‘Yellowjackets’ Star Ella Purnell Is Dating a Fellow Creative — Who Else Has She Dated?
Published March 30 2023, 12:14 p.m. ET
Yellowjackets is back, and the second season looks slightly different than its predecessor. With new faces such as Lauren Ambrose (playing adult Vanessa “Van” Palmer) and Ella Purnell’s character Jackie Taylor back from the dead (kind of), the new installment of the Showtime thriller series is already a wild ride.
While Ella’s character is technically no longer with us, fans were thrilled to see Jackie return as a ghostly figment of Shauna’s imagination. While the character was a bit of a snake in the series when it came to romance, Ella’s love life IRL couldn’t differ more. Who is the actress dating in 2023?
Who is Ella Purnell dating? Meet her boyfriend, Max Bennett Kelly.
The Yellowjackets star isn’t shy about sharing her love for her boyfriend, Max Bennett Kelly, on social media.
Ella and Max have been together since at least March 2022, with the 26-year-old actress sharing her first post with the singer on Instagram at the time. “Max Bennett Kelly appreciation post,” the Sweetbitter star wrote alongside a film camera photo of the duo.
Ella’s boyfriend, Max, is also in the entertainment industry. The singer has released several songs since 2020, from “Tukwila Soda Lime” and “So Far Gone” to “Happy, Healthy, Well-Adjusted” and “Broke.”
On Max’s birthday, Ella shared an adorable photo of her and the musician kissing on Instagram. “Happy Birthday to my love,” The Army of the Dead actress wrote. “You are the best thing to ever [happen] to me.”
Ella Purnell recently addressed rumors that she was dating Brad Pitt.
In 2017, The Daily Mail falsely reported that Ella was dating Brad Pitt. The Yellowjackets star was only 21, while the Fight Club actor was 53. At first, the Sweetbitter actress found the rumors somewhat funny — until the news started spreading like wildfire.
Because Ella had never met Brad in person, she found the dating allegations unbelievable and couldn’t fathom that people believed them.
“I went to bed and the next day it was f—ing everywhere,” the 26-year-old actress told The Independent in 2022. I was terrified and really upset. I felt like I couldn’t leave the house, I was so embarrassed.”
Suddenly, the rumor that Ella was dating a man 35 years her senior followed her everywhere. Because Brad was the producer of Sweetbitter, people claimed she only got the role of Tess because she allegedly dated the Inglorious Bastards star.
“Essentially, what the tabloids were implying was that I’d only got the job because I slept with the producer,” the actress explained. “It never would’ve happened to a 21-year-old male lead of a show.”
While the dating rumors took a tremendous toll on Ella at the time, she said that the unfortunate situation “reignited [her] passion for feminism.” She now uses her platform to address misogyny, hate, and more in the media industry.
Ella Purnell previously dated ‘Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children’ co-star Asa Butterfield.
In addition to Max, the Yellowjackets star dated Sex Education star, Asa Butterfield. The duo appeared in the 2016 film Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.
However, they kept their relationship incredibly private. Their breakup date is unknown, but Asa’s last Instagram post with Ella was in April 2016.
Yellowjackets episodes air Sundays at 9 p.m. EST on Showtime.
