Rumors began circulating earlier this month that Common was dating Jurassic Park actress Laura Dern after the two were seen grabbing dinner together in Beverly Hills. Things escalated Wednesday (Jan. 27), when The Daily Mail reported that Dern had introduced the rapper to her two children and is "having fun and seeing where things go."

In a contrasting report though, HipHollywood quoted a source within Common's camp yesterday saying that the two are not an item. The source added that the nature of their relationship was friendly as Dern and Common had recently shot a film together. A quick cross-referencing of both actors' IMDb pages reveals no upcoming shared projects, though Common currently has five films slated for a 2016 release.

Reports linking the two together cite Dern's affinity for dating musicians. Three years ago, the actress split from ex-husband and blues singer Ben Harper. Common meanwhile has been previously linked to Serena Williams, Erykah Badu and Fatima Robinson.

In terms of accolades, both actors are well accomplished, with Common winning the Academy Award at last year's ceremony for his song "Glory" for the movie Selma. Dern was nominated for a Best Supporting Actress Oscar at the same awards for her role in Wild. In 2012, Dern won the Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Comedy or Musical for Enlightened.

Time likely tell if the two are an item or not, particularly with award season already in full swing. Quincy Jones revealed last week that he had been asked to present at this year's ceremony with Common and Pharrell, so the rapper turned actor will likely have plenty of opportunities to confirm or deny himself.

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