‘The Walking Dead’s Tom Payne Weighs In On Possibility Of Romance Between Aaron And Jesus

The Walking Dead star Tom Payne feels it would be “lazy” to romantically pair Jesus and Aaron, the actor told Metro.co.uk.

“I think it would be interesting because first of all [Aaron’s] boyfriend just died, so we both find it quite funny when people approach us about that. It’s literally just happened, his boyfriend just died,” said Payne, who plays stealthy Hilltop warrior Jesus.

“I also think it might be quite lazy if that happened. It would be fun actually if we did kind of riff on it and had a funny conversation about it, like ‘you know how everyone wants us to…’ and just put it in the show. I think that would be quite funny.”

Aaron’s beloved boyfriend, Eric, was among the earliest casualties of the ongoing war against Negan and the Saviors — tragically felled by a bullet during a shootout early on this season.

After a tearful departure, Aaron later found Eric had bled out from his gunshot wound and died, his reanimated corpse shambling off into the woods.

With little time to grieve — and even less time to think about a new beau — Aaron and Jesus aren’t likely to add to The Walking Dead‘s already minimal romances just yet.

“Not everyone on the show has a romantic relationship. Why should that be a romantic relationship?” Payne asked.

“There aren’t that many. Michonne and Rick and that’s about it right now. So why should that happen just because?”

Jesus and Aaron eventually formed a romantic relationship in Robert Kirkman’s ongoing comic book series, where Eric suffered a similar fate. Though Aaron was initially hesitant to find love again following Eric’s death, the Aaron and Jesus coupling was confirmed in issue #169.

In October, Aaron actor Ross Marquand told ComicBook.com he “loves” the LGBTQ representation in The Walking Dead.

“I think it’s very important. I think that [The Walking Dead creator] Robert Kirkman has done a really good job of including characters of all walks of life, as it should be because that’s how life really is,” Marquand told us.

“It’s a fair representation of how people are in the world. That every group is fully represented is very important to everyone on this show.”

The Walking Dead airs Sundays at 9/8c on AMC.