Royal Family
This Prince William and Kate Middleton breakup rumor is a wild ride.

This Will And Kate Breakup Rumor Is Sending Me

I’m gonna need a minute.

WPA Pool/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Happily ever after just got a little more complicated... maybe. On May 18, MSN published a since-deleted piece covering a breakup rumor about Prince William and Kate Middleton. In a Twitter preview of the story, the article claimed that “Prince William and Kate Middleton separate as Duchess moves out with children.” Shock value: 100. Legitimate reporting: 0. After it was posted, the article was swiftly taken down, hinting at its questionable veracity. But how did this even happen in the first place? Let’s discuss.

According to Newsweek, the rumor mill probably started with the French website Oh My Mag, which published a story on May 16, claiming Will and Kate were breaking up. A translated version of the piece was then picked up by MSN, and here we are. Following rumors, Groupe Cerise (which owns Oh My Mag) issued a statement about the story’s inaccuracy. “This story is indeed false and has been published by accident. We are taking it down momentarily,” a spokesperson for the publisher told Newsweek on May 18.

Still, it’s not like you can unring this particular bell. A cached version of the MSN story claimed that palace staff overheard a “heated” argument — in which Kate reportedly said, “Maybe marrying you was a mistake.” Per the report, the Duchess then left with the couple’s children for her parents’ home. (Elite Daily reached out to Buckingham Palace for comment on this claim, but did not hear back in time for publication.)

TBH, it sounds like this is all just one royal false alarm. Over the past few months, Will and Kate have been spending a lot of time together — even by married couple’s standards. They’ve been busy visiting British Commonwealth countries and recently toured several Caribbean islands and Scotland. Though too much jet lag might lead to the occasional argument, IDK what palace staff member would risk it all for a spot on Oh My Mag. (Maybe The Daily Mail said no?)

Will and Kate are expected to attend the Top Gun: Maverick premiere together on May 19, so I’m predicting these rumors will be quashed once and for all then.

The main takeaway? Will and Kate are probs still together, and this episode of The Crown can’t come soon enough.