Barry King/Getty ImagesIt's no secret that Kate Beckinsale has a wicked sense of humor.
So, after Sarah Silverman announced earlier this week that she'd broken up with Michael Sheen last year, Beckinsale decided to lift her spirits—with a naughty little prank. "Been ending every night with a microwaved bowl of personalized m&ms given to me by the very thoughtful and very cruel @katebeckinsale to remind me that I'm alone in this world. So very alone," Silverman revealed on Instagram, sharing a photo of the customized candies. "THANKS, KATE." Seriously, the comedienne added, "They are so good esp. melted which is why the microwave."
Silverman then proceeded to answer fans' questions about how long to microwave M&M's in the microwave, instructing one fan, "41 secs on a flat plate. In my small narrow bowl I go 1:11."
And while many speculated that the M&M's were a post-break-up gift (and some thought a cruel one at that), Sarah set the record straight later on social media, writing that the sweet treated were given to her by the British beauty while she was still with Sheen.
The funny lady edited her initial comment and added a disclaimer to it: "I'm seeing stuff on Twitter about this and I need to clear up I'm KIDDING (good lord) she gave me these at Christmas before M & I broke up [sic]."
She also wrote a comment in the comments section and tagged Beckinsale, writing, "Thought my joke was so clear. So sorry for the day of 'Kate Beckinsale is CRUEL!' Press MY BAD!!!! I forgot people are dumb and also willfully ignorant when clickbait is concerned OH US [sic]."
Even before they shared a mutual ex in Sheen, Beckinsale and Silverman developed a close bond soon after the funnylady began dating the actor. "We get on really well. I mean, I love Sarah," Beckinsale said on The Talk in 2016. "I'd love her if she didn't have anything to do with Michael. I'm just glad Michael found her. I think, especially actors for some reason, they think you're throwing shoes at each other and plotting each other's death—we're not. She's lovely."
Sheen and Silverman began dating in 2014 after meeting on the set of Showtime's Masters of Sex. Borrowing a phrase from Gwyneth Paltrow, she tweeted Monday that they "consciously uncoupled" over the Christmas holiday last year. The reason, Silverman explained, was due to the fact that they live in different countries and it "got hard" to make their long-distance relationship work. "Felt we should just tell y'all so u stop askin, 'How's Michael/How's Sarah?'"
The actor has not commented on their breakup. Silverman's timing was admittedly odd, as she publicly announced their breakup on his 49th birthday. "Can u believe it?? He said I wasn't THOUGHTFUL. Jerk... Anyway, Happy Birthday, Michael..." she tweeted. "The joke here is I just realized I posted our breakup tweet on his actual birthday and I can't believe what a dick I am."