Social media spiraled this week after a viral X (formerly Twitter) post claimed Orlando Bloom’s "new girlfriend" dressed up as his ex, Katy Perry, for Halloween. The internet got this one wrong.
The post, shared by a Katy Perry fan account, showed Bloom in skull face paint posing with a woman in a blue spacesuit and black wig — an outfit that appeared to nod to Perry’s recent "trip to space" moment earlier this year. The caption read, "Orlando Bloom’s new gf dressing up as Katy Perry in her space costume," and within hours it had amassed thousands of likes, reposts, and a wave of outrage.
Replies piled up accusing Bloom of being "okay with his new gf mocking the mother of his child," with one user calling it "an asshole move" and others labeling the supposed costume choice "tacky." But context was the missing piece. The woman in the photo is not Bloom’s girlfriend, and the image didn’t capture a romantic moment.
What The Viral Post Got Wrong
The woman pictured is actor Rachel Lynn Matthews, who crossed paths with Bloom on Halloween night and snapped a quick photo. An uncropped version shows the image originated on Matthews’ Instagram Story, where she posted it with a lighthearted caption: "will tell my kids about this one day." In other words, it was a playful celebrity encounter — not a relationship reveal.
Matthews also shared another tongue-in-cheek shot of herself "kissing the ground," joking about the surreal moment rather than implying anything romantic. As the X post spread with the incorrect assumption, Matthews reportedly turned off her comments amid the influx of speculation and harassment.
The original viral claim came from a fan account, and the image’s framing did the rest. Cropping removed the Story context that made the exchange clear. It’s a classic case of how a single screenshot without source information can fuel a narrative that falls apart once the full picture is visible.
Who Is Rachel Lynn Matthews?
Matthews is an actor who appeared to be paying tribute to Perry with the blue spacesuit and wig, but her Halloween look wasn’t a dig, nor was it an in-joke between partners. She is reportedly dating musician Will Erwin, and there is no evidence she and Bloom are anything more than two celebrities who happened to be at the same event and posed for a quick snapshot.
That nuance was lost in the initial rush to judgment, as happens so often when a viral post hits the timeline with a sensational framing. Without the Story caption or the follow-up posts, the costume and Bloom’s face paint made a neat (but false) package.
Bloom, Perry & Why Timing Fueled The Frenzy
Bloom and Perry, who share a child, continue to draw attention from fans invested in their relationship status. Headlines have previously characterized the relationship as "really challenging" based on Bloom’s own comments, and the personal lives of both stars frequently become fodder for online discourse.
That background helps explain why this Halloween misunderstanding spread so fast. One joke even suggested Bloom might have assumed the costume was channeling Lauren Sánchez. But speculation aside, nothing about the photo signals a new romance for Bloom. It was a costume party picture, plain and simple.
The timing also raised eyebrows because Perry just released her new single, "Bandaids," on November 6 — her first drop since reports surfaced over the summer that she and Bloom had quietly split. The track naturally reignited curiosity about Perry’s personal life, and the Halloween snap arrived in the middle of that renewed interest.
Once the fuller context came to light, the narrative unraveled: Matthews’ posts framed the encounter as a fan-meets-star moment, not a soft launch. It’s another reminder that viral celebrity content often benefits from a second look, especially when it’s built on a cropped image and a sensational caption.
As of now, there’s no indication Bloom and Matthews are anything beyond acquaintances who shared a light moment on Halloween. The noise came from a miscaptioned repost, not from the people in the photo. And while social media can make any costume a talking point, this one is more about how quickly rumors spread than about who wore what.
Bottom line: Bloom wasn’t parading a "new girlfriend" dressed as Katy Perry. Matthews wore a playful outfit, posted a joking Story, and the internet did the rest. Consider this particular Halloween rumor officially debunked.
