The company has faced mechanical problems, lawsuits, a leadership shake-up, and layoffs.
Here's a breakdown of how Boeing's year has gone from bad to worse.
Boeing has been going through it this year.
From losing a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight, causing a side panel to blow out in midair, to an exodus of corporate executives, the company has faced a litany of crises in 2024. The company's stock has fallen about 35% this year.
In a message to employees during the company's third-quarter earnings call, Boeing CEO Kely Ortberg said the company was at a "crossroads."
"My mission here is pretty straightforward," she said. "Turn this big ship in the right direction and restore Boeing to the leadership position that we all know and want."
Here's how Boeing's year went from bad to worse.
Emergency on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282
The problems began almost immediately this year when, on January 5, Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 lost a door plug midair, blowing a hole in the side of the plane. While no one died in the incident, several passengers were injured, and the pilots were forced to make an emergency landing in Portland, Oregon.
In the aftermath of the incident, the FAA temporarily grounded over 170 of Boeing's 737 Max 9 planes until they could complete safety inspections.
Passengers from the Alaska Airlines flight filed a class action suit against the company just days after the incident.
"Passengers were shocked and confused, thrust into a waking nightmare unsure if these were their last seconds alive," the lawsuit said.
Boeing's shareholders filed a separate class action suit against the company in January, stating that it had prioritized profit over safety, Reuters reported.
Separately, in July, Boeing struck a plea deal related to two 737 Max crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people. If a judge had approved the deal, it would have allowedBoeing to plead guilty to conspiracy to commit fraud, avoid a trial, pay a fine of about $244 million, and invest at least $455 million in safety and compliance measures.
Boeing agreed to pay $2.5 billion in 2021 in a deal with the federal government to avoid prosecution for the crashes, but Justice Department officials said in May that Boeing had violated portions of the deal, putting a trial back on the table. Relatives of the deceased passengers asked a Texas judge in Octoberto throw out the agreement, which they called a "sweetheart" deal. The families have previously called for the company to pay a fine amounting to nearly $25 billion.
In December, the judge rejected the deal. A lawyer representing families who lost people in the 2019 crash told BI that they "anticipate a significant renegotiation of the plea deal that incorporates terms truly commensurate with the gravity of Boeing's crimes."
FAA audit of Boeing's safety procedures
The Federal Aviation Administration commissioned a report into Boeing following the fatal 2018 and 2019 crashes — and the results published in February weren't good news for the company.
The FAA report found 27 insufficient areas in Boeing's safety procedures, including no clear system for employees to report safety concerns, confusing management structures, and poor communication with employees about safety procedures.
The latest statement from the FAA about Boeing's compliance to remedy the safety issues was published in August. It said the agency continues "actively monitoring Boeing's progress in a variety of ways," including regular reviews by FAA experts of Boeing's safety procedures and issuing airworthiness certificates for every newly produced Boeing 737 Max.
The FAA itself has faced scrutiny for its oversight of Boeing. A report from the Department of Transportation's Office of the Inspector General in October found the agency's checks were insufficient.
Exodus of Boeing executives
In March, Boeing announced a leadership shake-up.
CEO Dan Calhoun said he would step down. Stan Deal, the CEO of the company's commercial airplanes division, said he would retire. In the same announcement, board chair Larry Kellner announced his plan not to seek reelection.
Stephanie Pope, the company's COO, was promoted to replace Deal shortly after his departure. At the end of July, Kelly Ortbergwas named the company's new CEO.
Ted Colbert, who headed Boeing's defense, space, and security division, became the first prominent executive to leave the company after Ortberg took over. Colbert's departure was announced in September.
Stranded astronauts
The aerospace company faced another high-profile problem in June when NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams traveled to the International Space Station on Boeing's CST-100 Starliner spaceship. It marked the first time Boeing flew astronauts to space.
The astronauts left Earth on June 5 and were supposed to return after eight days, but issues with Starliner's thrusters and helium leaks caused delays. NASA and Boeing began troubleshooting the problems to bring Wilmore and Williams back home. However, in late July, the two astronauts were still stuck at the International Space Station.
NASA's Commercial Crew Program manager, Steve Stich, said in a press briefing that month that Elon Musk's SpaceX could bring home the astronauts if needed. After working with Boeing to determine whether the two astronauts could safely return to Earth on Starliner, NASA announced in August that it chose SpaceX to do the job instead.
