Sunday, August 15, 2021

Will the Truth Prevail When Timelines Collide?: The Dating History of Sophia Bush

 

Narnia Dispatches was met with a bit of a surprise this last week when one of the many primeval supporting cast members in the OG story of Jake Gyllenhaal and Austin Nichols appeared on Just Jared; the occasion was the out of the blue announcement of Sophia Bush's engagement to entrepreneur, Grant Hughes.  Thirty-nine and never married (because of the annulment of her marriage to Chad Michael Murray), but with a long line of heavily promoted "paramours," Ms. Bush seemed able to still find work on TV for nearly two decades without ever having to retire her bachelorette ways.  😉 

But, having the question popped in Italy and announcing it on Instagram certainly seems genuinely sincere *cough*, so what reason would we have to question true love? Especially after this "low-key” Instagram announcement on a "@comoclassics" boat ride (maybe the marketing shout-out helped pay for a bucket of champagne *smirk*) in the Land of Love and paparazzi. LOL! No yacht for you, Sophia!


People.com August 10, 2021

 

Seems legit. 

 

 

Instead of simply posting about the happy occasion, Just Jared, of course, uses the opportunity to take a trip down heterosexual memory lane, with the tried and true Dating Timeline format.


 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hmm. That last sentence is awfully loud, don't you think? "They split up for good in 2012 after OTH wrapped". Really? One has to wonder why that would be, especially since both Austin and Sophia lived in Los Angeles and were free to move onto the next stage in their loved-up relationship. That is, unless there was someone else hidden from public view that made their "breakup" an inevitable eventuality.

Perhaps a short stroll down memory lane might provide some instructive answers. Remember, establishing the beginning of someone's dating timeline is just as revealing of closeted machinations as the ending of that contractual association. That's why in 2010 Sophia Bush's "dating" timeline with Austin Nichols was suddenly adjusted to push the lie narrative that their "romantic" history actually began in 2006, instead of three years later in August 2009 when their bearding contract very public courtship was actually set into motion. The smoke and mirrors of this PR strategy was meant to counter the rumors that had been circulating for years that Austin was Jake Gyllenhaal's boyfriend/husband and that they were raising a not-for-public-consumption family together.  

Let's look a bit closer and see what Sophia's dating timeline reveals:


April 16, 2005 Chad Michael Murray (CMM) married Sophia Bush (SB) after dating for 2 years.

September 26, 2005 CMM and SB separate. That's right, only six months after their "wedded" bliss, tabloid headlines of CMM being caught out with Paris Hilton circulate.

January 25, 2006 Photos appear of Jake Gyllenhaal at a Malibu dog park with Atticus and Boo. SB is having a casual conversation with him as Jake leans against his vehicle. Fellow actor, Austin Nichols is with Jake too, although he is not included in any of the photos released from that day.

February 12, 2006 Right after those provocative photos circulate across the Internet of the Jake & Austin Saturday night date (2/11) at the Lakers game (over Valentine’s Day weekend), poorly photo-shopped “re-creations” of the Malibu dog park encounter between Jake and SB suddenly reappear. Seventeen days already have elapsed, but this time the set of pics have Jake cut out of them, trying to show Austin with SB, as if they were on a date. 




 

Malibu and the Tale of the Floating Shoes  🠘 please click here for more on our previous post about the whole Malibu floating shoes outing.

 

February 17, 2006 SB denies dating Jake Gyllenhaal or Austin Nichols.

February 24, 2006 SB petitions for an annulment of her marriage and cites fraud.

August 19, 2006 Sophia Bush is promoted as dating Jon Foster (her costar from Stay Alive – they met, on set, in 2005). Several photos appear of them together going on a “romantic” date to Camarillo per Just Jared.

December 29, 2006 SB and CMM divorce finalized.

February 7, 2007 Story runs that Sophia Bush and Jon Foster are still very much a couple and they are seen in Los Angeles together.

August 26, 2007 Sophia Bush and Actor-Boyfriend Jon Foster “are still going strong” seen in Beverly Hills.

October-November 2007 Rumors circulate that SB is now dating and getting “serious” with Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys. Both are seen out together on several occasions. 


          

December, 2007 SB rumored to have started dating James Lafferty. Rumors last through most of 2008 as they are seen together in many venues. Dating finally confirmed on October 28, 2008 by, ironically, Chad Michael Murray who states in an interview that SB “has James now” and photos of Bush and Lafferty together, at an airport, appear.

April 25, 2008 Page Six reports that SB was seen cozying/cuddling up with James Lafferty at NYC's Meatpacking hotspot 1Oak          

 


   

May, 26 2008 SB and James Lafferty fly into LA together. Several photos are taken.

