An Expert Explains Why Sabrina Carpenter And Barry Keoghan Cover Their Faces In Photos
If you’ve been having trouble sleeping lately because Sabrina Carpenter is keeping you up all night due to that ~me espresso~, you’re not the only one. Actor Barry Keoghan can’t get enough of the singer, either, between attending her opening act for Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour and her setlist at Coachella. Isn't that sweet? I guess so!
This pair was first spotted together in December 2023 on a date in Los Angeles after supposedly meeting for the first time in September at Paris Fashion Week, People reported. And from there, things have only gotten steamier. (You know…like foam that you add to espresso to make a latte.)
Sabrina and Barry—Babrina, if you will—have since been photographed at several high-profile events over the last few months: The W Magazine Grammys afterparty in February, Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty in March, and the Met Gala in May. What did all these pics have in common? The celeb couple posed covering their faces.
I can’t help but wonder what their quirky poses mean—and I'm sure I'm not alone. That's why Women's Health tapped Patti Wood, a body language expert with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Body Language and Nonverbal Communication based in Atlanta, Georgia, to break down what these gestures reveal about Sabrina and Barry's relationship. What to know to get in the know with Babrina, ahead!
Meet the Expert: Patti Wood is a body language expert with Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Body Language and Nonverbal Communication based in Atlanta, Georgia.
Barry is a little shy when it comes to posing with Sabrina.
One of Sabrina and Barry's first public appearances together was at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty in March. To start, let's look at the Saltburn actor's body language from the waist down, which Wood says is the "most honest" part of the body, because it's under the least amount of conscious control. His lower body is arching away from Sabrina: His pelvis is tight and his legs are slightly crossed, Wood notes. Additionally, Barry's knees are pointed away from Sabrina, which can be seen in the space between his pants and her dress, she adds.
Barry's right hand also holds tension, since his fingers are together and pointed down, which Wood calls a "containment gesture," meaning, "he's containing the feelings in the lower half of his body," she explains. "Instead of letting any desire or connection show, he's holding it down." And when it comes to the posing of their hands covering their faces, Wood believes they're trying to put on a show for the camera.
Overall, though, the interpretation of their relationship based on their body language is pretty literal: The "Nonsense" singer enjoys being seen with him since she's leaning into him, Wood says, but Barry looks as if he's not totally sure of how he wants to stand with her—which makes sense given that it's still a somewhat new relationship. But something tells me he's still happy to be there—and that something is the friendship bracelet he's wearing on his left hand that spells out "Sabrina."
They're connected sexually.
In April, Barry was definitely less shy on a date with Sabrina at Disney’s California Adventure in this pic from TMZ.com. His open leg position signals a confident “sexual hunger” towards Sabrina, says Wood, as if he wants onlookers to know that they're together.
Even though Sabrina’s body is oriented towards Barry, her gaze is somewhere else, and her lips are pursed, showing that she’s “not fully there” in this moment, Wood says. Also worth noting: The handhold is tentative, since their fingers aren’t fully interlocked, and instead, Sabrina only holds onto a few of Barry’s fingers. (She wasn’t wrong when she said, “he looks so cute wrapped around my finger!”) Still, the handhold itself does signify that they’re connected sexually—they’re just being low-key about it since they're in public, according to Wood.
Barry and Sabrina might not be super relaxed around each other...yet.
In this seemingly playful pic from the 2024 Met Gala, Barry again arched a little bit away from Sabrina with his left leg back behind him, Wood says. And while Sabrina is smiling, there's tension in her face, she adds. The tell? The corners of her mouth aren't pulled back and relaxed, like in a comfortable smile. Instead, the musculature around her cheeks is pulled up and tight. Meanwhile, Barry is looking at the camera, almost with "evil eyes," she says. "It's all play for the camera."
The rest of Sabrina's gestures also signify that she might not be totally relaxed in this moment, as body language with sharp edges and lines is all "an indication of tension," Wood adds. Check out her bent elbow and arm placement, which makes it look like she's literally protecting her heart, Wood says, and her fingers, which are straight instead of being comfortably curved.
All in all, Sabrina and Barry might not be "comfortable yet about how they want to be perceived by the public," Wood says. Personally, I'm rooting for these two hardcore—and can't wait to see future photos of them together. Until then, if you need me, I'll be listening to "Espresso" on repeat.
You Might Also Like
