The White Lotus is over, but online the drama has just begun

This story contains spoilers for season three of The White Lotus.

The White Lotus has wrapped for another season and the show’s many Reddit detectives have all the answers they’ve been searching for.

We know that, as theorised, the fruit of the so-called “suicide tree” – the narrative seeds of which were planted in episode one – made its way into the Ratliffs’ blender. And yes, Chelsea’s “stay gold” necklace – which some speculated was a reference to a quote from a dying character in The Outsiders – likely was an indicator of the ingénue’s untimely death.

Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood in The White Lotus.Credit: HBO

But the drama is far from over. Online sleuths have now turned their eyes to the lives of Walton Goggins and Aimee Lou Wood, the actors who played Rick and Chelsea. Fans are now neck-deep in a would-be scandal involving the pair’s social media activity, dress choices, and a song by Fleetwood Mac.

Many are wildly theorising about a relationship and/or feud between this season’s Romeo and Juliet. But, with no actual proof confirming anything … what exactly is in an Instagram follow anyway?

What’s going on?

This all kicked off earlier in the week when Redditors noticed the two actors don’t follow each other on Instagram despite following other major cast members. A popular post stated they “unfollowed each other … a couple of weeks ago”, but it’s not actually clear if they ever did. Others speculate that Goggins has blocked Wood because her comments no longer appear on his profile, but this is also unconfirmed.

The pair have also been sharing a lot about their experience together but not tagging each other in posts. Goggins – who is married – posted a carousel with 11 photos of the on-screen lovers filming and hanging out behind the scenes. “Rick + Chelsea … Ours was a love story,” he wrote. He thanked Wood alongside other cast members, writing, “Thank you, Aimee Lou, for being my partner … a journey I will never forget.”

He also posted a long series of selfies with his co-star soundtracked to Fleetwood Mac’s famous break-up song Silver Springs, which some have interpreted as a sign of a potential real-life romance.

Others, however, have rightfully pointed out that blocking or unfollowing someone to distance yourself from rumours or protect your marriage only to then post a flood of pictures set to a romantic song doesn’t make much sense.

Things have devolved from there, with some noting that Wood has previously worn a silver dress (like the song!!) to promotional events, as well as one featuring a fox pattern (Goggins has used the fox emoji in old Instagram comments with her).

“[I] feel like they’re talking through social media and appearances,” one Redditor wrote.

This kind of speculation has also been fuelled by blind items (which are anonymous and unconfirmed) on gossip outlets such as DeuxMoi, as well as comments co-star Jason Isaacs has made about undefined “drama” on set.

Some, however, have denounced those spreading rumours as “irresponsible”. “This is fan fiction designed to hurt Woods’ career or titillate Goggins fans,” one comment on Reddit reads.

But … why are we all so obsessed?

Celebrity gossip isn’t new. Tabloids have been wildly speculating about actors’ private lives for as long as Hollywood has existed. But, with the rise of social media and a pop culture landscape that’s obsessed with Easter eggs and hidden clues, gossip has become an increasingly crazed participatory sport.

In 2023, fans noticed that Glen Powell’s then-girlfriend Gigi Paris unfollowed him and his Anyone But You co-star Sydney Sweeney on Instagram, leading to rumours of an on-set affair that the pair hammed up through the whole press tour. Nothing eventuated out of the gossip. But it sure did sell a lot of tickets. And remember when we got so deep into the Don’t Worry Darling drama we were all convinced that Harry Styles spat on Chris Pine?

Conversely, there were similar romantic rumours around co-stars Meghann Fahy and Leo Woodall during the filming of the second season of The White Lotus thanks to a series of cosy Instagram shots, and that ended up being true. The pair went public with their relationship the following year and are still together today.

And who could forget the endless drama of It Ends With Us? That all kicked off when sleuths noticed Blake Lively and other cast didn’t follow Justin Baldoni on Instagram.

But the resultant lawsuits in that case – including allegations of sexual harassment and claims that third parties weaponised social media – are a good reminder of the real-world stakes of this kind of speculation. It can be a lot of fun! And the content on TikTok is great. But the full truth is usually found outside the frame.

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