Simu Liu and Jade Bender appeared to confirm their relationship on Wednesday night by walking the 2022 ESPY Awards red carpet together. Liu recently starred in Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, while Bender just starred in Netflix’s Senior Year with Rebel Wilson. The two stars were rumored to be a couple after Bender, 24, joined Liu, 33, at a Jimmy Kimmel Live! taping and were spotted at a restaurant last month.
Liu wore a dark suit with black shoes, while Bender wore a shimmering off-the-shoulder mini dress and silver heels. Neither star has commented on the rumors and they did not post red carpet photos on their Instagram pages. Liu did share photos from the MLB All-Star Celebrity Softball Game he took part in at Dodger Stadium earlier this week though. In one picture, he represented his hometown Toronto Blue Jays by wearing the team’s uniform.
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Late last month, Bender joined Liu for a Jimmy Kimmel Live! taping in Los Angeles, PEOPLE reports. Liu sat down with comedian Chelsea Handler, who was filling in for Jimmy Kimmel during his summer break. Bender and Liu were also seen leaving a restaurant in West Hollywood the week before the Kimmel appearance. They got into the same car after dinner, Extra reports.
Liu scored his breakthrough role on the 2016-2021 Netflix sitcom Kim’s Convenience. His role as Shang-Chi made him an international star and Marvel is already developing a sequel. He also stars in Greta Gerwig’s upcoming Barbie movie, alongside Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling. Liu published his first memoir, We Were Dreamers: An Immigrant Superhero Origin Story, in May.
Liu was born in China and his parents emigrated to Canada. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Liu said it was important to interview his parents and family for his book, putting together the family stories he heard growing up. “It brought us a lot closer to each other,” Liu said. “And for me, it was just such a wonderfully cathartic and therapeutic experience where I got to learn where I came from and be very proud of that.”
Bender played Britney Jean “Bri” Balbo in Senior Year, which Netflix released in May. She also starred in Bad Night (2015), A Cowgirl’s Story (2017), and episodes of Major Crimes.
