Cole Sprouse Looks So Different After Rumoured Lili Reinhart Split

If quarantine and breakups have one thing in common, it's that they present themselves as perfect opportunities to change your go-to style — and in the wake of his rumored breakup from Lili Reinhart, Cole Sprouse seems to be changing up his look. Shortly after news broke that the Riverdale co-stars, who first got together in 2017, had reportedly called it quits, images emerged of Sprouse with a lighter hair colour and a brand-new beard.

The actor first showed off his new look in an impromptu photoshoot posted to his Instagram last week. The photos, taken by Alex Hainer, show a much more sun-kissed side to Sprouse that we haven’t seen since his Suite Life days... and, yes, a beard.

During a remote interview with Jimmy Fallon, Sprouse addressed his new facial hair, explaining that it was for an upcoming role that was put on hold due to the virus. After going through all the trouble to grow it out, Sprouse decided to keep it for a while. “This has taken me the fullness of the quarantine thus far,” Sprouse told Fallon. “I’ve been trimming. I’ve been making sure it all looks kosher. My brother and I have been in a violent competition for whose facial hair is more robust.”

So, was his quarantine makeover merely a coincidence? Could it be that quarantine hair has been mistaken for post-breakup hair? Rumours of Sprouse and Reinhart's split began when, upon being asked if the duo made a cute couple during a recent Instagram Live, Riverdale co-star Skeet Ulrich made a revealing slip of the tongue. “I think they were a very cute couple,” he responded — were being the operative word.

Despite the constant rumor mill around celebrities quarantined together, the breakup is just speculation so far. Page Six was the first to report that the two had split, but neither Sprouse nor Reinhart have said anything about the status of their relationship.

Whether Sprouse’s new look will stick around past quarantine is anyone’s guess. The breakup may just be rumoured, but the facial hair is definitely the real thing.