Celebrity Mound

Bradley Cooper really is the man of the moment, and now he’s got a new lady on his arm: Renee Zellweger.

Although “The Hangover” star has been busy claiming he’s just friends with Jennifer Aniston – with whom he was seen having dinner late last month – he can hardly say the same about Zellweger after the two were caught on a cozy date Tuesday night.

We spotted the pair – who co-star in the upcoming thriller “Case 39″ – looking very into each other at upper East Side eatery Antonucci. The pair giggled and chatted in a corner booth of the restaurant and seemed to have amazing chemistry – Cooper even reached over to touch the “Bridget Jones” star’s arm and gazed at her adoringly. The duo lingered over dinner and drank serious amounts of white wine, then sipped from the same cup of tea after the meal was over.

Zellweger herself confirmed she was having a blast with her new man. When a restaurant patron told the actress she had a cute date, she giggled, “He’s sweet, really sweet!”

And hilarious, apparently. Throughout the night Zellweger, squealed, “You are so funny!”

The date seemed to remain great even when the paparazzi made an appearance around 11:30. Cooper and Zellweger playfully slid down in their booth to avoid being seen, while giggling and whispering intimately to avoid being overheard and plotting how to avoid being caught by the paps when they made their exit.

Finally, without saying goodbye, Zellweger asked, “Do you mind if I go first? I’ll see you in a little bit,” and paid the tab (what a lady!) before leaving the boite around midnight while Cooper lingered.

We think this is the beginning of a beautiful relationship. Although the actor has been linked to beauties like “Nip/Tuck” star Rhona Mitra and actress Lake Bell, he and Zellweger seem like a match made in heaven. The real question: How long will the two last? Both Zellweger and Cooper split from their exes – country singer Kenny Chesney and actress Jennifer Esposito, respectively – after just four months each.

(source)