A body-language expert is weighing in on Miley Cyrus’ awkward reunion with her ex-boyfriend Patrick Schwarzenegger at the 2025 Met Gala on Monday.
The former couple were pictured running in to each other behind the scenes at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, and fans reacting on social media were convinced that Miley was ignoring the 31-year-old White Lotus star.
According to the body-language expert Judi James, the photo suggests that Miley, 32, and her ex — who’s fiancée Abby Champion was notably absent — had starkly different reactions to seeing each other.
While speaking to DailyMail.com, James explained that ‘Meeting up with an ex at a very public event like this can make for a tricky situation in terms of the body language etiquette.’
The photo shows the son of Arnold Schwarzenegger glancing at Miley as she appears to walk past him.
‘Patrick stands to one side here but his smile and his gaze as he watches Miley pass by suggests some sense of secret adoration,’ James says.
A body-language expert is weighing in on Miley Cyrus’ awkward encounter with her ex-boyfriend Patrick Schwarzenegger at the 2025 Met Gala on Monday. Judi James weighed in to DailyMail.com on a photo suggesting the two had very different reactions to the reunion
She notes that Patrick’s ‘eye expression looks lit up with excitement and his cheeks are rounded in a smile of what looks like appreciation.’
But the expert tells DailyMail.com that the feeling didn’t appear to be mutual for the Wrecking Ball singer.
‘Miley seems oblivious to his warm and maybe encouraging gaze,’ James explains.
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Although the singer–songwriter was wearing slim, angular black sunglasses, she appeared to be walking at a 90-degree angle away from her ex-boyfriend.
‘Her eyes or her eye direction behind the shades seems to be directed at the camera and her smile looks like one of fun rather than any sense of residue longing,’ James shared.
Miley and Patrick first dated briefly in the early 2010s, reportedly when she and her then-boyfriend and future husband Liam Hemsworth had been broken up.
The two began a more significant relationship in 2014, but it was short lived, as Miley broke up with Patrick after he was pictured doing body shots with an unknown woman in March 2015, according to Us Weekly.
The actress and singer reportedly tried to reconcile with Patrick in the immediate aftermath of the break up, but they were seemingly done for good by April of 2015 after just five months together, and their haven’t been any significant hints since then of plans to get back together.
Miley and Patrick dated for just five months from 2014 until their split in March 2015, after Patrick was reportedly pictured doing body shots off an unknown woman; seen together in LA in November 2014
‘Patrick stands to one side here but his smile and his gaze as he watches Miley pass by suggests some sense of secret adoration,’ James says. His ‘eye expression looks lit up with excitement and his cheeks are rounded in a smile of what looks like appreciation’
‘Miley seems oblivious to his warm and maybe encouraging gaze,’ James explains. ‘Her eyes or her eye direction behind the shades seems to be directed at the camera and her smile looks like one of fun rather than any sense of residue longing’
Fans on social media were convinced that Miley was ignoring Patrick as she walked past him while he continued looking directly at her
Some fans thought Patrick’s expression signaled interested in Miley
Miley was dressed at the Met Gala in a custom Alaïa gown designed by Pieter Mulier, and she added some extra sparkle with jewelry by Cartier
She rocked a black alligator-print cropped jacket that showcased her washboard abs. Miley paired it with a skirt that hugged her hips before expanding. She accessorized with gold bands around her high collar
Fans commenting on social media thought Miley was ‘ignoring’ her ex-boyfriend as she walked past him despite him staring directly at her
Patrick was dressed in an oversize black Balmain suit with pinstripes and a jacket that appeared to be tucked into his baggy trousers. He was pictured with his White Lotus costar Aimee Lou Wood
Miley later reunited with Liam, and the two wed in 2018, but he announced their separation the following year and subsequently filed for divorce, which was finalized in 2020.
Miley was dressed at the Met Gala in a custom Alaïa gown designed by Pieter Mulier, and she added some extra sparkle with jewelry by Cartier.
Patrick was dressed in an oversize black Balmain suit with pinstripes and a jacket that appeared to be tucked into his baggy trousers.
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He wore a ribbed yellow satin shirt and carried a burgundy leather clutch with a large gold buckle that matched his leather belt.
While fans were marveling over Miley and Patrick’s awkward Met Gala encounter, some wondered if the absence of Patrick’s fiancée Abby Champion might signal trouble in their relationship.
On Monday, a source claimed to Radar Online that Patrick has been delaying set a wedding date with Abby.
‘It took Patrick forever to propose to Abby in the first place,’ they said. The actor popped the question to her in December of 2023, eight years after they began dating.
‘They’ve now been engaged for a year and a half and there are still no solid plans in place to make their dream wedding happen,’ the source continued.
While fans were marveling over Miley and Patrick’s awkward Met Gala encounter, some wondered if the absence of Patrick’s fiancée Abby Champion might signal trouble in their relationship; pictured together on March 2 in Beverly Hills
A source claimed to Radar Online that Abby is threatening to end things with Patrick if he doesn’t commit to a wedding date soon. They got engaged in December 2023 after eight years of dating; pictured in 2019 in NY
They alleged that the White Lotus heartthrob is loving the attention he had lately been receiving from ‘female fans’ due to his performance in the third season of the hit HBO series,
His fiancée, however, has reportedly gotten sick of Patrick’s expanded female fan base.
Insiders claimed claimed that the two had been considering throwing a destination wedding for this summer, but with time slipping away, Abby is allegedly threatening to end things with Patrick if he doesn’t commit to a date quickly.
The model’s alleged willingness to totally end things over delays also doesn’t suggest a healthy state for the relationship.