Fun in the sun! Sofia Richie hung out with Jaden Smith at a beach in Los Angeles on Saturday, September 5, sparking rumors that the longtime friends are dating.
“They were laughing and joking and looked very intimate,” an eyewitness tells Us Weekly. “Sofia sat on the sand with her arms around Jaden, hugging him tightly, after they cooled off with a dip in the ocean. They only had eyes for each other.”
The model and the singer, both 22, were nearly inseparable as they were photographed holding hands in the water. They also picnicked on the beach with a couple of friends.
Later on Saturday, Richie and Smith were spotted having dinner at Nobu Malibu with Hannah Montana alum Moisés Arias and his girlfriend.
The fashion designer’s flirty day with the Karate Kid star came two weeks after Us confirmed she and Scott Disick split for the second time this year.
“Scott and Sofia have been off and on for two months and now have broken up for good,” a source exclusively revealed in August. “Sofia really pushed to make things work between them after they initially broke up, but Scott officially called it off recently, and they are no longer speaking.”
The source added, “Friends attributed their 15-year age difference becoming an issue. He’s in a very much different place in his life, really focused on a more quiet lifestyle, his kids [Mason, 10, Penelope, 8, and Reign, 5, with ex-girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian] and his investment businesses.”
Disick’s friendly relationship with Kardashian, 41, played a role in his breakup with Richie, according to a second insider: “Tension between Kourtney and Sofia got weird toward the end of Sofia and Scott’s relationship. Sofia was getting mad that Scott was spending so much time with Kourtney.”
Since the split, the aspiring actress has stayed busy. She took a private jet to Mexico with a group of friends on August 23 to celebrate her birthday.
“Her friends and family have been surrounding her with so much love and support, especially for her birthday, so that’s been a nice distraction for her,” a third source told Us.
Scroll down to see more photos from Richie and Smith’s beach and Nobu dates!
Hear the Us Weekly editors break down the most surprising celebrity births during the pandemic in under 2 minutes!