What Really Happened Between Riley Keough And Robert Pattinson?

Robert Pattinson might be Hollywood's resident heartthrob, but he's not exactly one for the spotlight. Still, it couldn't be avoided when he shot to fame as the "Twilight" franchise's brooding vampire hero, Edward Cullen. Legions of Twihards swooned over his good looks, and his relationship with "Twilight" co-star Kristen Stewart quickly became a major talking point. But the romance crashed and burned when news broke in 2012 that Stewart was involved in a cheating scandal with Rupert Sanders. At the time, Sanders was the married 41-year-old director of her film, "Snow White and The Huntsman." Stewart issued a public apology, but despite a brief reconciliation, regret alone wasn't enough to win back her vampire hunk, according to E! News.

For Pattinson, the damage seemed lasting. The actor already wasn't a fan of the media attention that came along with his career, and his ill-fated time with K-Stew made him even warier of public scrutiny. "I always think the risk reward is very much weighted in the wrong direction," he told People in 2017, speaking of his reluctance to open up about his private life in interviews. "If I could stay silent, I would." Two years later, Pattinson told The Sunday Times that "if you put up a wall, it ends better."

Currently, "The Batman" star is going strong with his longtime love, model Suki Waterhouse. However, because of the whole privacy thing, we don't have too much intel on his previous love interests. For example, is there any truth to the rumors that Pattinson dated Riley Keough in 2013? Let's investigate.

It's considered bad form to date an ex's bestie, but many suspected Robert Pattinson of doing just that in 2013 when he was spotted with Elvis Presley's granddaughter, Riley Keough. According to E! News, Keough had maintained a close friendship with Kristen Stewart, after the pair appeared together in 2010's "The Runaways." But the photos of Pattinson and Keough hanging out were another mystery redhead, not Keough. "[Keough and Pattinson] are not dating," a source told People. Keough's mother, Lisa Marie Presley, further debunked the rumors on an episode of "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen," via E! News. "I don't want to say who [Riley is] with or not; I will say who she's not with," Presley dished to host Andy Cohen. "The silliest thing I've ever heard is that she was with Robert Pattinson because her and Kristen Stewart are like best friends."

Presley's comments came in direct contrast to an unnamed source, who previously told the Daily Mail that Keough and Pattinson were together. "They're inseparable. Rob loves the fact that Riley is Elvis's granddaughter — that's true Rock 'n' Roll royalty in his eyes," the insider said. Despite describing the relationship as "short-term lust," they added that Stewart was "livid" over the news. "Kristen is emotionally volatile at [the] best of times and flew off the handle when she found out about Rob's liaison with Riley. She's told Rob via friends that she feels violated," the source continued.

Riley Keough herself clarified she and Robert Pattinson weren't a couple. "Riley isn't dating Rob," her rep told Just Jared in July 2013. As for those pictures that started the rumors? They had to be of another woman, since, "Riley was not photographed at all this weekend," her rep added. But where there's smoke, there's fire, and those dating rumors clearly stemmed from somewhere. Pattinson and Keough may not have ever confirmed a romance, but there's some evidence that the duo enjoyed a short fling. Both parties were coming off the heels of serious relationships — Pattinson from his four years with Kristen Stewart, and Keough from an engagement with actor Alex Pettyfer, according to PopSugar — so maybe a fling was just what the doctor ordered.

In August, a source told Us Weekly that Keough and Pattinson were "hanging out and hooking up." Apparently, "[Keough is] the first girl [Rob has] liked since Kristen" and they had "a lot of fun" together. Pattinson especially only ever wanted to keep things light and fun, since Stewart's public affair did a number on him. "He's scared of meeting anyone new," another insider told the outlet. "So many people are after him for the wrong reasons." For Keough, her time with Pattinson acted as a stepping stone on her way to true love. Today, she is married to Ben Smith-Petersen, whom she met on the set of "Mad Max: Fury Road."