"Spaceflight is risky," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said during a press conference. "Even at its safest. Even at its most routine. A test flight, by nature, is neither safe nor routine. So, the decision to keep Butch and Suni aboard the International Space Station, and bring the Boeing Starliner home un-crewed, is a result of a commitment to safety."
The decision was a major blow to Boeing, which spent $4.2 billion developing Starliner. Wilmore and Williams' flight was the final step Boeing needed to clear for NASA to certify Starliner for human spaceflight. It highlighted just how far Boeing lags behind its competitor, SpaceX.
Wilmore and Williams are now expected to return to Earth in 2025 on SpaceX's Crew Dragon spaceship, which launched for the International Space Station in September. The astronauts were initially set to return home in February, but NASA announced they would be delayed until March as SpaceX readies its spaceship.
Union strike
Thousands of unionized Boeing employees walked out in September after contract negotiations broke down.
The strike began despite a promising pay package proposal, which would have raised wages by more than 25% over the contract period for more than 32,000 employees in the Pacific Northwest.
Ultimately, union workers denied the proposal and voted to initiate a strike, which is costing the company about $50 million a day.
Negotiations stalled, with both sides filing National Labor Relations Board violations accusing the other of negotiating in bad faith.
Boeing and union leaders reached a tentative deal on October 19 that included a 35% general wage increase spread over four years and a one-time ratification bonus of $7,000.
"After 10 years of sacrifice, we still have ground to make up. We hope to resume negotiations promptly," the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers said on X.
The 53-day strike ended in early November when workers approved a new contract.
Layoffs
Boeing began furloughs of white-collar workers in mid-September after the strike began. Select employees were required to take one week off every four weeks on a rolling basis.
Ortberg, in a staff memo, also announced that executive leadership would take a "commensurate pay reduction for the duration of the strike," though details of the pay reduction remain unclear.
Layoffs began several weeks later. In mid-October, Boeing announced plans to lay off about 10% of its 170,000-member workforce.
In a memo to employees, Ortberg said Boeing was in a "difficult position" and that "restoring our company requires tough decisions."
The company also delayed production of its 777X twin-engine jet and discontinued production of its 767 cargo plane, the memo noted.
Production delays with the Boeing 777X plane
The experimental 777X is Boeing's newest widebody plane, banking 481 orders from more than a dozen global carriers even though regulators have not yet approved it to fly passengers.
But the aircraft has been riddled with production problems — like supply chain issues, design troubles, and now the ongoing strike — which have already put it five years behind schedule and set Boeing back $1.5 billion.
That hole will likely deepen with the latest entry delay to 2026, further eroding the industry's trust in Boeing's 777X program. It could also push carriers to choose Boeing's European rival Airbus and its already-in-service Airbus A350.
The aircraft is still uncertified but started certification flight testing in July. Testing was halted in August due to a problem with a key part that connects the engine to the aircraft, CNBC reported.
Production troubles with Boeing's 737 MAX aircraft
The FAA announced in January that it would not grant any production expansions of Boeing's MAX aircraft, including the 737 MAX 9, following the emergency on Alaska Airlines Flight 1282.
"The Jan. 5 Boeing 737-9 MAX incident must never happen again," the FAA said in a press release said.
FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker said Boeing would not be cleared to expand production or add additional production lines for the 737 MAX "until we are satisfied that the quality control issues uncovered during this process are resolved," according to the press release.
Boeing held a three-hour meeting with the FAA in June to address safety and quality concerns. Afterward, Whitaker spoke at a press conference, where he told a reporter that expanding production of 737 MAX planes was still up in the air.
The FAA told Business Insider, "This is about systemic change, and there's a lot of work to be done. Boeing must meet milestones, and the timing of our decisions will be driven by their ability to do so."
The agency added: "Boeing has delivered a roadmap to change its safety culture, and the FAA will make sure Boeing implements the changes they have outlined. We will not approve production increases beyond the current cap until we're satisfied they've followed through on implementing corrective actions and transforming their safety culture."
Sam Salehpour, a Boeing engineer, testified at an April Senate hearing that the company ignored his reports on safety concerns, that his boss retaliated against him, and that he received threats against his physical safety.
