Walking Dead’s Daryl and Beth Dating in Real Life
By Jeremy Dick
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Fans of The Walking Dead have been begging for fan favorite character Daryl Dixon to be involved in some kind of romantic relationship. He first became close with Carol, prompting a lot of fan “shipping” between the two, before later forming a close bond with Beth Greene after the downfall of the prison. Just as many fans were hoping for a Daryl and Beth romance to blossom, but it seemed that any chance of that happening went out the window once Beth was killed off halfway through Season 5.
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Fortunately for the Bethyl shippers, it turns out that a romantic connection between Daryl and Beth has finally happened, after all! Well, sort of. US Weekly has reported that Norman Reedus and Emily Kinney, the actor and actress who play Daryl and Beth on the show, are dating. According to sources, the two developed a connection early on in the series, but only recently have started to see each other seriously.
After Emily Kinney left The Walking Dead, Reedus stayed in touch through text messaging, shared appearances at fan conventions and Emily’s music gigs. Fans noticed Reedus cheering Kinney on at a recent show of hers in Decatur, Georgia. And while Kinney has openly said that she doesn’t regularly watch the show anymore, she’s always carried around a turtle shell that Reedus had given to her during their time filming together.
Critics of the possible Walking Dead romance between Beth and Daryl thought the idea was creepy, considering that Beth was maybe 18 years old while Daryl seemed to be at least 40. Fair enough, but the age gap isn’t so far apart in real life; Norman Reedus is 46 while Emily Kinney is 29. As with all celebrity relationships, however, the odds are against it lasting. But, at least if they end up having a bitter break-up, they’re not going to have to awkwardly work together, now that Beth is long gone.