Katie Holmes and Jamie Foxx appear to have finally gone public with their relationship

Aw, you guys

katie holmes

Aw, you guys

Words by Stephanie Petit

From the editors of People

Jamie Foxx and Katie Holmes have remained tight-lipped about their relationship, but new photos of their twilight stroll on the beach have everyone talking about the long-rumoured couple.

The stars were spotted walking hand in hand along the sand barefoot in Malibu on Monday, relaunching years-long buzz about a romance. Although they’ve never officially confirmed a relationship, multiple sources have told PEOPLE the ultra-private pair have been spending time together for years.

In 2015, a source told PEOPLE they weren’t getting serious.

'This is not some intense romance,' the source said. 'Jamie and Katie are friends and have been for a long time. They are two adults who are attractive and single, and so apparently conclusions will be drawn.

'But contrary to those conclusions, they’re not about to run off and make some serious commitment.'

katie holmes

Credit: REX

A Foxx source added at the time: '[They] see each other and go out together, but Jamie would tell you he is not involved with anyone seriously. [He]’s a workaholic and couldn’t be happier in his life as it is.'

The pair first made headlines when they hit the dance floor together at the Apollo in the Hamptons event in East Hampton, New York, in 2013, a little over a year after Holmes and Tom Cruise split in 2012 after six years of marriage. They jammed out to Robin Thicke’s summer anthem, Blurred Lines and Foxx’s 2009 hit Blame It (On the Alcohol) at the benefit concert.

The actor and musician denied that he was dating the former Dawson's Creek star following the encounter.

'[The rumours] are one hundred percent not true. In fact, it’s quite hilarious because we simply danced at a charity event along with a lot of other people,' he told Entertainment Tonight at the time.

Since then, the two have occasionally been spotting visiting each other in L.A., where they have homes not far from each other. A new round of rumours surfaced in 2016 after the actress stepped out in New York City wearing a diamond ring (which she’d been sporting for months) while Foxx was spotted wearing a gold band.

Foxx’s rep told PEOPLE at the time that the movie stars were neither engaged nor married.

jamie foxx

Credit: REX

This spring, Foxx, 49, and Holmes, 38, were spotted spending time together in Paris.

Holmes met up at a hotel with Foxx, who had been in the City of Lights to shoot his new Robin Hood movie, sources confirmed at the time. Meanwhile, Cruise was working on the sixth instalment of his Mission: Impossible franchise a few blocks away.

While the actress kept a low profile during her Paris stay, though she did stop by Luc Besson’s studio Cité du Cinemas, where Foxx was filming. Later, the duo were photographed boarding a private jet together out of the city.

Holmes and Foxx’s stroll on the beach in Malibu this Monday was a rarely-photographed outing for the ultra-discreet duo. They splashed around in the water, with Foxx venturing knee-deep into the waves fully dressed.

An eyewitness told Entertainment Tonight that they were on a public beach after visiting a friend’s house in the area. They 'sat down very close to each other, chatting for a while outside, and spoke rather intimately' during their short outing.

'They looked like a pair of young kids in love,' the source added. 'Katie looked great. She appeared to be enjoying herself and looked happy.'

In a November 2014 cover story, Holmes told PEOPLE that she 'absolutely' still believes in love.

'I’m a very loving person,' she said. 'Of course I’m open to finding love again.'

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