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A complete timeline of Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber's relationship

Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler at the 2022 Met Gala May 02, 2022.
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler at the 2022 Met Gala May 02, 2022.

Kevin Mazur/MG22/Getty Images

  • "Elvis" actor Austin Butler, 33, and model Kaia Gerber, 23, were romantically linked in late 2021.
  • The couple have now reportedly parted ways.
  • Here's a complete timeline of Butler and Gerber's relationship.
December 19, 2021: Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber were first spotted spending time together.
Austin Butler in Paris on October 04, 2021.
Austin Butler in Paris on October 04, 2021.

Edward Berthelot/Getty Images

According to Us Weekly, Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber attended a yoga class in Los Angeles on December 19, 2021. In photos obtained by Daily Mail, the "Zoey 101" star and the model can be seen talking together while walking on a sidewalk before driving away in Gerber's car. 

Three days later, the two were photographed packing their suitcases into a car before heading to the Los Angeles airport, per E! News.

The 23-year-old, whose own exes include Pete Davidson and Jacob Elordi, is the daughter of 1980s supermodel icon Cindy Crawford and business mogul Rande Gerber.

 

February 14, 2022: The two spent their first Valentine's Day together.
Kaia Gerber at the the 2021 Met Gala.
Kaia Gerber at the 2021 Met Gala.

Taylor Hill/WireImage/Getty Images

Butler and Gerber celebrated their first Valentine's Day together in London, England.

In photos obtained by Just Jared, the two were seen bundled up in coats as they enjoyed coffee and snacks in the UK capital.

 

 

March 24, 2022: Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber made their first official outing together.
Kaia Gerber in a black dress and Austin Butler in a black suit posing
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler at the W Magazine's Annual Best Performances Party 2023.

Presley Ann / Getty Images for W Magazine

Three months into their relationship, Butler and Gerber attended W Magazine's annual pre-Oscars Best Performances party together.

They were seen walking hand-in-hand into the party at Gigi's in Hollywood. The Instagram account for the outlet shared a photo of the two that showed Butler planting a kiss on Gerber's cheek and referred to the actor as Gerber's "boyfriend" in the caption.

 

May 2, 2022: They made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Met Gala.
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler arrive at the 2022 Met Gala May 02, 2022
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler arrive at the 2022 Met Gala May 02, 2022.

Kevin Mazur/MG22/Getty Images for The Met Museum/Vogue

The young lovers opted to walk the red carpet separately as Butler officially attended the event with Elvis Presley's widow, Priscilla Presley, according to People.

However, they later joined together and posed for photographers when they reached the top of the Metropolitan Museum of Art staircase.

 

May 25, 2022: Butler and Gerber kiss on the red carpet following the premiere of "Elvis" at Cannes.
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler embracing after the screening of "Elvis" during the 75th annual Cannes film festival.
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler embracing after the screening of "Elvis" during the 75th annual Cannes film festival.

Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images

Gerber joined Butler at the 75th annual Cannes Film Festival where his new movie, "Elvis," premiered. Again, they walked the red carpet separately but were photographed holding each other's faces and kissing. 

 

July 28, 2022: Gerber appears in Butler's Elvis-inspired photoshoot.
Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in "Elvis."
Austin Butler as Elvis Presley in "Elvis."

Warner Bros. Pictures

Gerber — or part of her, at least — appeared in Butler's photo shoot for V Magazine's VMAN 49's fall-winter 2022 issue. In two photos that show Butler with his back toward the camera and dressed in an Elvis Presley-esque outfit, Gerber's arms can be seen draped around his neck. 

Although her face and body were hidden from the camera, Gerber's "I know" wrist tattoo can be seen in both shots.

 

January 10, 2023: Gerber and Butler are seen kissing backstage at the Golden Globes.
Kaia Gerber in a grey dress and Austin Butler in a black suit walking down stairs.
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler at the TIME100 Gala 2023.

Nina Westervelt / Variety via Getty Images

Butler won his first Golden Globe Award for his portrayal of the King of Rock n' Roll and was caught on camera sharing a kiss with Gerber backstage after giving his acceptance speech to the audience.

March 12, 2023: Gerber and Butler also attended the Vanity Fair Oscars party together.
Kaia Gerber in a silver dress and Austin Butler in a black suit posing
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler at the 2023 Vanity Fair Oscars Party.

Karwai Tang / WireImage

Butler missed his opportunity to win his first Oscar after the best actor award went to Brendan Fraser. While Gerber was nowhere to be seen on the red carpet for the main event, she supported her boyfriend afterward at the Vanity Fair Oscars party.