June 18, 2008 Story runs that Sophia Bush now admits to breaking up with Jon Foster. Bush says it was over like “like a year ago,” even though stories and photos from the previous year indicate that they were still “dating” through the end of August, 2007. She states that she is single and has only two men that she has time for these days: Barack Obama and her personal trainer.

October 28, 2008 Sophia Bush is confirmed to be dating James Lafferty in an interview that takes place with her ex-husband, Chad Michael Murray. In October 2008, after disappearing for practically the entire first half of 2008 (two exceptions being photos from the set of  Prayers for Bobby in MI on June 17 and 18th and then his appearance at the Espy Awards on July 15, 2008), Austin resurfaces and begins filming One Tree Hill as a recurring character on the series. He is initially contracted for 10 episodes. An interview, with Austin, from October 24 indicates that he doesn’t really know the cast of One Tree Hill and that he felt like an outsider:

This is Don from BuddyTV and today I'm talking to Austin Nichols, who plays Julian on One Tree Hill. I was wondering if you could talk about how the role on One Tree Hill came about?

Yeah, I don't know. I mean, Mark Schwahn kind of called and said they were interested, but they didn't know if I would be interested. I went in and had the meeting with him and I fell in love with the guy, the guy is really, really smart and he's a great writer. We started talking about this guy named Julian Baker, who is a movie producer and comes to town to buy Lucas' book and make it into a movie. Anyway, I really liked the way he described the character. He's kind of like Jack Nicholson, he's this funny, snarky kind of guy you love to hate. So I said heck yeah man, that sounds fun.
 

What was it like going on set? The people on that show have been together for six seasons. Was that weird, or was it pretty natural?

I've never been in this situation before and it is a little weird. Like you said, they've been here six years, they're in the sixth season. Everybody is very close, they know each other very well, They've been through a lot. Yeah, it is weird, you kind of feel like an outsider. But everybody has been really nice and I've become friends with everybody. They made it pretty easy on me.

         

February 2009 SB states in an interview that she is single and is looking for Mr. Right, and discusses what she would consider to be her “dream man”. "I'm looking for a driven, motivated and smart guy.”

November 2008-June 2009 SB continues to be seen solo at countless high profile events, or with other female friends (e.g. Fashion and Awards shows, Launch parties, various social causes and charities, etc.)

April 14, 2009 Austin signs for Season 7 as a cast regular. The announcement indicates that this contract has the potential to be extended another year, if OTH is renewed, making it a two year deal/commitment. June 1, 2009 - SB and Jon Foster seen out together again for lunch in Los Feliz, CA

June 4, 2009 SB is seen with her personal trainer with court-side seats at a Lakers Playoff game. 

June 18, 2009 Cast members gather in Wilmington, NC for Season 7. It is the first season for Austin as a regular cast member on OTH. July 26, 2009 - Austin and Sophia suddenly seen at an airport together. Both make sure fans take photos of them.

August 3 2009 It appears that beard auditions between Robert Buckley and Austin Nichols are taking place. Just Jared writes that “At the after-party, the 27-year-old actress cozied up to her new One Tree Hill costar Robert Buckley who will play sports agent, Clay.” Austin is not in attendance. August 21, 2009 - SB and Austin photographed together in SoHo.

September 1, 2009 SB and Austin show up for dinner at paparazzi-infested Madeo restaurant. Just Jared writes: "Sophia, 27, and Austin, 29, seem to have rekindled their romance after dating for awhile in 2006 and October 2009."  SB and Lafferty’s relationship reported to have ended.

October 12, 2009 SB walks the red carpet alone but attends Hollywood Style Awards in Los Angeles with Austin Nichols. Austin refuses to address dating rumors and instead indicates, "I'm not going to say anything except that... I'm here to drink." "We were talking before, we have a bunch of friends together, we work together." The article inserts the following lie: “The pair, who split earlier this year after a two-year relationship, were recently reported to have rekindled their romance.”

November 7, 2009  X-17 online posts a curious headline: “Sophia Bush And James Lafferty Get Breakfast In Brentwood.” When link is followed, there’s a video of SB with Austin Nichols. Even though comments immediately identify the flagrant error, the headline is never changed.

November 15, 2009 SB and Austin at NY premiere of The Private Lives of Pippa Lee.

November 20-24, 2009 SB and Austin fly to Ramstein, Germany and to the Incirlik and Izmir Air Bases in Turkey along with many other celebrities, including Milo Ventimiglia and Zachary Quinto. The headlines try to promote the idea that Austin and Sophia are together over the Thanksgiving holiday, but the tour ends before Thanksgiving and no pics of them together out on a date appear until January 2010.

November 30, 2009 People magazine announces that Jake and Reese W. have spent Thanksgiving apart and that they have broken up. It is announced that Reese W. told 30 guests celebrating the holidays over her home that she and Jake were over.

