Martin Short may not have walked the 2025 Emmy Awards red carpet with Meryl Streep, but fans believe he kept her close during the evening.

The 75-year-old actor was seated alongside his Only Murders in the Building costars Steve Martin and Selena Gomez, as well as Gomez’s fiancé Benny Blanco, at the ceremony held on Sunday, September 14, at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles. 

A clip from the night that made its way to X showed Gomez glancing at Short while he smiled down at his phone. 

She then leaned over to Blanco and appeared to tell him that Short was texting Streep. 

One fan who shared the video captioned it, “Selena Gomez telling Benny, ‘Marty’s texting Meryl.’ Parents omfg.”

Short was at the awards in support of Only Murders in the Building, which kicked off its fifth season earlier this month. 

The Hulu hit is nominated for Outstanding Comedy Series, going up against Abbott Elementary, The Bear, Hacks, Nobody Wants This, Shrinking, The Studio and What We Do in the Shadows. 

Short also scored a nod for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series for his role as Oliver Putnam, competing against Adam Brody (Nobody Wants This), Seth Rogen (The Studio), Jason Segel (Shrinking), and Jeremy Allen White (The Bear).

Streep, 76, did not attend the event but has continued to be linked to Short since the two played love interests on Only Murders in the Building. 

Their on-screen chemistry sparked dating speculation last year, though Short’s rep clarified in 2024 that “They are just very good friends, nothing more.”

Despite the rumors, Short has been candid about how meaningful it was to work with Streep. 

Reflecting on their time together, he once admitted, “In fact, the first day of shooting, which was rare because I’m not brand new, I was driving to work and I thought, ‘I’m nervous today. I’m working with Meryl Streep.’”