March 30, 2023: Gerber and Butler volunteer together at a children's hospital in LA.
Kaia Gerber in a grey dress and Austin Butler in a black suit posing
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler at TIME100 Gala 2023.

Taylor Hill / FilmMagic

On March 30, the official Instagram account for Children's Hospital L.A. shared that Butler and Gerber had visited the patients there during their Make March Matter campaign. In some of the photographs and videos, Butler can be seen teaching the children how to play the guitar.

August 2023: Gerber and Butler are spotted attending Taylor Swift's Eras Tour in LA.
taylor swift eras tour
Taylor Swift performs during the Eras Tour.

Emma McIntyre/TAS23/Getty Images for TAS Rights Management

Taylor Swift's 2023 Eras Tour was attended by several celebrities, especially at the LA concerts.

Numerous videos shared on social media showed Butler and Gerber attending one of Swift's concerts at LA's SoFi Stadium.

While Butler went to the concert incognito, wearing a face mask and a cap, Gerber was not shy about being at the event and even received friendship bracelets from fans.

August 17, 2023: Gerber and Austin celebrate the actor's 32nd birthday together.
Kaia Gerber in a grey dress and Austin Butler in a black suit sitting at a table
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler at TIME100 Gala 2023.

Sean Zanni / Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

According to People, Butler and Gerber were spotted on August 17 spending time together in LA and going to lunch, presumably to mark Butler's 32nd birthday.

October 2023: Butler supported Gerber during Paris Fashion Week.
Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber photographed in December 2023.
Austin Butler and Kaia Gerber photographed in December 2023.

James Devaney/GC Images/Getty Images

According to People, the "Bikeriders" actor watched on as Gerber opened the Valentino Womenswear Spring/Summer 2024 show during Paris Fashion Week.

October 27, 2023: The couple attended a Halloween party dressed as Andy Warhol and Edie Sedgwick.
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler attend the Annual Casamigos Halloween Party on October 27, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler attend the Annual Casamigos Halloween Party on October 27, 2023 in Los Angeles, California.

Michael Kovac/Getty Images for Casamigos

The couple attended a party put on by Casamigos, the tequila brand her father Rande Gerber cofounded with George Clooney and Mike Meldman.

January 7, 2025: Reports emerged that Butler and Gerber had split up.
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler at the TIME100 Gala held at Frederick P. Rose Hall on April 26, 2023 in New York City.
Kaia Gerber and Austin Butler at the TIME100 Gala in April 2023.

Nina Westervelt/Variety via Getty Images

On January 7, TMZ reported that the couple had split up after around three years of dating, citing unnamed sources with direct knowledge of the situation.

People later said a source had confirmed the news.

Neither outlet shared the reason behind Butler and Gerber's reported decision to part ways, although TMZ said that the relationship had ended around the end of 2024.

Read the original article on Business Insider

A complete timeline of the controversy between 'It Ends With Us' actors Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni

Blake Lively; Justin Baldoni
Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni star in "It Ends With Us," which Baldoni also directed.

Lia Toby/Getty Images, James Devaney/Getty Images

  • Rumors of a feud between "It Ends with Us" costars Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni kicked off in August 2024.
  • Months later, Lively filed a sexual-harassment complaint against Baldoni and accused him of a smear campaign.
  • Baldoni filed a $250 million libel lawsuit against The New York Times for its story on Lively's complaint.

The "It Ends With Us" press tour in the summer of 2024 was overshadowed by rumor and speculation.

Ahead of the film's release in August 2024, fans suspected a feud between lead star Blake Lively and Justin Baldoni, her costar and director.

Some blamed Lively without knowing what caused their apparent falling-out and criticized her on social media.

The film survived the backlash and became one of the biggest hits of the summer, grossing $350 million worldwide.

In December 2024, Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni.

Here's everything we know about the situation.

Baldoni did not interact with other cast members at press events.

Blake Lively with Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Tammy Reynolds, and Brandon Sklenar at the New York premiere of"It Ends With Us."
Blake Lively with Hugh Jackman, Ryan Reynolds, Tammy Reynolds, and Brandon Sklenar at the New York premiere of "It Ends With Us."

John Nacion/Variety via Getty Images

Fans suspected that something was amiss when Baldoni and Lively didn't interact during the press tour, despite playing partners in the film.

Lively teamed up with costars Brandon Sklenar and Isabela Ferrer for press events and with Colleen Hoover, the author of the book the film is based on, for interviews and TV spots. Meanwhile, Baldoni did a lot of solo press.

When they both attended the New York premiere on August 6, they were not photographed together.

