No, Sam Heughan Is NOT the Father of Caitriona Balfe’s Son and Other Wild Theories From ‘Outlander’ ‘Crazies’
ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
- Outlander co-stars Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe have never dated.
- But that hasn’t stopped fans from confusing fiction with reality.
- In fact, the Outlander “crazies” have some wild fan theories.
Sam Heughan’s on-screen chemistry with Caitriona Balfe has some Outlander fans convinced they are a real-life couple. A small group of vocal fans — who Balfe has described as “those crazies” — have shared some seriously wild theories about the duo who’ve played Jamie and Claire Fraser for five seasons and counting.
Sam Heughan has never dated his stunning co-star
In the past, both Balfe and Heughan have made it clear that they are not a real life couple and have never dated. Instead, they are just good friends.
“There’s a small vocal group that really wanted [Sam and I to get together], which is just a testament to the characters that we portray, that the love story is so inspiring and so aspirational that people just really wanted to believe in it. And that’s a nice thing,” Balfe told Parade in 2018.
The ‘Outlander’ star is married to Tony McGill, not Sam Heughan
In a recent Vanity Fair cover story, Balfe opened up about how her life has changed since finding fame with Outlander. And the passionate — sometimes obsessed — fan base that comes with starring in Diana Gabaldon’s long-running book series.
Balfe revealed that there are some fans who believe her 2019 marriage to music producer Tony McGill is fake. Some even went so far as to call the church she and McGill got married in to get proof because they didn’t believe the marriage was real.
The 42-year-old says she’s heard of private investigators who’ve been hired to “solve” the case and prove without a doubt that she and Heughan are involved off-screen.
No, Sam Heughan is not the father of Caitriona Balfe’s son
Balfe shocked fans in the summer of 2021 when she announced via Instagram that she had given birth to her first child. The Irish beauty says she never kept it a secret from her family, friends, and co-workers. But, she avoided posting about her pregnancy on social media.
Balfe’s secrecy had some fans obsessed with the idea that Heughan was her son’s father, instead of McGill. They also pointed to supposed “clues” that supported this conspiracy theory. Most notably, these stans thought the bed sheets in the baby picture Balfe took of her son’s tiny hand looked similar to sheets that showed up in a photo Heughan posted.
Caitriona Balfe was not hiding her pregnancy
Balfe says that she is a very open person. But, she didn’t see a reason to share the news of her pregnancy on social media, much less give any updates.
“It’s not like I was hiding my pregnancy,” Balfe says. “Everybody at work knew, all of my friends knew, anyone I came into contact with in my life knew. But in terms of putting that out there, I don’t see the value in that. I think there’s certain things that are nice to have for yourself.”
The ‘Outlander’ star is more protective as a new mom
Now that she has a son, Balfe admits she’s become “really protective” of him. She hasn’t shared any pics or details, not even his name. Things have changed for Balfe now that she’s a parent. And she’s committed to protecting her son from obsessed Outlander fans.
“When you have a kid, you become really protective. I don’t want those crazies—because that’s what they are—I just don’t want them talking about him,” Balfe explained. “It’s sad, because you meet the loveliest people who are fans of the show and they’re super supportive and they do the nicest things—and then you have that little thing, which just taints it.”
Outlander season 6 premieres Sunday, March 6 on STARZ. Caitriona Balfe currently stars in the Golden Globe-winning film Belfast, which is now playing in theaters.
