The viral photo that led many to believe DiCaprio and Bellucci were dating.

With Leonardo DiCaprio approaching 50 and Monica Bellucci approaching 60, it’ll be almost three decades since dating rumors between the two ignited, thanks to one photo. It remains unconfirmed if they were ever romantically inclined towards each other as nothing apart from that pic suggested that being the case, which has once again gone viral since finding its way to the internet.

1995 was a major year for DiCaprio, as it was only four years since the actor made his debut, which witnessed him garnering major exposure with The Basketball Diaries and The Quick and the Dead. ’95 was also the same year when he would cross paths with the Italian sensation Monica Bellucci.

The Viral Photo of Leonardo DiCaprio and Monica Bellucci Together Before Their Ascend to Stardom

Like Leonardo DiCaprio, Bellucci, while 10 years older than him, was also in the early stages of her career and was still a year away from hitting big with the release of 1996’s The Apartment. Leonardo DiCaprio, who was too a few years away from leading one of the biggest movies of all time, Titanic, would cross paths with the actress at Paris Fashion Week in 1995.

In the photo, the two can be seen cozying up to each other, which, at the time, led many to speculate the 21-year-old and The Apartment Star might be dating. But considering Bellucci went on to find her beau Vincent Kassel a year later, and no major weight behind these rumors, it’s quite likely the dating speculations were false, and furthermore, Belluci was 31 at the time.

Monica Bellucci | Credit: Spectre

Monica Belluci Recalled Being Animated After Being Offered to Star in the Sequel to Her Favorite Film
A year after Belluci got her big push with The Apartment, Leonardo DiCaprio would go on to become the most notable figure in Hollywood, thanks to the success of Titanic. The Malèna Star, on the other hand, would find her way into the sequel to one of her favorite movies, The Matrix.

While The Matrix Reloaded was a notable step from its predecessor, often considered one of the most influential sci-fi releases, Bellucci’s brief part as Persephone remains one of its highlights. Reflecting on getting the call from The Wachowskis to star in the movie, she revealed being animated by the opportunity. She recalled (via  A.frame),

“I went to see Matrix, the first one, and I came out from the theater and I said, ‘Oh my God, I want to make a movie like that.’ And then, I was in America presenting Malèna, and the Wachowskis called me. They wanted to meet me. And they offered me Persephone. I was so happy. Then I was in Sydney, shooting the movie. That’s the story. That’s the way it is”

Monica Bellucci | The Matrix Reloaded
Although it has been decades since the two crossed paths at Paris Fashion Week, the Italian Star has been embracing aging. With the actress previously stressing that her 50s were better than her 20s, fans will hope similar is the case for her in the upcoming years.