Couple Ashley Benson and Cara Delevingne took time to post supportive messages for the LGBTQ+ community on their Instagram accounts this week, sparking speculation that they may be planning the next step in their relationship. Refinery29 reached out to Delevingne and Benson for comment.
Delevingne and Benson met when they worked together on punk rock movie Her Smell in 2018. Soon the two appeared constantly with one another on social media, including in one sweet pic of Benson comforting the model after Delevingne's final Karl Lagerfeld fashion show. It took until June of 2019, however, for Delevingne to publicly confirm that the two were indeed in a relationship.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
“I don’t know because it is Pride, it’s been 50 years since Stonewall happened and I don’t know,” she told E! News at the TrevorLIVE Gala. “It’s been just about our one-year anniversary so, why not?”
In July, the couple was rumoured to have gotten engaged after photos of them wearing matching bands while on vacation in Saint Tropez appeared. Neither party confirmed the report.
On Monday, Benson reposted a supportive statement to members of the LGBTQ+ community from Pretty Little Liars showrunner I. Marlene King.
“I know so many people who are not accepted by their families because of who they love. And I understand your pain,” the message reads. “Our hearts determine who we love. Not our minds or our bodies. If you have been left behind by your family, make your own family. Your friends will always love you.”
In a slideshow, Delevingne shared a slate of similar posts, including one that reads: “Claiming someone else’s marriage is against your religion is like being angry at someone for eating a donut when you’re on a diet.”
Some fans thought that the comments suggested Benson and Delevingne were planning on marrying, as both posts hinted at things like creating one’s own family and supporting gay marriage. Others saw it as a message specifically for Benson's mom, whom fans accused of not supporting her daughter's same-sex relationship. (An account seemingly belonging to Shannon Benson seems to deny these rumours in a recent post about false information spreading over social media.)
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT
ash finally unfollowed her mother on instagram and now they're both shading her omg. in conclusion, CARA DELEVINGNE AND ASHLEY BENSON ARE GETTING MARRIED FORREAL THIS TIME. pic.twitter.com/2Udh1fwTh5
— - a📍 (@soffchoni) December 16, 2019
However, before we jump head first into speculation territory, it’s worth noting that the women may have posted the messages because it’s holiday season — a time when many members of the LGBTQ+ community don’t have a supportive family to enjoy the festivities with.
Fans in the comments on the posts were appreciative of the couple taking the time to spread love and support.
"I have a girlfriend and 5 months in I’m still scared to kiss her out in public because society makes me feel like I’m going to be ripped to shreds for it and we shouldn’t feel this way," one person responded to Delevingne's post.
"I’ve been out now for over 25 years and still feel unsafe to hold the hand of a man in public," another added. "The times have changed and it is better than it has ever been but the works is still unsafe. We just need to keep fighting and be visible and love with all our hearts."
Whether Delevingne and Benson start their own family or not, they've made some people feel a little less alone.