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!
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).
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
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Beautiful War - Louis Tomlinson
The Show Must Go On (Live at the O2 (4/7/18) Adam Lambert
Shapes of Things - The Yardbirds
