SNL star Marcello Hernandez responds to Sabrina Carpenter relationship rumors

Hernandez and the Grammy winner previously sparked relationship rumors after he was ‘arrested’ during one of her concerts in November 2024

Marcello Hernandez has shut down rumors of a budding relationship with Sabrina Carpenter.

The 28-year-old Saturday Night Live actor, best known for his character Domingo on the comedy sketch show, recently appeared on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, where he was asked about his friendship with the “Espresso” singer, 26.

“If I’m you, and I’m 28, I’m going to try to date her with all my might,” Shepard said, referring to the Grammy winner. “Are you not trying your hardest to marry her?”

Hernandez was quick to avoid speaking about Carpenter and instead brought up his girlfriend, Ana Amelia Batlle Cabral, whom he’s been dating since last January.

“I’m in a relationship with a Dominican girl. She’s an architect. She’s unreal. She went to Yale,” Hernandez said. “But Sabrina’s awesome.”

Marcello Hernandez spoke about his friendship with Sabrina Carpenter during the most recent episode of the ‘Armchair Expert’ podcast (Getty Images)

Hernandez has been dating Ana Amelia Batlle Cabral (left) since January 2025 (Getty Images for Heidi Klum Hall)

Relationship rumors were sparked after Hernandez appeared at one of Carpenter’s concerts in character as Domingo in November 2024. During the Los Angeles tour stop, Domingo was chosen as the audience member that the singer “arrested” for being “too hot.”

“Well! You sure are gorgeous. I’m getting so flustered and overwhelmed. Is there anything you wanna say before I arrest you, Domingo?” Carpenter asked at the time.

Hernandez replied in character as he sang to the melody of her song “Espresso.”

“Came all this way, had to explain, direct from Domingo,” he sang. “Sabrina’s a friend; she’s like my sis, but I would hook up, though.”

Reflecting on his concert appearance, Hernandez told Shepard how the cameo took place. “The Domingo thing was big. And [Carpenter] was all about it, and it was so cool,” he said.

“And the writers, of course, I’ll shout out the writers too, because I love to shout out the writers. Ceara O’Sullivan, Jimmy Fowlie, Sudi Green and Allie Levitan. And they all came with me from New York to L.A. to The Forum. Now, to 14, 15,000 people were thinking about what I’m going to say, what the bit’s going to be. It’s so fun.”

After the concert, the comedian shared a photo of himself and Carpenter comfortably sitting together on a couch with his hand across her thigh, causing many fans to assume they might be dating.

While Hernandez is currently in a relationship, Carpenter was previously dating Saltburn actor Barry Keoghan from 2023 to 2024 before they reportedly decided to take “a break.”

“They are both young and career-focused, so they’ve decided to take a break,” a source told People in 2024.