Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet got the internet’s attention earlier this month when they kissed at Beyoncé’s concert and the US Open, going public with their six-month relationship. Her older sister Kendall Jenner and her boyfriend Bad Bunny had the chance to follow their lead at Tuesday’s MTV VMAs in Newark, New Jersey, on Tuesday, but Kendall and Bunny chose not to debut their romance at the ceremony.
Kendall’s absence is understandable, as the model and Bunny have spoken about their desire to keep their relationship private. New York Fashion Week is also going on during the ceremony, so there’s a possibility Kendall had work commitments that kept her from joining Bunny.
Benito, meanwhile, may have chosen to skip the ceremony as he was up for only one award announced during the broadcast, Best Latin Song. (The honor ended up going to Anitta.)
Bad Bunny was up for Best Latin Video at the VMAs, with two of his songs nominated in the category, “WHERE SHE GOES” and “un x100to.” His music video for “El Apagón-Aquí Vive Gente” was also nominated for Video for Good.
The couple spoke in separate interviews this June about why they don’t intend to talk about their relationship to the press. Kendall told WSJ magazine that she had “no comment” on Bunny, then explained her reasoning.
“I try [to] find the balance of keeping things private and keeping things sacred [and] also not letting the unfortunate frustration and stress of everyone trying to get in on it stop me from enjoying my side,” she said. “Does that make sense? I’ll go out of my way to do things as privately as possible because I just think that that’s the healthier way of dealing with relationships anyway.”
As for Bad Bunny, he told Rolling Stone that same month, “I know something is going to come out. I know [people are] going to say something. People know everything about me, so what’s left for me to protect? My private life, my personal life.”
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.