Katie Holmes' Night Out In NYC Debunks The Wild Theories She's Posing As Kate Middleton

On March 4, a photo of Catherine Middleton, Princess of Wales, in the car alongside her mom, Carole, was released and made waves with the public. This photo marked the first time the public has seen Kate since December, as she's been recovering from abdominal surgery. It hasn't, however, stopped fans from wondering where she is, since many fans think that the photograph isn't of Kate, at all. Theories about who could be posing as Kate range from close to hope (her sister, Pippa Middleton) to far-fetched (Hollywood star Katie Holmes). Whether you believe that's really Kate in the photo or not, a photo of Holmes' actual March 4 whereabouts rule her out as a suspect for Kate's potential body double.

For anyone who may have thought that Holmes was using her acting chops to convince the public that Kate Middleton is recovering well enough to make a public appearance, the rumor has officially been debunked. On the same day the now-famous photo of the Princess of Wales was taken, Holmes was attending the Roundabout Gala. This event, which took place at the Ziegfield Theater, is held annually to support the Roundabout Theatre Company and celebrate Broadway. And, there's photographic evidence that Holmes was, in fact, there.

From details about Kate Middleton's surgery that just don't add up to her long absence from the public eye during her recovery, the Princess of Wales and her well-being have been hot topics as of late. Unfortunately, the photos of Kate's reemergence are seriously suspect, too. Rumors about the goings-on with Kate, countless memes about the princess, and the #whereiskate hashtag have been taking over the internet. And, rather than squashing the memes, it seems that this photo of Kate has only given folks on X, formerly known as Twitter, even more fuel for jokes. And, the jokes suggesting that the photo doesn't feature the real Kate, at all, are particularly prevalent. One X-user re-tweeted the image and wrote, "That is Katie Holmes." Another viral tweet that garnered nearly 30,000 likes in less than 24 hours captioned the photo, "Katie Holmes in the role of a lifetime."

Holmes may be a talented actor, and she may bear a striking resemblance to Kate in that photograph, but she can't be in two places at once. The Roundabout Gala she attended took place in New York City, and the photograph was taken near Windsor Castle. So, it's safe to say that Holmes was not standing in as Kate's body double for the photo. Does that mean it's actually Kate in the image, though? Well, plenty of folks on the internet still aren't buying it. 

Another popular theory about the March 4 photo suggests that Kate Middleton's sister, Pippa Middleton, is actually the person pictured riding in the car. Pippa and Carole Middleton were said to be caring for Kate during her recovery, and folks thought Pippa's mid-February vacation could be a sign that Kate was recovering well. Yet, now, it seems that the public believes that Pippa is helping to cover up her sister's whereabouts by posing as her. Pippa is just one year younger than Kate, and the sisters do look a lot alike. Furthermore, in the image, Kate looks more disheveled than normal and is somewhat disguised under large sunglasses, making it more difficult to see how she really looks. 

That's not Kate Middleton that's Pippa. They're trying to lie to us :) pic.twitter.com/8QWl1ArZ1J

— Cansu♡ (@cansufcbmg) March 4, 2024

"Certainly does look like Pippa," one X-user wrote alongside a side-by-side photo. Others have pointed out that in the photograph, Kate's face looks different, and her mole is missing, per X. The theory that Pippa is actually the Middleton sister in the photo is a popular one, and unlike the Katie Holmes theory, it has yet to be proven wrong. Still, many folks on the internet suggest that this is just a body double and not a recognizable figure, at all. Regardless of who you think may be hiding behind those sunglasses, there's more than a little speculation that Kate is still missing.