Taika Waititi cuddles up with Rita Ora in snaps from star-studded Fourth Of July bash… where he also goofs around with Ashley Benson
Taika Waititi fired up his Insta Stories early this week to post about the star-studded Fourth Of July party he attended over the weekend.
The 45-year-old silver fox director could be seen posing up with his 30-year-old reported girlfriend Rita Ora in the festive snaps.
During the celebrations he mingled with a star-studded guest list at the event and even goofed around with Pretty Little Liars actress Ashley Benson.
Smoldering: Taika Waititi fired up his Insta Stories early this week to post about the star-studded Fourth Of July party he attended with his reported girlfriend Rita Ora
Ashley and Taika jokingly placed their mouths on opposite ends of a giant fake hamburger for a larky photograph.
Taika wore a themed red-white-and-blue T-shirt for the Independence Day bash which was thrown by the company Prospero Tequila.
He left a couple of his top buttons beguilingly undone over his chest allowing him to flash a bit of body art just beneath his neck.
In one picture the New Zealand filmmaker could be glimpsed mingling with TV writer Tazbah Chavez and actor Bird Runningwater.
As seen on Rita’s Instagram page the guest list included names like Kate Beckinsale, Jodie Turner-Smith, Joshua Jackson and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Having a laugh: He mingled with a star-studded guest list at the event and even goofed around with Pretty Little Liars actress Ashley Benson
Artful in black and white: Taika wore a themed red-white-and-blue T-shirt for the Independence Day bash which was thrown by the company Prospero Tequila
Taika hit the headlines a couple months ago when Rita was seen sharing a steamy kiss with Tessa Thompson as they put on a cozy display with him.
This May in photos exclusively taken by MailOnline Taika, Rita and Tessa were all seen getting affectionate as they sat together around alfresco drinks.
Rita and Tessa were spotted leaning into one another and evidently kissing as Taika sat between them and threw an arm around Tessa’s shoulder.
While they all cuddled up to one another outdoors Rita could also be glimpsed planting a smooch on Taika’s cheek.
Their sighting occurred after an all-night party at Taika’s Sydney home – where Rita was also living according to the Sydney Morning Herald’s Private Sydney.
Taika at the time was in Sydney filming Thor: Love And Thunder – which Tessa is in – whilst Rita had recently wrapped a coaching gig on The Voice Australia.
Sizzling sensation: He left a couple of his top buttons beguilingly undone over his chest allowing him to flash a bit of body art just beneath his neck
Rita and Taika reportedly became an item after she broke up earlier this year with French filmmaker Romain Gavras, the son of Z director Costa-Gavras.
News of the romance emerged in April when they arrived together at the Sydney Opera House for the RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under premiere.
A source has dished to The Sun that ‘all their friends know about the relationship – they’re really into each other.’
After the pictures with Rita and Tessa went public the Daily Telegraph Australia reported that Marvel brass were less than thrilled.
Apparently the Disney-owned company felt the snaps were ‘not exactly the image they’re looking to project in relation to one of their biggest franchises.’
Duo: In one picture the New Zealand filmmaker could be glimpsed mingling with TV writer Tazbah Chavez and actor Bird Runningwater
His superiors are said to feel he ‘crossed a line’ in getting caught with Tessa and Rita despite his pre-existing reputation as a ‘party animal.’
However shortly thereafter Taika told the Sydney Morning Herald he was ‘Not really’ fazed by all the publicity surrounding the snapshots.
‘I think in the world of the internet, everything goes away pretty quick. And also: “is it that big a deal?” No, not really. I was doing nothing wrong. It’s fine,’ he added.
Taika married film producer Chelsea Winstanley in 2011 and they share two children – Te Hinekāhu and Matewa Kiritapu – but they reportedly separated in 2018.