Kanye West and Irina Shayk are getting to know each other better.
Yesterday, photographs of the megastar rapper and the Russian supermodel were published, showing the pair casually frolicking around Provence, France, together for West's 44th birthday. Soon after, additional images surfaced of the rumored couple arriving back Stateside via private jet.
According to E! News, West and Shayk have been casually seeing each other for weeks, though the pair have known each other for years.
"They have been seeing each other for several weeks," a source told the outlet. "Kanye has been flying in and out of New York to be with her."
The source also revealed that the pair first met through various mutual connections in the fashion industry. Shayk also previously appeared in West's avant-garde "Power" music video back in 2010.
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"Kanye and Irina have known each other for years through the fashion industry. They were connected through their mutual friend group and Riccardo Tisci," a source close to West said. "Kanye and Irina connected recently when they were both in New York City. They met up one night and had chemistry and hit it off."
A source for People chimed in on the new couple, saying, "[Irina] seems smitten. He invited her to France and she happily accepted. They are not officially dating, but there is an interest from both sides."
According to E! News, West isn't looking for a serious relationship at the moment considering he recently split from his wife of almost a decade, Kim Kardashian, earlier this year.
"It's very casual and they have only been in touch for about a month," a second source shared. "Kanye has expressed he doesn't want anything serious, but likes Irina's vibe."
Bianca Betancourt is the culture editor at HarpersBAZAAR.com, where she covers all things film, TV, music, and more. When she's not writing, she loves impulsively baking a batch of cookies, re-listening to the same early-2000s pop playlist, and stalking Mariah Carey's Twitter feed.
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