jason Statham, Michael Douglas, Richard Gere, Jeff Goldblum, Scott Disick, Bruce Willis, Harrison Ford, Alex Baldwin, Sean Penn, whoever the president of France is, Mel Gibson, Jagger,” he joked.
