Orlando Bloom suggests no hard feelings as he poses with actress Rachel Lynn Matthews dressed as his ex Katy Perry for Halloween

9 November 2025

Halloween this year brought a moment both playful and provocative when actor Orlando Bloom posed with actress Rachel Lynn Matthews, who arrived at a party dressed as Bloom’s ex-fiancée, pop star Katy Perry. Matthews donned a shiny blue one-piece jumpsuit and black wig that recreated Perry’s look from her April all-female Blue Origin space flight, even mimicking the moment when Perry kissed the ground after her 11-minute journey to the edge of space. Bloom, meanwhile, wore a skeleton costume with his arm around Matthews, and the resulting pictures circulated on Instagram Stories and social media with rapid momentum, sparking discussion about whether the costume reference was homage, coincidence or gentle shade.

Their shared photo appeared shortly after Bloom and Perry announced their split in July following a nine-year relationship and engagement. The announcement emphasised their mutual commitment to co-parenting their daughter Daisy, now five, and maintaining respect for one another. Matthews captioned one of her posts with the words “Take up space!!” while recreating Perry’s ground-kiss pose, adding another layer to the visual narrative and prompting speculation that the costume choice was pointed rather than purely celebratory.

While some observers interpreted the moment as awkward or loaded with meaning, others saw it simply as a sharp pop-culture reference executed with tongue-in-cheek precision. Instagram users noted that Matthews tagged Bloom in her story, and the two appeared relaxed and smiling in the shot, suggesting that regardless of back-story the moment was neither confrontational nor tense more curated than chaotic. Coverage of the event highlighted how modern celebrity interactions on social media can become subtle performance, blending personal history with costume play and public image.

For Bloom, the image arrived at a time of change. With the end of his high-profile relationship with Perry, the actor has been navigating the post-breakup world publicly but with a degree of calm. In a September interview he described himself as “grateful” for his daughter and the shared past, and insistently referenced nothing but “love” in discussing the transition. The Halloween photo may therefore be read as another moment in that narrative: comfortable in this new phase, able to show connection, humour and perhaps neutrality toward his ex-partner’s new chapter Perry has confirmed she is now dating someone else.

But the layered visual also speaks to changing norms in celebrity culture. Costume parties and Instagram Stories are no longer mere social moments, they become texts to be read. To dress as an ex, at an event alongside that ex, is to invite commentary. It places the past and the present in one frame and prompts viewers to ask: is this tribute, inside joke or gentle jab? The halo of celebrity means every pose becomes part of the story, whether intended or not. The actor’s subtle smile and the actress’s confident costume made clear the moment was meant to be seen.

Behind the fun lies the undercurrent of celebrity relationships and public image management. For Perry and Bloom’s nine-year involvement, which produced a child and a cultural presence, the dissolution was handled with public civility. Yet it did not vanish from public discourse. Songs by Perry such as “Bandaids” have been linked to her post-split reflections, and Bloom’s appearance alongside someone referencing Perry’s most public moment they’re reminders of how celebrity history lingers in costume, caption and photo.

Fans reacted across social media. Some praised Matthews’s costume for accuracy and comedic timing; others critiqued the choice as insensitive toward Perry. In many thread comments the costume choice was described as clever or “another level fandom,” while in others it stirred questions about loyalty and taste. For Bloom’s part the image doesn’t appear defensive or confrontational; it lands somewhere between relaxed and deliberately visible.

For Matthews the decision to dress as Perry may have been purely pop-culture inspired, a nod to one of 2025’s most watched moments: the Blue Origin flight and its viral aftermath. But in the celebrity ecosystem every choice echoes someone else’s story. By stepping into that moment beside Bloom she inserted herself into a narrative larger than Halloween. The result is a photo that reads both as a party snapshot and a commentary on celebrity, memory and visibility.

In the end the image functions on multiple registers: it is playful, it is referential, it is part of ongoing story-telling. For Bloom it may serve as quiet affirmation that he is moving forward with grace. For Matthews it shines as an instance of costume met commentary. And for onlookers it is yet another chapter in how celebrity relationships don’t just end, they transform into moments like this, where shared history becomes Halloween fun, Instagram story and viral sub-text all at once.