It looks like there may be a new celebrity couple in town.
Queer Eye personality Karamo Brown has stepped out publicly with Empire actor Jussie Smollett, with the pair drawing attention during an affectionate farewell at LAX.
The two were seen sharing a kiss outside the Los Angeles airport on Tuesday, holding each other closely in what appeared to be a warm and lingering embrace.
Their airport moment came just one day after they were photographed spending time together in Los Angeles, where Smollett, 44, was seen gently touching Brown’s chin while the pair ran errands.
Although the romance appears to be new — Smollett is reported to have recently ended his engagement to Jabari Redd — the latest photos suggest he may be moving forward.
Brown and Smollett also had lunch with Brown’s mother, Charmaine, before continuing their day with errands and a hike through Runyon Canyon, offering another sign that the pair are growing close.
Queer Eye star Karamo Brown and actor Jussie Smollett shared a kiss at LAX on Tuesday after their relationship became public.
The pair appeared affectionate as they kissed outside the Los Angeles airport.
It’s a relationship Brown, 45, sees going the distance and one that he believes has the potential to lead to marriage.
In an interview with Reality with The King, Brown said he was ‘100 percent sure’ Smollett was the one as he gushed profusely about his new partner.
At the time, Brown did not reveal the identity of his boyfriend, saying they were waiting to go public in order to protect their relationship.
‘I’ve met my equal. It’s powerful when you meet someone who you feel 100% safe with, you feel 100% secure with, who you can just trust with your heart because you know they are just a great human being and they get everything.
‘It’s special. It’s pretty amazing,’ he said.
‘We are deep in love but [that’s] why we are not public yet because we don’t want comments,’ he said.
‘We are protecting the love we have because I do believe this is going to be my husband.
‘I believe this is going to be my forever person. I feel it every single day. You know we don’t have any arguments. Everything is just easy. And not saying that we don’t have discussions but everything is just easy. We just get each other. It’s constant laughter. It’s constant love. It’s just constant everything.’
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Brown and Smollett wrapped their arms around one another
Suitcase in hand, Brown appeared to be the one flying out of Los Angeles
While the relationship is fresh – Smollett reportedly recently split from his fiancé Jabari Redd – the photos are strong evidence he has moved on
Brown recently gushed about Smollett, calling him his ‘equal’ and predicting they have what it takes to walk down the aisle
‘We are deep in love,’ Brown said of his partner
The couple enjoyed a lingering embrace
Brown opted for grey sweat suit and LA Dodgers cap while his boyfriend sported a flannel shirt
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The airport drop off is another sign of just how strong their feelings are for one another
The relationship comes over a month after Smollett re-entered the dating market.
In early June, TMZ reported the actor ended his engagement to Jabari Redd ‘within the last couple of weeks’.
The couple’s relationship is believed to have begun in 2022, three years after Smollett sparked major backlash for falsely reporting a hate crime that he staged against himself.
The star was found with a noose around his neck and claimed he was attacked by two men shouting ‘racial and homophobic slurs’ and who ‘poured an unknown chemical substance on him’.
A police investigation found Smollett’s story did not add up and, at the end of 2021, he was found guilty of five charges over his false reports of being attacked.
The couple also spent time together in Los Angeles on Monday in a sighting that hard-launched their relationship
Their strong connection was evident as they held hands
Brown gave his new boyfriend his undivided attention
The couple also enjoyed a lunch date with Brown’s mother
The attendance of Brown’s mother is another sign of their strong connection
Three years later, Smollett’s conviction was overturned on the basis of his Fifth Amendment rights having been violated when he was prosecuted after reaching a plea deal.
The city of Chicago’s Law Department filed a civil lawsuit against him in 2019 to recover over $130,000 in costs incurred investigating his allegedly staged attack, after he failed to meet a city-imposed payment deadline.
The case, which had dragged on for six years, was finally put to rest by both sides through a settlement.
Brown, meanwhile, has endured a difficult year that also made headlines.
His rift with his Queer Eye castmates was unveiled after he abruptly pulled out of two interviews with his co-stars to promote the new season.
Smollett tenderly stroked Brown’s chin
The couple reportedly ended their day with a leisurely hike through Runyon Canyon
Brown’s rift with his Queer Eye castmates was unveiled earlier this year, a feud that was in part started due to a conversation his co-stars had that was overheard by his mother
Smollett is known for his role as Jamal Lyon on the Fox drama series Empire, where he starred from 2015 to 2019
In a statement given to CBS Mornings explaining his absence from a scheduled interview with them, Brown said: ‘Though the show is ending, I hope everyone remembers the main theme I have tried to teach them over the past decade, which is to focus on and to protect their mental health/peace from people or a world who seek to destroy it; which is why I can’t be there today.’
Brown has since said the falling-out was due in part to a conversation his castmates had about him behind his back, which his mother overheard.
‘The thing I know is the tears I saw in my mother’s eyes,’ he told People. ‘[She kept repeating], “I thought they were your friends.” It made me realize I can no longer stay silent about how often I was made to feel like an outsider.’