Lively posed with her castmates, Hoover, her husband Ryan Reynolds, and Hugh Jackman, his "Deadpool & Wolverine" costar. Meanwhile, Baldoni was photographed with his wife and some of the other producers who worked on the film.

While speaking to Entertainment Tonight on the carpet at the New York premiere, Baldoni said why he was stepping back from the limelight.

Justin Baldoni did not pose for photographs with his castmates at the New York premiere of "It Ends With Us." He skipped the London premiere altogether.
Justin Baldoni did not pose for photographs with his castmates at the New York premiere of "It Ends With Us."

John Nacion/Getty Images

"This isn't my night — this is a night for all the women who we made this movie for," he said." This is a night for Blake, this is a night for Colleen. I'm just so grateful that we're here, five years in the making."

Regardless of his comments, fans theorized about the potential drama between the two on social media.

The speculation intensified after a user on the r/ColleenHoover subreddit posted on August 6, 2024, that Lively and Hoover did not follow Baldoni on Instagram. Fans also noticed that the film's other stars, including Sklenar, Ferrer, and Jenny Slate, did not follow Baldoni.

Justin Baldoni and Colleen Hoover seemed to be on good terms during the movie's production in 2023. Hoover now does not follow Baldoni on Instagram.
Justin Baldoni and Colleen Hoover seemed to be on good terms during the movie's production in 2023.

Jojo Whilden/Sony Pictures Ent.

Business Insider could not verify whether they previously followed him.

Baldoni followed all of them except Hoover.

Fans wondered if the apparent beef was one-sided or if Baldoni was at the center of a wider fracture, especially since, during pre-production, Hoover and Baldoni appeared on each other's Instagram feeds multiple times.

Adding to this theory was a clip of Slate seemingly sidestepping a question about Baldoni at the movie's New York premiere. Asked about having Baldoni as both a scene partner and a director, she responded by not mentioning him and instead speaking about how "intense" it must be to do both jobs.

i just found out about the whole 'it ends with us' cast drama and omg they asked her what it was like to work with justin and she completely ignored the question 💀 pic.twitter.com/2DdlmvxS4x

— leah doesn't do cocaine (@camis_unicorn) August 7, 2024

Fans turn on Lively.

Blake Lively photographed at the New York premiere of "It Ends With Us."
Blake Lively at the New York premiere of "It Ends With Us."

Charly Triballeau/AFP via Getty Images

Many fans blamed Lively for the feud, accusing her of trying to take over the film.

This theory was supported by Baldoni and Lively's interviews in the lead-up to the premiere.

On August 9, 2024, Baldoni told Today that Lively and Reynolds, who was not a producer on the film, contributed significantly to it.

"You can't summarize Blake's contribution in a sentence, because her energy and imprint is all over the movie and really, really made the film better, and from beginning to end," Baldoni said.

Baldoni also said he struggled to balance allowing collaboration and having his voice drowned out entirely.

He said: "You don't have to listen to everybody, and that didn't happen all the time, but there were just moments where I would get out of the way too much."

Baldoni said Lively should take over as director to adapt the sequel to the "It Ends With Us" novel, "It Starts with Us."

Meanwhile, Lively told E! News on August 7, 2024, that Reynolds helped pen the opening scene of "It Ends With Us."

The film's screenwriter Christy Hal told People a day later that she wasn't aware that Reynolds had written some of the dialogue used in the final version of the script.

"When I saw a cut, I was like, 'Oh, that's cute. That must have been a cute improvised thing,'" Hall said. "So if I'm being told that Ryan wrote that, then great, how wonderful."

Fans' other grievance was about how Lively promoted the movie.

The film is about a florist whose husband becomes abusive, and fans criticized Lively for speaking about the film's romantic elements during the press tour and less about the domestic abuse plot. This was in line with the film's marketing.

Baldoni was the only cast member who consistently spoke about the domestic abuse element.

A clip of Lively acting hostile toward a reporter in a 2016 interview resurfaced amid the 'It Ends With Us' drama.

Journalist Kjersti Flaa released a clip of an interview with Blake Lively on August 10, 2024, titled "The Blake Lively interview that made me want to quit my job."

"It actually took me a while to get over the experience," Flaa told BI in an email on August 19, 2024.

"Every time I entered a room after this I got nervous that something similar might happen again," she wrote.

Lively's costar made a statement asking people to stop focusing on 'what may or may not have happened.'

Sklenar, who plays Lively's other love interest in "It Ends With Us," spoke out about the backlash toward the film in an Instagram post on August 20, 2024.

