Despite their tumultuous history as lovers, Kate Beckinsale and Matt Rife seem to be on very good terms these days. So good, in fact, that the former celebrity couple were spotted getting cozy at Netflix’s Golden Globes afterparty on Sunday, Jan. 5.
According to an eyewitness, the two were anything but distant at the star-studded bash. “They were kissing and being affectionate with one another,” the insider told Page Six. “Her arms were around his neck. and his arms and hands were around her waist… They were very close, and then I saw them kiss a couple times.”
The interaction wasn’t steamy enough to qualify as a full-blown make-out session, but it was clearly enough to raise eyebrows. Another tipster confirmed Rife and Beckinsale’s closeness at the party. However, they described the scene in more platonic terms, saying, “They are friendly exes and were having some funny conversations.”
The Canary Black star, now 51, famously dated Rife, 29, back in 2017. At the time, Beckinsale was 43, and the up-and-coming comedian was just 21. The pair reportedly met through a mutual friend but called it quits after about a year together.
There’s no information on what led to their breakup, but Rife made headlines for his not-so-friendly comments about Beckinsale in 2019, while she was dating another comedian, Pete Davidson. At the time, he said their romance was “complicated” and warned the former Saturday Night Live star to “run.” “Man to man: run,” Rife quipped via TMZ back then. “Enjoy it while you can. I hope they’re both happy. Be careful.”
When asked if he’d ever consider rekindling his romance with the Underworld actress, Rife didn’t mince words and responded with a firm “Not a chance.” He later doubled down, calling their relationship “a lot of ups and downs” and admitting they weren’t exactly “the most compatible match.”
Fast forward to Sunday night, and it seems the two have managed to maintain a playful, affectionate dynamic despite their split years before. According to the first source, the sweet moment unfolded late in the evening, “near the end of the night. They were in front of everyone in the corner of the main dining room. By this time it wasn’t packed, people were filtering out.”
Based on what purportedly transpired between Beckinsale and Rife, it seems they have left the drama behind. Or perhaps the actress already buried the hatchet when the comedian walked back on his remarks against her years ago and apologized for what he described as a “petty” outburst.
“I gave that advice because I was only speaking from personal experience,” he explained to Elle. “I wanted to make sure that both of them were careful with their emotions and didn’t head into something that wouldn’t work out.”
Meanwhile, this wouldn’t be the first time for Beckinsale to snag a lover after the Golden Globes. In 2019, she was famously spotted flirting with Davidson at one of the afterparties, and their sighting led to a whirlwind romance that lasted a few months. A year after, she was snapped leaving another Globes afterparty with rapper Machine Gun Kelly.