Anya Taylor-Joy and Lewis Hamilton are friends. That alone is an interesting sentence. But the details of how that friendship actually works on a day-to-day basis are what have been circulating online this week, and the chess game is what everyone is talking about.
Chess at Christmas, Backgammon Lessons, and a Monopoly Match That Has Not Been Forgiven
Taylor-Joy opened up about the friendship in a recent interview, and the picture she painted is not what most people expected from two of the most competitive people in their respective industries.
“We’ve played chess over Christmas. It took many days. Lewis won. I’m dead serious. We’re both very competitive, though; he’s been teaching me backgammon. Monopoly is where he really shines. I don’t think he’s forgiven me for our last Monopoly match,” she said.
A chess game that took many days is a specific detail, and it says a lot about both of them. Taylor-Joy is someone who has spoken about her competitive nature in interviews before.
Hamilton has seven Formula 1 world championships. The idea of those two sitting across a chessboard over multiple days of Christmas is genuinely funny to think about.
The Monopoly comment is the one people keep coming back to. Hamilton has not forgiven her.
For a Monopoly match. The man who has won more Formula 1 races than anyone in the history of the sport is holding a grudge over a board game, and Taylor-Joy is telling the story with visible amusement. That dynamic alone is enough to understand why these two get along.
The friendship has been visible on social media for a while. Hamilton has been spotted at multiple events where Taylor-Joy was present, and the two have shown up in each other’s corners enough times that the internet started paying attention.
What has been missing until now is the detail. Turns out the detail is chess, backgammon, and unresolved Monopoly beef.
Taylor-Joy is currently promoting The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, out April 1, 2026, where she returns as Princess Peach. Hamilton is in his second season with Ferrari after leaving Mercedes in one of the most discussed moves in recent Formula 1 history.
Two people operating at the top of very different worlds, playing board games at Christmas and keeping score. The friendship makes complete sense.
The Monopoly grudge, however, does not appear to be going away anytime soon.
You May Also Like:
Andy Weir Already Has a Name in Mind for ‘Artemis’ Adaptation
