Two public sightings in six days, a hug on a Redondo Beach doorstep, and a resurfaced game-day photo have pushed a quiet Hollywood-NFL friendship into the spotlight. Quarterback Justin Herbert, 27, and singer Madison Beer, 26, were seen together again in late August around Los Angeles, stoking talk that something more than friendship might be brewing — even as both have stayed silent.
The latest moment came Sunday, August 24, in Redondo Beach. Photos show Herbert greeting Beer with an easy smile and a hug as they arrived at a friend’s house dressed down in tees, shorts, and sweats. They carried a bottle of wine and a box of sweets — the kind of small detail that convinced fans they weren’t just crossing paths. They slipped inside with little fuss, no entourage, and no attempt to hide.
It wasn’t a one-off. Just days earlier, on August 18, Herbert popped up on the set of Beer’s music video in Hancock Park. Witnesses say the singer — in a white lace dress and angel wings for the shoot — walked him around between takes. Beer held a gold heart locket while they talked, then the pair left together in Herbert’s car. Again, nothing flashy. But in a city where little goes unnoticed, two sightings that close together stand out.
Then came the throwback: a photo of Beer in Chargers gear at a December 19 home game made the rounds again online. That night, the Chargers erased a halftime deficit to beat the Broncos 34–27. Herbert went 23-of-31 for 284 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. Whether Beer’s presence meant anything is anyone’s guess, but the image adds another breadcrumb to a trail fans are reading closely.
Neither has confirmed a relationship. Herbert keeps his personal life locked down and hasn’t gone public with anyone. Beer’s history has been more visible: she previously dated TikTok creator Nick Austin and was once linked to Brooklyn Beckham, who later said those rumors weren’t true. That context is fueling a familiar cycle — photos surface, fans connect dots, the internet runs with a label before the people involved say a word.
What we know so far
Here’s the clean rundown without the guesswork:
- August 18: Herbert visits Beer’s music video shoot in Hancock Park. She’s in a white lace dress with angel wings for the scene. They chat, she shows him around, and they leave together in his car.
- August 24: The pair arrive at a home in Redondo Beach, greet with a hug, and head inside carrying wine and sweets. Both look relaxed, dressed casually.
- December 19 (previous season): A photo of Beer wearing Chargers gear at a home game resurfaces. The Chargers win after trailing 21–13 at halftime; Herbert throws for 284 yards and two scores.
That’s the public record, and it’s thin by design. No Instagram soft launches. No publicists planting hints. No comments from the Chargers or Beer’s team. Just two appearances in a week and a past fan-style photo at a game.
Why does this story have legs? Because Herbert isn’t just any NFL player. He walked into the league in 2020, won Offensive Rookie of the Year, and set first-year records for passing touchdowns (31) and completions (396). He’s the Chargers’ franchise face — a calm operator with a big arm and almost zero off-field noise. Pair that with Beer, a pop singer who built a massive online following and moved from viral covers to full-scale albums, and you’ve got a cross-over that hits sports and music at once.
Beer’s recent work keeps her visible. Her video shoots draw cameras and fans, and her style — from performance looks to casual streetwear — gets picked apart across social feeds. A low-key NFL star crossing into her world for a day turns a standard set visit into headline fuel.
As for the Redondo Beach stop, that reads more like a real-life hangout than a staged moment. No step-and-repeat backdrop, no premiere vibe, no nightlife flashbulbs. It’s the opposite of a rollout. If anything, that under-the-radar look is what keeps the speculation moving: when people don’t make an announcement, others try to make one for them.
Why it matters beyond the gossip
Sports and pop music rarely stay in separate lanes. When a high-profile athlete and a charting artist are seen together, you get more than buzz — you get overlap. Fan bases mingle. Game clips meet concert clips. In some cases, you see jumps in TV ratings, ticket demand, and sponsorship talk. We’ve watched versions of this play out before: a relationship rumor spins into a culture story that reaches far beyond the two people at the center of it.
For the Chargers, even indirect attention can ripple. The team plays in a crowded entertainment market, and star power matters. A celebrity-adjacent spotlight can mean more eyeballs on preseason storylines, jersey sales, and social reach — even if the team keeps a strict hands-off stance on players’ private lives. None of this means officials are angling for a rollout. It just shows how quickly an NFL narrative can expand when it touches pop culture.
Herbert’s calm profile is part of the intrigue. He’s known for quiet routines, film study, and an even tone that doesn’t change whether it’s drive one or drive 20. That stability is what coaches want from a franchise quarterback. It also means any change in his orbit — a new friendship, a recurring companion — tends to stand out. People notice when someone who rarely pops up outside football suddenly shows up in two entertainment spaces in a week.
Beer’s side of the equation works the same way in reverse. She understands how a single image can move a conversation. A lace-and-wings shoot makes a statement; a locket in hand adds emotional subtext fans will debate for days. Add a quarterback in the frame — one known for staying in his lane — and you’ve got a tidy storyline that travels fast.
There’s also the basic human angle: a lot of fans like seeing their favorite stars happy. A hug at a front door isn’t an announcement, but it’s warm enough to kick off the “Madison Beer effect” posts popping up in sports corners of social media. Those memes tie Herbert’s on-field rhythm to the rumor, though there’s no evidence one has anything to do with the other. It’s classic internet behavior: make a narrative, then see if the next box score or chart position fits it.
What would actually count as confirmation? Something simple — a captioned photo from one of them, a red-carpet appearance, or a direct comment in an interview. Short of that, the sightings tell us only this: they’re spending time together, and they look comfortable doing it. Everything else is guesswork.
Until then, the sightings will carry the weight. A visit to a music set suggests a personal invitation. A relaxed weekend drop-in points to familiarity. The Chargers gear photo shows Beer has at least dipped a toe into Herbert’s world. None of these moments scream publicity play. They look casual, which is why people believe them.
There’s room here for the story to go quiet or to get louder. If schedules tighten — football ramps up, music releases stack — they might disappear from public view and leave the rumor where they found it. Or they could be spotted again in another low-key setting, and the cycle repeats. Either way, the draw isn’t a headline-ready romance arc. It’s the contrast: a grounded quarterback and a pop star moving through Los Angeles like regulars, not a spectacle.
For now, that’s the whole picture — two August meetups, one earlier game-day snapshot, and no official word. It’s enough to keep fans watching, but not enough to call it. In a town that reads body language like box scores, that uncertainty is the point.