December 15, 2009 Gossip Cop confirms that the “break-up” of Reeke is real. Stating that “they are no longer together.” Jake is now left beardless.

January 2010 Sophin ramps up.

May 25, 2010 SB makes an announcement at the E! 20th Birthday Bash that she and Austin Nichols have had a “secret” romance for four years.  


          

May 29, 2010 After not being seen together since a “Bicycle Buds” pic on April 13 in Santa Monica, Jake and Austin are suddenly papped at a gym in Los Angeles. The event looks highly staged as Jake is seen letting the paparazzi get their shots. The focus being Jake and Austin as SB is pushed into the background.


Then in terms of timeline placement, there is this significant interview Austin did with BuddyTV. For the sake of chronology, the sixth season of One Tree Hill was from September 1, 2008 - May 18, 2009.  Let's look at Austin's quote again because it bears emphasis.


I've never been in this situation before and it is a little weird. Like you said, they've been here six years, they're in the sixth season. Everybody is very close, they know each other very well, They've been through a lot. Yeah, it is weird, you kind of feel like an outsider. But everybody has been really nice and I've become friends with everybody. They made it pretty easy on me.

If he already knew Sophia romantically for several years, why wouldn't he have said he already knew Sophia and she helped welcome him into the mix?

Yeah, I don't know. I mean, Mark Schwahn kind of called and said they were interested, but they didn't know if I would be interested. I went in and had the meeting with him and I fell in love with the guy, the guy is really, really smart and he's a great writer.

Interesting, especially since the "official narrative" was how Austin came to OTH as a hound dog sniffing out Sophia's scent because he was on some kind of wooing adventure?  In other words, Austin allegedly came on the show all because of her. This interview from Austin's mouth sure doesn't make it sound that way at all though, does it? In fact, Austin makes clear that Mark Schwann asked him to guest star on the show in 2008.

Now, why would Austin Nichols suddenly need a beard in August 2009 when he officially became a regular cast member on the show and began "dating" Sophia Bush?

Only two words needed:  Jake Gyllenhaal - December 15, 2009



So, "No, no, no," to quote a misbehaving, Louis Tomlinson in 2014 when asked about an engagement to Eleanor Calder. Let's face it, the timeline of Bush's "dating" history indicates that Sophia Bush and Austin Nichols did not have a "secret" romance "since 2006". Bush was never shy about using men to project a desirable heterosexual image. What would even be the point of having a hush-hush relationship in the first place? She was single. Supposedly, so was Austin. In fact, since his public "breakup" with Claire Oswalt in 2004, Austin had no dating history until he began "dating" Sophia Bush in August 2009. 

Wait. A.  Minute. 

Let's repost that sentence one more time to let the meaning really sink in. Since his public "breakup" with Claire Oswalt in 2004... 

Austin had no dating history until August 2009


 

 

Oh, there were some dirty little secrets, as Ted Casablanca liked to call them back in the day. But, those secrets had nothing to do with Sophia Bush, and everything to do with Austin Nichols and Jake Gyllenhaal (aka Toothy Tile).

 

In a Family Way.


Turns out T2, so blab our mutual amigos, plans on swirling up his love juice, right alongside his boyfriend's procreating protein, ya know, putting it in some kinda beaker or toaster, or something, and mixing it around with a donor's eggs, then putting the results into yet another donor to carry the resulting embryo.  - Ted Casablanca, March 15, 2007.

 


 

Author credit:  Methodical Muser

Pic Sources:  Giphy, Just Jared, IHJ, Instagram

Our Playlist: Crackerbox Palace - George Harrison

                     Beautiful War - Louis Tomlinson

                     The Show Must Go On  (Live at the O2 (4/7/18) Adam Lambert

                     Shapes of Things - The Yardbirds 

1 comment:

prairiegirl said...

End of. Talk about a piece of Swiss cheese, Sophia - and Austin was the one to mainly provide the holes.

Italy has tough paparazzi laws and there's Sophia being "snapped" in a boat on the sea. They're probably going to say a friend was snapping the photos. Oh no, wait, it's a photography outfit in Italy.

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I'm surprised she's getting "hitched". For some reason, she's going through all this pretense and of course, she's also using the new MO for many HW actresses, which is to jump out of the shrinking Hollywood merkin pool and hit up a successful business-type. That seems to be the new thing now because many of those guys don't have a hinky looking dating history that can be pointed at as Exhibit A's while using a white board laser pointer. Will have to wait and see if she "goes through" with the ceremony. These celebs are not even getting legally married anymore. They don't have to, not when you can just say you got married on a "private island or patio" and have a colleague "officiate".

Well, well done, M&M!!