"Colleen and the women of this cast stand for hope, perseverance, and for women choosing a better life for themselves. Vilifying the women who put so much of their heart and soul into making this film because they believe so strongly in its message seems counterproductive and detracts from what this film is about," he said.

"This film is meant to inspire. It's meant to validate and recognize," Sklenar added. "It is not meant to once again, make women the 'bad guy,' let's move beyond that together."

Representatives for Baldoni, Lively, Reynolds, Hoover, and Sklenar did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.

Lively filed a complaint against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment.

Blake Lively wearing a yellow shirt and holding a clear glass award at the Beauty Inc Awards 2024.
Blake Lively at the 2024 Beauty Inc Awards.

Katie Jones / Beauty Inc via Getty Images

On December 20, 2024, Lively filed a legal complaint against Baldoni, accusing him of sexual harassment, retaliation, breach of contract, inflicting "emotional distress," and conspiring to damage her public reputation.

The complaint also named Wayfarer Studios, Baldoni's production company, and Jamey Heath, the company's CEO, as two of the 11 defendants.

In the complaint, Lively said an all-hands meeting about Baldoni and Heath's behavior on set was held in January 2023. She accused him of showing her nude videos and images of women, improvising kissing scenes or intimate scenes, and entering her trailer while she was naked.

Lively said Heath and Baldoni responded by hiring Melissa Nathan, a crisis PR representative, and a Texas-based contractor named Jed Wallace, both defendants in the complaint, to orchestrate a "multi-tiered" plan to "destroy" her public reputation and stop her or anyone else from speaking out about what happened on set.

She also claimed that the cast agreed to a marketing plan created by the film's distributor, Sony Pictures Entertainment, to avoid talking about the sad parts of the movie, which Baldoni broke away from.

"What the public did not know was that Mr. Baldoni and his team did so to explain why many of the Film's cast and crew had unfollowed Mr. Baldoni on social media and were not appearing with him in public," the complaint said.

Baldoni's attorney said Lively blamed Baldoni in the hope of improving her reputation.

Justin Baldoni on the TODAY Show on August 08, 2024.
Justin Baldoni in August 2024.

Nathan Congleton/NBC via Getty Images

Bryan Freedman, an attorney for Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios, told BI in a statement after the complaint was filed: "It is shameful that Ms. Lively and her representatives would make such serious and categorically false accusations against Mr. Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios and its representatives, as yet another desperate attempt to 'fix' her negative reputation, which was garnered from her own remarks and actions during the campaign for the film; interviews and press activities that were observed publicly, in real time and unedited, which allowed for the internet to generate their own views and opinions."

Freedman said Nathan was hired because Lively made multiple demands and threatened not to show up to set or promote the film if they were not met.

When asked to respond to Freedman, a representative for Lively referred BI to a statement shared with The New York Times on December 21, 2024: "I hope that my legal action helps pull back the curtain on these sinister retaliatory tactics to harm people who speak up about misconduct and helps protect others who may be targeted."

On December 24, 2024, publicist Stephanie Jones sued Baldoni, his film studio, Melissa Nathan, and Jennifer Abel, a former employee of Jones' PR company, for breach of contract and defamation.

In the suit, Jones also alleged Baldoni and the PRs orchestrated a smear campaign against Lively. Jones said this was done behind her back while her company was working with Baldoni until August 2024, when Baldoni and Wayfarer Studios stopped working with the company.

In the following days, Hoover and other stars reacted to the lawsuit.

Lively's costars from 2005's "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants" — America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel — shared a joint statement supporting Lively after she made the complaint.

Hoover and Sklenar, who worked on "It Ends With Us," seemed to both throw their support behind Lively by sharing her links to her allegations on their Instagram stories.

"@blakelively, you have been nothing but honest, kind, supportive and patient since the day we met," Hoover wrote in her story post. "Thank you for being exactly the human that you are. Never change. Never wilt."

The complaint has affected Baldoni's career.

A picture of Justin Baldoni in a suit standing behind a podium with a mic and a gold bird-like award on it.
Justin Baldoni's Voices of Solidarity Award has been rescinded.

Bryan Bedder / Getty Images for Vital Voices Global Partnership

On December 21, 2024, The New York Times reported that Ari Emanuel, chief executive of the parent company that owns Baldoni's talent agency, William Morris Endeavor, said the agency had stopped representing him.

On December 9, 2024, before the complaint was released, Vital Voices, a nonprofit organization that supports women leaders, awarded Baldoni the Voices of Solidarity Award to honor his advocacy work for women.

On December 23, 2024, Vital Voices said in a statement on their website that they had rescinded the award.

