fauxmance
n. A fake romance, particularly one used to generate publicity for the participants.
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Etymology
Examples
2016
But if this really was just a ploy for album sales and Emmy buzz, wouldn’t there be some warning signs? In fact, the fauxmance is full of red flags.
—Amy Zimmerman, “Hiddleswift Is Taylor Swift’s 'Famous,' and the Greatest Performance of Her Career,” The Daily Beast, July 07, 2016
2015
Is the James Packer and Mariah Carey romance a giant publicity stunt — a fauxmance rather than a real-life romance?
—Susie O'Brien, “James Packer and Mariah Carey: romance or fauxmance?,” The Daily Telegraph, June 23, 2015
2014
His fauxmance with Peta may have fizzled, but the Big Time Rush singer's can-do spirit and his waxy smooth chest will be missed.
—Allyssa Lee, “'Dancing With the Stars' recap: I see gold people, and another shocking exit,” Los Angeles Times, May 20, 2014
1996 (earliest)
And no amount of spark and professionalism from Marcy Walker and David Canary can convince me that the faux-mance is anything but a Stupid Plot Device, miles beneath both of their characters.
—David Welsh, “AMC: Jamaica Thin,” rec.arts.tv.soaps.abc, November 20, 1996