The Senate subcommittee investigating Boeing's safety and quality practices released a 204-page report in June. The report included accounts from several whistleblowers.
Sam Mohawk, a Boeing quality assurance inspector, said the company lost track of hundreds of bad 737 parts and instructed employees to conceal improperly stored plane parts from FAA inspectors.
Another whistleblower, Richard Cuevas, wrote in a June complaint to the FAA that holes were being incorrectly drilled on Boeing's 787 Dreamliner planes.
Money woes
In a sign of how Boeing's problems have hurt its bottom line, the company said in a regulatory filing to the SEC in October that it had entered a $10 billion credit agreement with four major banks: JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs, Bank of America, and Citibank.
The company also filed a prospectus saying it might sell up to $25 billion in securities.
"These are two prudent steps to support the company's access to liquidity," Boeing said in a statement.
While workers were on strike, Bank of America analysts estimated that thework stoppage cost Boeing $50 million a day.
Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle began dating in 2018 and became a GOP power couple.
Page Six reported their breakup in December after Trump Jr. was seen with a Florida socialite.
Donald Trump chose Guilfoyle to serve as ambassador to Greece in his administration.
Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle have reportedly broken up after six years of dating.
Trump Jr., President-elect Donald Trump's oldest son, and Guilfoyle, a Trump campaign advisor and former Fox News host, began dating in 2018. Guilfoyle confirmed their engagement in 2022.
Once called "the prom king and queen of MAGA land," the pair bolstered Donald Trump's 2024 presidential run with primetime addresses at the Republican National Convention and appeared at rallies across the US in support of Trump's campaign.
In December, Trump Jr. was photographed holding hands with Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson. He stopped short of confirming that his relationship with Guilfoyle had ended, but said in a statement to Page Six that "Kimberly and I will never stop caring for each other and will always keep a special bond."
Guilfoyle will remain in the Trump orbit as the president-elect's pick for ambassador to Greece.
Trump Jr., Guilfoyle, and Anderson did not respond to Business Insider's requests for comment.
Here's a timeline of Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle's relationship.
November 2007: Donald Trump Jr. and Kimberly Guilfoyle ran in the same circles before they started dating.
Guilfoyle and Trump Jr. were photographed together at events in New York City in 2007 and 2008. At the time, they were in other relationships.
Guilfoyle was married to Democratic politician Gavin Newsom from 2001 to 2006, and she was first lady of San Francisco during his time as mayor. After they divorced, she married businessman Eric Villency in 2006 and had a son in 2007. The couple divorced in 2009.
Trump Jr. married model Vanessa Haydon in 2005. They divorced in March 2018 and share five children.
June 2008: They posed for another photo with their then-spouses at an event in New York City.
The Washington Post reported that Guilfoyle and Trump Jr. became friends when her son, Ronan, went to the same private school in Manhattan as his oldest daughter, Kai.
May 2018: Three months after Trump Jr.'s wife Vanessa filed for divorce, Page Six reported that he and Guilfoyle were dating.
Guilfoyle started as a legal analyst at CNN and eventually became a co-host on the Fox News show "The Five." She left Fox News in 2018 amid reports of sexual harassment, for which the network paid her former assistant a multimillion-dollar settlement, and joined the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action.
Guilfoyle had been connected to the Trump family for years and was in talks to become the White House press secretary, USA Today reported.
Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle began dating in April 2018. That May, Page Six reported that they made their debut as a couple at a send-off party for the Trump administration's ambassador to Germany, Richard Grenell.
June 2018: They made their relationship Instagram official.
Trump Jr. posted their first Instagram photo together with Bret Michaels of the band Poison. Guilfoyle also shared the image on her profile.
June 2018: Guilfoyle accompanied Trump Jr. to the Montana Republican Convention.
Trump Jr. thanked Guilfoyle in his convention speech as his "significant other," Vanity Fair reported.
"We're going to take her fishing tomorrow, then shooting," he said. "This is a miniature test to see if she really likes it, or if she's going to pretend to like it, but either way we're going to have a good time — or at least I will."
August 2018: Page Six reported that they had nicknamed each other "Pooh Bear" and "Junior Mint."
