What do you get when you cross a stunning, multi-talented pop icon with a hysterical Saturday Night Live cast member? That’s an easy one: you get rumors of a new, gossip-worthy pairing, as is the case for Sabrina Carpenter and Marcello Hernández. But are these two stars even dating? Well, the internet seems to think so. But thankfully, Dax Shepard, of all people, managed to get an actual answer on this matter.
However, when he opened his mouth to speak with Marcello, Dax made a rather odd, yet definitely inappropriate, comment about Sabrina. Needless to say, his remark didn’t sit well with Sabrina’s fans. So, here’s a recap to help clear everything up, from the dating rumors to Dax’s latest verbal misstep.
Rumors are rife that Sabrina Carpenter and Marcello Hernández were dating
On SNL, one of Marcello’s infamous characters is named Domingo, from “Miami, baby.” In this character’s 2024 debut, we met a group of bridesmaids singing about a bachelorette party. In the background, Sabrina’s hit song “Espresso” played. As the bridesmaids sang, their lyrics implicated the bride for hooking up with a guy named Domingo during her final hurrah celebration.
And then Domingo, from “Miami, baby,” appeared. Domingo now pops up everywhere, from baby showers to vow-renewal ceremonies, on SNL. But roughly one month after his first sketch in 2024, Marcello brought his alter ego to one of Sabrina’s concerts, and that’s where all these dating rumors began.
As part of her Short n’ Sweet tour, Sabrina always turned to her audience, looking for someone to fake “arrest” before the start of her song “Juno.” And at her November 17th show in Los Angeles, Domingo just so happened to be her lucky guy. “Sabrina, I’m here!” his character yelled, as seen on TikTok. As the audience cheered, Marcello introduced himself as Domingo from “Miami, baby.”
“Came all this way, had to explain, direct from Domingo. Sabrina’s a friend; she’s like my sis, but I would hook up, though,” his character sang. In response, Sabrina handed him a pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs. And in the years that followed, their friendship, alongside a few cuddly-looking posts, suggested that they might actually be a real-life thing.
Marcello went on Dax Shepard’s podcast, and Dax is facing backlash for a Sabrina Carpenter comment
So, are they dating? Well, Dax recently asked him this same question on his Armchair Expert podcast. But first, Dax added his own take on this topic, noting that he was “newly obsessed” with Sabrina, thanks to his 10-year-old daughter. Dax loves her, he further stressed, and he is also “obsessed” with one of her albums.
And then, Dax lost a lot of people when he quipped, “If I’m you, and I’m 28, I’m going to try to date her with all my might. Are you not trying your hardest to marry her?” To note, Dax is 51 years old, and Sabrina is 26. Yes, these two ages are legally allowed to date, but many fans still cringed at Dax’s suggestion.
On X, one fan said it best, writing, “If I [were] your age,” well, you aren’t, stay in your place. [It has to be] getting so tiring for Sabrina to [have to deal with these rumors] with every man she stands next to. It’s so disrespectful and undermining to everyone, including actual partners … leave them alone!!”
Kristen Bell is likely tired as well, since her man, Dax, talks first and thinks later. Regardless, as Marcello answered, no, he is not dating Sabrina. Instead, “I’m in a relationship with a Dominican girl. She’s an architect. She’s unreal. She went to Yale,” Marcello raved.
“But Sabrina’s awesome,” Marcello respectfully added.
Sabrina last publicly dated Barry Keoghan
The last person Sabrina publicly dated was Barry Keoghan, a well-known Irish actor. Rumor has it, they met at Givenchy’s spring/spring/summer 2024 show during Paris Fashion Week, which took place in the latter months of 2023. One month later, the Daily Mail reported on the pair, noting that they were out and about, enjoying a dinner date in Los Angeles.
In the years that followed, Sabrina and Barry played coy in front of the cameras, often shielding their faces from the ever-prying lenses. In interviews, their vibes were similar. Instead of adding headline-worthy details about their romance, they kept things professional, like when Sabrina told Variety, “I don’t want to sound biased, but I think he’s one of the best actors of this generation.”
But somewhere around the earlier months of 2025, their romance took a turn. Yet, even when broken up, Sabrina remained positive, refusing to slam Barry for anything that might have happened behind closed doors. Instead, all she would state was, “Am I doing the single thing right now? I’m doing the 25-year-old thing right now, whatever that means.”
But several beats later, Sabrina released her new single, “Manchild.” Now, she never confirmed that her cheeky lyrics were about Barry. But either way, Barry didn’t seem to care. Instead, he felt “amused.”
TELL US – ARE YOU HAPPY FOR MARCELLO? DID YOU CRINGE AT DAX’S COMMENT?
