Why Oscar Power Couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander are Hiding from Red Carpets

Those eagerly waiting for current Oscar darlings Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander to make their relationship red carpet official may be waiting a while, if not forever. The two, who are both nominated for acting Oscars this year (he for Best Actor for Steve Jobs and her for Best Supporting Actress for The Danish Girl), have completely stayed away from appearing together publicly, and we might know why.

The two have done such a good job, in fact, that many people don't even know they have been dating since 2014. And although breakup rumors abounded late last year (perhaps due to never appearing together at events), Vikander told E! about her New Year's Eve kiss "with [her] boyfriend," earlier this month.

The pair appeared at the Golden Globes, as both of them were nominated at the show. They showed up separately, but sat together inside and reportedly packed on the PDA.

They also arrived separately to the premiere of Fassbender's Steve Jobs, as well as the Palm Springs International Film Festival in January. Vogue points out that the two do not deny dating each other, and will answer questions about the relationship, but they do not pose together on red carpets. So what gives?

According to Vogue, it could be a career strategy. Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow used the same tactic when they were married, with Paltrow admitting, "He doesn't want people to listen to his music and think of a public couple. It's better that in public we each have our own careers."

Other celebs, like Taylor Swift, have tried it as well. Swift, despite writing about her love life in her songs, is trying to be more conscious about appearing in public with her current love, Calvin Harris. She told Rolling Stone in 2014, "I'm just not comfortable providing that kind of entertainment anymore."

Vikander and Fassbender are both nominated at Saturday's SAG Awards, as well as the Oscars and the BAFTAs, so there will be plenty of chances to see if the couple will finally make their red carpet debut in the next few weeks. If their previous behavior is any indication, though, don't count on it.