Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson fans fawn over the Dawson's Creek stars as they make flirty red carpet display

Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson left their fans on cloud nine on Saturday after showing off a shockingly flirty demeanor at the premiere in New York City of their new film, Happy Hours.

Dawson's Creek fans were delighted by video from the Tribeca Festival red carpet, which showed Jackson and Holmes, both 47, holding hands as he sweetly sang her praises during a brief interview.

'The time that we spent together when we were young is very precious to both of us,' Jackson said as he stood next to Holmes and held her hand up to his heart. 'And [it] is, like, one of the core personal and professional relationships in my life.'

The red-carpet pairing comes as both stars are apparently single, following Holmes's split in 2022 from bassist Bobby Wooten III and Jackson's 2024 breakup with Lupita Nyong'o. 

Holmes and Jackson, who starred on Dawson's Creek from 1998 to 2003 as Joey Potter and Pacey Witter, respectively, had briefly dated in 1997 after meeting on the series, though Holmes confirmed the following year that the two had split.

The exes recently reunited for Happy Hours – which Holmes wrote and directed – a romantic dramedy about former lovers (played by Holmes and Jackson) who reconnect years later and rediscover the intense romantic feelings that they once had for each other.

Their reunion comes nearly four months after their Dawson's Creek costar James Van Der Beek – who played Dawson Leery – died at 48 after a public battle with colorectal cancer.

Jackson – whose Dawson's Creek character Pacey had begun dating Holmes's character Joey in the series' final episode – gushed on the red carpet about getting to work again with his old costar.

'We had talked about [working together again] over the years, and then – I don’t think you’re giving yourself enough credit – because then she creates this beautiful space for the two of us to come back and work together and tell a beautiful story,' the Mighty Ducks actor said as he clutched Holmes's hand against his chest. 

'A hopeful story, a real human story, and, for me, I was both flattered and very excited to have the opportunity to come back and share this space with you after all of these years,' Jackson continued as he turned to gaze into Holmes's eyes.

'And have a story that is ours to tell. Right? You wrote this for us,' he added. 'You did the whole thing. So it was magical for me to be able to come back. 

'And you waited for me, which I appreciated,' Jackson said as he looked back at his costar and director.

In another video from the red carpet, Holmes delved into her 'working relationship' with Jackson, which she considered 'sacred.' 

'I take it very seriously, and I want to do right by Josh,' she said. 'I have a great deal of respect. So I wanted it to be right. 

'We’ve often talked about doing something again, but we never knew what,' Holmes said. 'So it was really about that and agreeing to go for it, I suppose.' 

She added that getting a 'yes' from Jackson made her 'feel very good.'

In response to videos of the two singing each other's praises and affectionately holding hands, fans began to swoon on social media. 

'Josh holding Katie's hand to his chest, the look she's giving him. This means something to me,' one fan who was clearly moved by the exchange wrote on X. 

'These two, it's a soul-level love ❤️🥹,' another fan opined, though neither Jackson nor Holmes have indicated that there's anything romantic between them.

'This is beautiful,' agreed one user, while another said the exchange was 'precious' to them.

One of the adoring comments quoted Zooey Deschanel's New Girl character Jessica Day, writing, 'This isn't just puppy love, it's old-a** dog love.'

One poster even joked about Holmes's former husband, Tom Cruise, in response to the affectionate clip of her and Jackson.

'She never should have married Tom,' they wrote. 'I said what I said.' 

Holmes was married to Cruise from 2006 until their divorce was finalized in 2012, and they share their 20-year-old daughter, Suri Cruise.

Shortly after her divorce, Holmes began what would be a six-year relationship with fellow star Jamie Foxx, though the two initially tried to stay out of the spotlight. 

By the spring of 2019, the two had begun making public appearances together, including a Met Gala appearance as each other's dates, but they were reported to have broken up later that summer. 

Holmes later dated the New York–based restaurateur Emilio Vitolo Jr. from September 2020 to May 2021, before dating the bassist Bobby Wooten III, though the two were reportedly broken up by the end of 2022.

Since then, the actress hasn't been linked to any new partners.

Jackson married the model-turned-actress Jodie Turner-Smith in 2019, and they welcomed a daughter named Juno, six, in April 2020. 

But the former lovebirds unexpectedly split in late 2023. Turner-Smith filed for divorce in October of that year, and it was finalized in 2025. 

After they went their separate ways, Jackson was linked in late 2023 to Lupita Nyong'o, though they were reported to have split sometime in 2024.