The secret sex appeal of mystery men snagging Hollywood's hottest: JACQUELYNN POWERS knows what regular guys can offer that leading ladies have never known

Forget the tortured musician. Move over, brooding actor. Hollywood's hottest new leading man might just be the finance bro.

Just look at Nicole Kidman, the Oscar-winning star of Babygirl, who has reportedly been spending time in Italy this week with private equity executive Michael Reinstein and it is looking very much like a potential new romance.

Kidman’s Italian adventures arrives just as Olivia Rodrigo is reportedly canoodling a private equity associate of her own.

Coincidence? Perhaps. But add in Reese Witherspoon's financier boyfriend, Jennifer Garner's businessman beau, Miranda Kerr's tech entrepreneur husband and Karlie Kloss' venture capitalist spouse and suddenly a surprising pattern begins to emerge.

Has Hollywood entered its private equity era?

For decades, the celebrity dating playbook was predictable. Actresses went out with actors, musicians, directors and even star athletes. Everyone seemed to circulate through the same glamorous, creative bubble, where movie sets doubled as mixers and award shows became one giant dating pool.

Now, the boardroom is replacing the backlot.

And these aren’t just any businessmen, either. These aren't anonymous accountants or corporate lawyers. They're private equity chiefs, investment executives and company founders, the kind of men who command corporations with the same confidence their partners command red carpets.

That shift is especially striking in the cases of Kidman, 59, and Rodrigo, 23, because both have long paper trails of dating fellow creatives.

Kidman's romantic history has always unfolded center stage. The Oscar winner married Tom Cruise in 1990, becoming half of one of Hollywood's most famous power couples. Together they adopted two children, Isabella, 33, and Connor, 31, before Cruise filed for divorce in 2001 after 11 years of marriage.

After a brief romance and secret engagement to musician Lenny Kravitz in 2003, Kidman seemed to find lasting love with country superstar (and fellow Ausie) Keith Urban, marrying the singer in 2006. They welcomed daughters Sunday Rose, 18, and Faith Margaret, 15, and spent nearly two decades together before Urban reportedly decided to end the marriage last year. Their divorce was finalized in January.

If Michael Reinstein is indeed her next chapter, he'll represent a notable departure from Urban. In 2013, Reinstein launched Regent, the Beverly Hills-based private equity firm where he now serves as chairman and CEO, growing the company into a global investment powerhouse with more than 40,000 employees across 65 countries.

Rodrigo may be just 23, but the three-time Grammy winner behind Drivers License, Good 4 U and Vampire has followed a remarkably similar script. Before reports linked her to Belgian-born private equity associate Julian Croonenberghs, she had been romantically connected to actor Louis Partridge, producer Adam Faze and music executive Zack Bia.

As in the case of Kidman and Reinstein, Croonenberghs and Rodrigo have been spotted loving it up in Europe this month. But Kidman and Rodrigo are hardly alone in their appreciation of finance-adjacent paramours.

Oscar winner Reese Witherspoon, whose love life once played out opposite actor (and former husband) Ryan Phillippe and later Hollywood agent Jim Toth, is now dating German financier Oliver Haarmann, a founding partner at Searchlight Capital Partners.

Jennifer Garner, whose marriage to Ben Affleck unfolded under relentless tabloid scrutiny, appears to have found stability with businessman John Miller, chairman of Cali Group.

The trend extends beyond Wall Street. Before marrying Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel, Miranda Kerr famously dated Leonardo DiCaprio and was married to Pirates of the Caribbean star Orlando Bloom. Supermodel Karlie Kloss married Thrive Capital founder Joshua Kushner. 

None of these women needed a man with money. Kidman, Rodrigo, Witherspoon, Garner, Kerr and Kloss have successful careers of their own. What they appear to be choosing isn't wealth so much as a different kind of partner, one whose success was built outside the entertainment industry and whose identity isn't dependent on applause, reviews or opening weekend box office numbers.

For years, the finance bro wasn't supposed to get the girl. He was the Patagonia-vest-wearing guy in the quarter-zip who spoke fluent EBITDA, refreshed Bloomberg between meetings and somehow made private equity sound less like a career than a personality. He inspired American Psycho comparisons, became TikTok's favorite punching bag and was dismissed as all spreadsheet, no soul.

Today's finance elite are polished, physically fit and stylish. They appreciate architecture, Michelin-starred restaurants, five-star travel and quiet luxury over flashy logos.

Earlier this year, The New York Times chronicled Wall Street's style evolution, noting that the fleece vest has given way to tailored jackets, cashmere knits and understated sophistication that feels more Milan than Midtown.

In other words, the finance bro got a makeover. And Hollywood noticed. But the biggest transformation may have nothing to do with fashion. It may be about stability and security.