‘Outlander’ Star Sam Heughan And Caitriona Balfe Address Pesky Romance Rumors, Plus How Diana Gabaldon Felt About That Sexy Cover

Outlander fans have long suspected that Sam Heughan and Caitriona Balfe have a romantic connection in real life. After all, their steamy chemistry behind the camera is one of the reasons behind Outlander‘s success. However, in light of all of the rumors, the two stars are starting to grow tired about constantly addressing the notion that they’re an item.

In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Balfe discussed the idea that she and Heughan are together. While she admitted that Heughan is one of her best friends, she emphatically stated they are not involved romantically.

“Honestly I’m tired of that conversation,” Balfe shared. “This is fantasy. This is our job. We are very different in our private life. We are best friends. From the moment we met, we got along. Sam is one of the most generous people you’ll ever meet. Such a great guy, no ego involved.”

As far as Heughan is concerned, he echoed many of Balfe’s sentiments and added that there is a unique relationship between their characters and fans who follow them in real life. Like Balfe, Heughan admitted that he is good friends with his fellow co-star.

“It saddens me a bit but I guess that means we’ve done a good job,” he stated. “I don’t know. It’s a strange one. I’m still coming to terms with what it’s like to have people follow your personal life as well as your public life. It gets amusing. But she’s just wonderful. We’re very good friends.”

Fortunately, Heughan ended the interview on a slightly lighter note. “I think I’m just waiting for the moment that she’s had too much whiskey and then we’ll agree to it,” he said.

Meanwhile, International Business Times is reporting that some fans were disappointed with the sexual content of Heughan and Balfe’s recent photo shoot with Entertainment Weekly. However, in speaking about the photos, author Diana Gabaldon posted a Facebook message in support of the images.

“If you honestly think this cover is ‘smut’ or ‘soft porn,’ then all I can say is that y’all should maybe get out more,” she wrote. “If you’ve ever watched television in the UK, you’ve seen more explicit things than this three or four times in an evening. If you’ve been watching ‘Outlander,’ (as theoretically you have) you’ve seen much more explicit sexual encounters on several occasions.”

Outlander has featured sexually explicit scenes in the past. Yet, most fans understood these scenes as having a purpose in the overall development of the series. This is one criticism of the cover piece, which makes the show appear as though it doesn’t go beyond romantic elements.

“It’s one image; there’s no conceivable way for a single image to encompass this story, or a fraction of it,” Gabaldon continued. “A magazine cover is meant to do one thing: attract eyeballs. With luck, said eyeballs will zip to Jamie and Claire, but will also see the word Outlander.”

Interestingly, Gabaldon recently sat down with Entertainment Weekly to answer a few questions about her role in the series. When asked about her relationship with producers, Gabaldon revealed how she does take part in the creative process, though she understands that the series is only an adaptation.

At the same time, Gabaldon explained how she has plans to write a ninth book and a tenth one if it comes to that. As far as making another cameo on the series; however, Gabaldon was less than confident that she will appear on the show in the future.

Fans can watch the romance heat up between Jamie and Claire when the second season of Outlander airs on April 9 on Starz.

Tell us! What did you think of Entertainment Weekly’s steamy Outlander photos? Let us know in the comments below.

[Image via Starz]