Skylar Laine Fights Rumors That She’s Dating ‘American Idol’ Peer Colton Dixon

Ryan Seacrest started a playful rumor on ‘American Idol‘ this week, repeatedly asking country fireball Skylar Laine and her fellow hopeful Colton Dixon if they are dating. After the two dueted to Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson‘s ‘Don’t You Wanna Stay’ — their second duet together — the dating jokes began. Of course, the same thing happened to Phillip Phillips and Elise Testone after their duet. Apparently, there’s just something about onstage chemistry that gets the rumors flying.

And while Laine and Dixon both deny dating rumors, the two seem to be having fun with the whole thing and not taking it too seriously. When Zap2It asked Laine if she and Dixon were a real-life couple, the country gal said, “No! We don’t want anyone dating. That would be weird because they’re all our family!” And she’s right — they do all act like family. In this family, Joshua Ledet would be the teasing brother.

“Skylar and Colton have been dating ever since Hollywood Week,” he told the news source, smiling. ”Excuse me while I punch him out,” Laine countered. Sound like family yet? Hollie Cavanagh, who is actually Laine’s roommate for the show, teased, ”Colton and Skylar are dating.” But then she quickly came clean, clarifying, “Just kidding. Colton and Skylar are not dating.”

“They’re just married,” offers Ledet. What a brother! In reality, we know the two aren’t dating, but it is pretty funny to see how they handle all the rumors and questions, and we love that they’re not uptight about it. In fact, if anyone had a right to be annoyed by all this back and forth, it seems it would be Laine’s boyfriend of three years, 20-year-old Joseph Dominick. But even he seems to be laid-back about the whole thing, cheering for his girlfriend and letting her enjoy her time on the show.

“She texted me after the show and told me she missed me and couldn’t wait to see me,” Dominick said in an interview a couple weeks ago. “I’m happy because she’s happy.” Though he said he doesn’t have the money to fly out to California to see his girl perform live, Dominick is holding down the fort back home, hanging signs and getting people excited about her career.

“I really don’t care about going to the show or any of that stuff,” he said. “I just want to give her a hug and tell her how proud I am of her.” Now how much do you love that kid?