After months of rumors, quiet dinners and carefully separate arrivals, actress Noor Halvorsen and singer-songwriter Julian Ashby walked the red carpet together for the first time on Saturday night, arriving hand in hand at the annual Riverton Film Gala.
Halvorsen, 34, star of the hit series Saltwater Hours, wore a deep green silk gown, while Ashby, 37, chose a classic black suit with an open collar. The pair paused for photographers for several minutes, laughing and talking quietly, before heading into the old opera house where the gala is held.
From set to stage
The two first met last year, when Ashby wrote the theme song for the second season of Saltwater Hours. Fans took notice when Halvorsen appeared in the front row of his concert in Port Alden in the spring, and photos of the pair walking along the Elmbridge riverfront in the summer only added to the talk.
Neither has discussed the relationship in interviews, but when a reporter on the carpet asked whether they were together, Ashby smiled and said, “I think tonight speaks for itself.”
They looked relaxed and genuinely happy. It did not feel staged at all, which is rare on a night like this.
Lara Pinto, entertainment editor and gala host
A night for a good cause
The gala, now in its 22nd year, raised more than 380,000 euros for the children’s wing of Riverton General Hospital. Halvorsen, who presented the award for best debut film, used her short speech to thank the hospital’s staff, recalling that her younger brother had been treated there as a child.
Ashby later performed two songs, including a new acoustic ballad he dedicated, without naming anyone, “to the person who made this year the best one yet.” The audience did not need a name.
What’s next
Halvorsen begins filming the third season of Saltwater Hours in Port Alden next month, while Ashby starts a national tour in Northvale in November. Friends say the couple plan to spend the holidays together in Greywater, well away from the cameras.
Comments 2
Lovely that the hospital raised so much. For me, that is the real story of the night.
Finally! They looked so happy in the photos.