"The communications among Mr. Baldoni and his publicists included in the lawsuit — and the PR effort they indicate — are, alone, contrary to the values of Vital Voices and the spirit of the Award," the statement read.

Baldoni and others filed a lawsuit against The New York Times.

Justin Baldoni
Baldoni and others filed a defamation lawsuit against The New York Times.

Araya Doheny/Variety via Getty Images

Baldoni, Wayfarer Studios, and others mentioned in a New York Times story that detailed Lively's accusations against Baldoni filed a lawsuit against the newspaper on December 31, 2024.

The lawsuit, obtained by BI, said the Times' story published on December 21, 2024, "relied almost entirely on Lively's unverified and self-serving narrative." It also accused the Times of "disregarding an abundance of evidence that contradicted her claims and exposed her true motives."

The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, contained screenshots of messages that it said contradicted the Times' reporting.

In a statement provided to BI after the lawsuit was filed, a Times spokesperson said the newspaper stood by its reporting and would "vigorously defend against the lawsuit."

"Our story was meticulously and responsibly reported. It was based on a review of thousands of pages of original documents, including the text messages and emails that we quote accurately and at length in the article," the statement said.

The outlet also published its full statement responding to the allegations.

In a statement provided to BI after Baldoni's lawsuit was filed, Freedman, the plaintiffs' lawyer, said Lively had orchestrated a "vicious smear campaign" and that the Times "cowered to the wants and whims of two powerful 'untouchable' Hollywood elites."

Freedman also said that they would also sue other individuals "who have abused their power to try and destroy the lives of my clients."

In a statement provided to BI about Baldoni's suit, Lively's lawyers said: "Nothing in this lawsuit changes anything about the claims advanced in Ms. Lively's California Civil Rights Department Complaint, nor her federal complaint."

Lively filed her own lawsuit in New York.

Blake Lively
Blake Lively filed a lawsuit against Baldoni, The Hollywood Reporter said.

ETIENNE LAURENT/AFP via Getty Images

The same day Baldoni filed his lawsuit against the Times, Lively filed a lawsuit against him, Wayfarer, and others in New York federal court.

Representatives for Lively said the lawsuit, which was obtained by BI, was based on the legal complaint Lively previously filed with the California Civil Rights Department. The lawsuit accuses Baldoni and his PR team of engaging in a campaign to retaliate against her for speaking out about sexual misconduct.

"Unfortunately, Ms. Lively's decision to speak out has resulted in further retaliation and attacks," her lawyers said in a statement provided to BI. "As alleged in Ms. Lively's federal Complaint, Wayfarer and its associates have violated federal and California state law by retaliating against her for reporting sexual harassment and workplace safety concerns."

Representatives for Baldoni and Wayfarer did not address the lawsuit filed by Lively when reached by BI.

Baldoni's lawyer accused Reynolds of teasing the actor with a 'Deadpool & Wolverine' character.

A screengrab from "Deadpool & Wolverine" showing Ryan Reynolds with long hair.
Ryan Reynolds plays Nicepool in "Deadpool & Wolverine."

Marvel Studios

In early January 2025, Freedman said in multiple interviews that Baldoni planned to file a countersuit against Lively alongside the lawsuit against the Times.

On January 7, Freedman told SiriusXM's "The Megyn Kelly Show," "It's not going to be just a lawsuit. It's going to be the kind of lawsuit that is full of evidence, admissions, documents, which prove exactly what she did and how she bullied her way through the process to take over the movie and used her PR people to try and destroy Justin."

Freedman said Leslie Sloane, Lively's PR; Jones, Baldoni's former PR; and Reynolds will be co-defendants in the suit.

Freedman alleged Reynolds used his influence to help Lively take over "It Ends With Us" and to mock Baldoni on "Deadpool and Wolverine," referring to a new character in the film called Nicepool.

In the film, which premiered in July 2024 and was the second highest-grossing movie of 2024, Nicepool, a version of Deadpool from an alternate dimension whose face has not been disfigured, makes jokes about a woman's pregnancy weight, claims to be a feminist and wears a man bun.

Freedman alleged this was based on Baldoni, who was known to wear a hair bun in the past and has a reputation for being a feminist.

In the movie, Nicepool is eventually killed by Ladypool, a female version of Deadpool from an alternate dimension played by Lively.

"What I make of that is that if your wife is sexually harassed, you don't make fun of Justin Baldoni," Freedman said. "You don't make fun of the situation. You take it very seriously. You file HR complaints. You raise the issue and you follow a legal process. What you don't do is mock the person and turn it into a joke."

Read the original article on Business Insider

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