Here’s Why Aaron Taylor-Johnson Fans Are Rejoicing Over Those Joey King Cheating Rumors

In the TikTok and DeuxMoi era, unsubstantiated celebrity gossip travels faster and further than ever before. The latest celebrities to be caught up in a tidal wave of cheating rumors: Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Sam Taylor-Johnson, and Joey King. While Hollywood infidelity is hardly shocking news, the reactions to this particular conspiracy theory is anything but ordinary.

For some background, Aaron has been married to Sam since 2012. The couple met when the 32-year-old Kick-Ass star played a young John Lennon in the 55-year-old director's film Nowhere Boy in 2008. He was reportedly 18 years old at the time, while she was a 42-year-old mother of two. In a rare joint interview with Harper's Bazaar in 2019, the pair claimed that there was “no funny business at all” during filming.

“As soon as we finished [filming], he told me he was going to marry me. We had never been on a date, or even kissed,” Sam told the publication, with Aaron adding that he proposed in 2009, “exactly one year to the minute” after they met. 

While Aaron is a stepparent to Sam's eldest daughters, 25-year-old Anjelica Jopling and 17-year-old Jessie Phoenix Jopling, they also have two children: 12-year-old Wylda Rae and 11-year-old Romy Hero. Given Aaron and Sam's 23-year age gap, the actor is closer in age to Wylda than to his wife. 

For years, the notoriously private couple have been subject to criticism over their age gap as well as the power dynamics involved in their early relationship. “I don't engage with [talk about the age gap],” AJT told Glamour UK in 2015. “At an early age when I saw articles, it just fucked me up…. What does it even fucking matter about our age? I never noticed it when we fell in love with each other.”

However, things have been getting even messier after rumors surfaced on social media that Aaron cheated on his wife with his 23-year-old Bullet Train costar Joey King of Kissing Booth fame. Keep in mind, King announced her engagement to producer Steven Piet in March 2022.

But instead of dragging Aaron Taylor-Johnson and King on the internet, fans are cheering them on. Here's what we know.

Okay, so let's be completely clear from the jump: As far as we can tell, these rumors are completely unsubstantiated. They seem to have started with a “blind item” on TikTok shared by user @thekylemarisa in late January 2023. “I don't know if they hooked up while filming, but this married, A-list actor is hooking up with this A-list tween actress turned A-, B+ list adult actress during their press trip for the movie they shot,” the TikTok user reads in the video, adding, “The blind item alleges that it happened during their Paris promotional trip for Bullet Train.”

Basically, the TikTok alleges ATJ and King hooked up while visiting Paris during their Bullet Train press tour in July 2022. However, there's one big piece of information this blind item leaves out: Sam was in Paris with Aaron when this alleged affair took place. Honestly, at this point, people can just say stuff with no proof and go viral! And viral this rumor sure went.

Somewhere, ex–Try Guy Ned Fulmer is screaming, crying, throwing up. Instead of berating the alleged cheater, people are cheering on Aaron Taylor-Johnson because they believe he was groomed and preyed upon by his wife at an early, impressionable age. 

While the “other woman” is typically villainized, these same people are basically calling Joey King a hero.

No, and why would they? There are no photos or reputable sources behind these allegations. However, some fans are claiming ATJ has turned off his Instagram comments since the rumor started. While his comments have been disabled, we cannot confirm when he turned off the replies. His last post is a photo with his wife, which he shared on December 16.

Sam's comments are also limited, though she has been more active while promoting her upcoming Amy Winehouse biopic, Back to Black.

Meanwhile, fans are still able to comment on Joey King's posts, and they are taking full advantage. “Thank you for your service queen,” one user wrote on her most recent post, while another wrote, “I hope it’s all true. You’re a legend if it is 😭.”

The Uncut Gems star and meme queen Julia Fox weighed in, but not everyone is happy about what she had to say. “The ageism and misogyny in this comment section smh,” she replied to one TikTok video about the scandal, likely referencing how often ATJ fans refer to Sam as some iteration of “grandma.”

Since commenting, some TikTok users have shared screenshots of her reply to shut her down. “This isn't about her age. ITS ABOUT his age,” one user replied to a TikTok video calling out Fox for defending a “child groomer.” However, other users agree with Fox, suggesting that you can criticize the Taylor-Johnsons' relationship without name-calling Sam with words like “old hag” or “granny.” 

This post may be updated.