Industry whispers claim the Aussie stars are “enjoying a romance” after playing lovers in the recently-released TV series Scarpetta, and a new Instagram video is adding fuel to the fire.
Nicole Kidman and Simon Baker couldn’t keep their hands to themselves as they announced the second season of Scarpetta.
The Aussie stars – who both grew up in Sydney – have been at the centre of romance rumours since playing love interests in the Amazon Prime TV series, which hit screens on March 11.
Now, a new video posted on the series’ Instagram page on Tuesday has put the couple’s chemistry front and centre, with the pair packing on the PDA (public displays of affection) as they featured in the exciting announcement.
The clip showed Kidman, 58, and Baker, 56, joined by castmates Jamie Lee Curtis and Bobby Cannavale, huddling together to reveal the big news.
“Hi everybody. We are the cast of Scarpetta, and guess what?” Curtis began the video.
The actress went on to reveal that the popular crime show had been renewed for a second season and was already mid-filming.
“We’re having such a good time. Thank you so much for your love and support,” Curtis shared, before Kidman chimed in: “We’re so grateful.”
However, while fans were excited about the show’s upcoming second season, they were more thrilled when clocking Kidman’s arm around Baker’s shoulder, with Baker holding his rumoured beau’s waist in return.
The pair even shared a sweet glance in the clip, sending fans into a frenzy and further fuelling the rumours.
“Give me Nicole and Simon all day!!!” one excited fan penned in the comments section, while another simply dubbed them “a cute couple.”
On Monday, it was reported that Baker’s ex-wife had been blindsided by romance speculation surrounding the stars.
A well-placed source claimed that Rebecca Rigg, who was married to Baker for 22 years before the couple parted ways in 2020, was taken by surprise when rumours began to swirl about the Aussie couple, particularly because she and Kidman have been friends since childhood.
“She loves Nicole like a sister, they’ve been through so much over the years so it’s extremely shocking for her to get her head round this,” an insider told New Idea.
The pair first made headlines earlier this month when they attended Scarpetta’s New York premiere holding hands, with The Sun later sharing reports that they were “clearly enjoying each other’s company” at the after-party.
The close source told New Idea that while many of the former couple’s mutual friends assumed the hand-holding stunt was “for the show”, there were some undeniable signs the romance rumours may have some credibility.
“The way they’re evading questions about their status and then spending all this cosy time together is giving a lot more validity to the notion that they have turned romantic,” they added.
The insider claims Rigg was “totally in the dark” about the romance, despite maintaining a “transparent” relationship with her ex-husband over the past few years as they co-parent their children: Stella, 32, Claude Blue, 26, and Harry Friday, 24.
Furthermore, many of Rigg’s friends have reportedly dubbed the move “pretty insensitive”, particularly because the Moulin Rouge actress is the godmother to Rigg’s son, Harry.
“For Nicole to act all coy is really breaking the girl code,” the source claimed.