These days, Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart have no problem talking about their romance back in the 2010s, during their time together in the Twilight franchise. However, this wasn’t always the case, as for the most part, the duo kept their private life away from the media eye, and The Batman Star even initially came forward to brush off the dating rumors.
And although at first glance, it seems that privacy was one of the major contributors to their decision of keeping things under wraps, it appears there might be another factor in play.
The Studio Prohibited Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart From Dating Each Other
Considering the entire franchise revolves around the epic love story between Edward Cullen and Bella Swan, it’s not surprising that the lead actors eventually fell for each other. However, according to Alice Cullen actor Ashley Greene, Summit Entertainment, which was acquired by Lionsgate, didn’t want Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart dating each other under any circumstances. The studios feared if things between the two didn’t work out and ended in an unpleasant split-up, it might put their biggest cash cow in jeopardy.
“The studio advised against it,” Greene explained. “They saw how successful Twilight was, and the last thing they want is for the couple to get together and then hate each other and then the chemistry to be gone, and that’s it.”
This thought process from the studios might’ve resulted in the duo keeping their romantic bond behind the curtain, however, the execs’ nightmare eventually came true.
Studio’s Worst Fear Became a Reality
As the execs at the top predicted, things between Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart didn’t last long, ending in a messy split-up. But fortunately for the studio, it didn’t impact the success of Twilight, as the two parted ways after the entire franchise wrapped up with The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2, which earned Lionsgate a mammoth profit.
Their messy split-up came after the cheating scandal, as Kristen Stewart was accused of cheating on her then-boyfriend Robert Pattinson with Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders. Even though the Twilight Stars did try to make things work, their bond after this controversy was short-lived.
This isn’t something new for a romantic bond between the two leads of a project failing, as Blake Lively and Penn Badgley’s relationship during their time on Gossip Girl also didn’t work out.
The Twilight Saga is available to rent on Apple TV.
Source: The Twilight Effect Podcast
