Yesterday, many media outlets began reporting the totally unverified rumor that Bradley Cooper and Renee Zellweger might be engaged and preparing for a wedding. Sure, there’s some evidence here and there to back that story up, but in general, I think many of us are still wondering what’s really going on between Bradley and Renee. The “Bradley is gay” story just won’t die, because everyone tends to point at his relationship with Renee as proof that he is, in fact, into dudes, and that Renee is bearding for him, like she may have done with someone else (who shall remain nameless).

All in all, Bradley might have something of an image problem, especially if he wants lots of dudes (and ladies) to buy him as the big manly hetero action star of The A-Team. That’s where stories like this week’s In Touch Weekly piece come in. According to In Touch, Renee “wants a ring” but Bradley is still “acting single” by flirting like crazy with Jessica Biel. Come to think of it, this story sounds like it was spread by Biel’s people, not Cooper’s. Whatever:

Bradley Cooper and Renee Zellweger may technically still be a couple, but they are definitely hiding it well. The pair have been pictured apart for weeks, and heartthrob Bradley has been promoting The A-Team and surrounding himself with screaming girls and even flirting with his sexy costar Jessica Biel.

Lately, Jessica is much more likely to be by his side than Renee. Bradley and Jessica even spent Memorial Day [Editor’s note: “the most romantic of all the holidays”] weekend together in North Carolina for a NASCAR event while Renee hung out by herself in the Hamptons.

Renee definitely seems to giving Bradley a long leash, but it has more to do with his image than their relationship, says an insider. “Bradley thinks it’s boring for people to hear him prattle on and on about his girlfriend,” the insider reveals. “And the studio doesn’t necessarily like it because they’re busy promoting Bradley as the eye candy in The A-Team.”

It does seem strange that Bradley won’t ever discuss Renee, especially when he talks about other women while doing press. But what seems to matter to Renee is that she and Bradley make their relationship official, mostly because she’s anxious to start a family. To that end, she’s won over his mother, Gloria, who “she knows will help put some gentle pressure” on Bradley to propose soon.

Since they’ve both been married before, “They aren’t looking to make a splash,” with a wedding, adds a friend.

Meanwhile, Bradley is playing “the Hollywood game.”

[From In Touch Weekly, print edition]

What’s funny is that In Touch illustrated this story with a photo of Bradley, Jessica Biel and some random dude, and they’re trying to make it seem like Bradley was checking out Jessica, but you can tell Bradley is looking at the dudes shoes. Like, “Oooh, Prada!” Basically, I don’t think there’s anything going on between Biel and Cooper, as much as their publicists would like to make it happen. He seems to like whatever Zellweger has going on (bangs of insanity) and Jessica seems to like whatever Justin has going on (?).