Sabrina Carpenter Details What She Looks For in a Romantic Partner

The singer is reportedly dating Irish actor Barry Keoghan.

Barry Keoghan and Sabrina Carpenter attend The 2024 Met Gala Celebrating "Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion" at The Metropolitan Museum of Art on May 06, 2024 in New York City.
(Image credit: Getty Images)

Sabrina Carpenter is opening up about the traits she finds most attractive in a romantic partner.

In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan UK, the singer and actress admitted that "contrary to popular opinion" she doesn't "think I have a type" when it comes to dating.

"But the internet loves to just put pictures next to each other of men who have the same hair color," she told the publication, adding that her approach to dating is both "fun” and “messy.” 

"I want to be with someone who’s going to be one of my best friends," she explained. "So a lot of it is energy and humor and being genuine. I will say I’ve always connected more with people who are really in touch with their emotions."

The "Espresso" singer is reportedly dating Irish actor Barry Keoghan, known best for his roles in Dunkirk, Saltburn and The Banshees of Inisherin. The pair were first romantically linked in late 2023, People reported at the time, later seeming to confirm their relationship in February after sharing a kiss outside a hotel in Los Angeles.

Sabrina Carpenter at the 2024 Met Gala

Sabrina Carpenter at the 2024 Met Gala.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Carpenter went on to say that the "people who stimulate" her are people who "don’t just agree with everything I say."

"And people who are funny," she continued. "When I meet people that feel very genuine and pure, I hope to keep them in my life. Because that’s the only way that I’m going to stay close to the ground in any capacity. But also, part of learning is keeping the wrong people in your life for a period of time. I’ve learned that lesson the hard way a couple of times, for sure."

She also added that she doesn't "actively look" for love, going on to say that for her dating "has been fate."

"I know that’s super broad, but I don’t actively look for it," she said. "The relationships that I actually want to put my energy into have to be so interesting or invigorating because they take me away from the other things I love.”

A post shared by Sabrina Carpenter

A photo posted by sabrinacarpenter on

Just as important (if not more so) to Carpenter is her friendships. The singer and actress says "it's nice to have friends in the industry you feel like you can trust."

"You need to have people who have been through similar things and can be a normal friend and just happen to have this job as well," she continued.

Danielle Campoamor
Weekend Editor

Danielle Campoamor is Marie Claire's weekend editor covering all things news, celebrity, politics, culture, live events, and more. In addition, she is an award-winning freelance writer and former NBC journalist with over a decade of digital media experience covering mental health, reproductive justice, abortion access, maternal mortality, gun violence, climate change, politics, celebrity news, culture, online trends, wellness, gender-based violence and other feminist issues. You can find her work in The New York Times, Washington Post, TIME, New York Magazine, CNN, MSNBC, NBC, TODAY, Vogue, Vanity Fair, Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, InStyle, Playboy, Teen Vogue, Glamour, The Daily Beast, Mother Jones, Prism, Newsweek, Slate, HuffPost and more. She currently lives in Brooklyn, New York with her husband and their two feral sons. When she is not writing, editing or doom scrolling she enjoys reading, cooking, debating current events and politics, traveling to Seattle to see her dear friends and losing Pokémon battles against her ruthless offspring. You can find her on X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook and all the places.