During the whirlwind press tour for Fifty Shades of Grey, something felt off. Fans noticed it. Interviewers noticed it. Jamie Dornan and Dakota Johnson—who had just filmed some of the most intimate scenes in Hollywood—seemed distant. Cold, even. That’s when the studio took drastic action.
According to insiders, Universal’s marketing team panicked. Advance screenings had shown that audiences loved Christian and Ana together—but the press tour threatened to undo the illusion. The chemistry that burned onscreen wasn’t showing up in real life.
The solution? A coordinated PR strategy to make the pair appear closer. Media coaches were brought in. Interview questions were rehearsed. Red carpet body language was analyzed and directed. “Hold hands if it feels natural,” one handler suggested. “Laugh more. Touch his arm when he talks.”
But the actors weren’t comfortable with it. Johnson, especially, pushed back. “It felt fake,” she told a friend at the time. “We just filmed a movie where I’m naked half the time—why do I need to fake a giggle now?”
Jamie, loyal to his wife Amelia Warner, was also hesitant. He didn’t want to give fans the wrong idea. But pressure from the studio intensified.
Eventually, the plan backfired. A viral interview clip showed Dakota sarcastically snapping at Jamie. “You’re not funny,” she quipped, visibly irritated. Fans were confused. Had the chemistry all been a lie?
Years later, both actors admitted that the PR push was a mistake. “We had a real bond,” Dornan said. “But forcing it outside the films ruined it for a while.”