Guilfoyle and Trump Jr. were overheard calling each other pet names during a weekend in Southampton, New York, Page Six reported. Guilfoyle reportedly called Trump Jr. "Junior Mint," which Page Six speculated was a reference to his bank account, and Trump Jr. dubbed Guilfoyle "Pooh Bear."
September 2018: They returned to Montana to campaign for Matt Rosendale, the Republican challenger of incumbent Democratic Sen. Jon Tester.
Rosendale lost the 2018 midterm election, and Tester was reelected to a third term in the US Senate.
November 2018: Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle walked arm-in-arm at the National Christmas Tree lighting on the National Mall in Washington, DC.
The tree lighting featured performances from Abby Anderson, "The Voice" contestant Spensha Baker, and "American Idol" contestant Gabby Barrett, according to the event's official website.
February 2019: They attended New York Fashion Week together.
Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle sat in the front row at a Zang Toi runway show.
May 2019: After joining the Trump campaign as a senior advisor in April, Guilfoyle made several appearances at rallies.
Guilfoyle spoke at a rally at the Williamsport Regional Airport in Montoursville, Pennsylvania, in May 2019, and Trump's 2020 campaign kick-off rally in Orlando that June. She and Trump Jr. were side-by-side at the events.
"She's definitely made Don Jr. more serious," R. Couri Hay, a New York publicist, told Business Insider as part of a profile on Guilfoyle. "She's had years and years on TV. She's helped guide and train and been very influential in Don's increasingly very secure, very formidable, very opinionated television personality."
"They are like the prom king and queen of MAGA land," a senior Trump advisor told Business Insider.
October 2019: Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle embraced onstage while speaking at the University of Florida.
Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle were paid $50,000 from student activity fees for their appearance, The Washington Post reported. The event drew hundreds of student protesters outside the auditorium.
November 2019: Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle were asked about their marriage plans during a joint appearance on "The View."
"You and your family have hurt a lot of people and put a lot of people through a lot of pain," co-host Meghan McCain said to Trump Jr., naming Trump's attacks on a family whose son was killed while serving in the US Army in Iraq. "Does all of this make you feel good?"
Trump Jr. replied, "I don't think any of that makes me feel good, but I do think that we got into this because we wanted to do what's right for America."
In an attempt to "end on a light note," co-host Abby Huntsman asked Guilfoyle and Trump Jr. about when they're getting married.
"Oh my God," Guilfoyle said, grinning at Trump Jr. and saying they were more focused on getting Trump reelected.
August 2020: Trump Jr. watched Guilfoyle record her heated speech for the Republican National Convention.
"President Trump is the leader who will rebuild the promise of America and ensure that every citizen can realize their American dream!" Guilfoyle said in her RNC speech. "Ladies and gentlemen, leaders and fighters for freedom and liberty and the American dream, the best is yet to come!"
August 2020: They kissed onstage at a rally in Coplay, Pennsylvania.
Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle — both avid hunters — marked the launch of a coalition called Sportsmen for Trump.
October 2020: Guilfoyle joined Trump Jr. for a signing of his self-published book, "Liberal Privilege."
Trump Jr. held the book signing at a Marriott Hotel in Long Island, New York.
December 2020: Guilfoyle appeared in a Facebook Live video on Trump Jr.'s Facebook page wishing followers a merry Christmas.
As they expressed their gratitude to veterans and members of the military, Trump Jr. also joked on the Facebook Live stream that he was "reasonably thankful for Kimberly."
He also called Guilfoyle the "voice of reason" who makes sure that his tweets stay in check.
January 2021: They showed some PDA while campaigning before the Senate runoff in Georgia.
Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle kissed during a Republican National Committee Victory Rally at Dalton Regional Airport in Georgia.
Democratic candidates Jon Ossoff and Rev. Raphael Warnock beat respective Republican challengers David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler in the runoff election.
January 2021: Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle skipped President Joe Biden's inauguration and began looking for homes in Florida.
Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle skipped Biden's inauguration along with most of the Trump family, instead flying to Mar-a-Lago on Air Force One.
Upon arriving in Palm Beach, the couple began looking for waterfront homes in Admirals Cove, a gated community in Jupiter, Florida, The Palm Beach Post reported. They were reportedly in contracts to buy an $11 million seven-bedroom, 12-bathroom home that featured a wine room, theater, chef's kitchen, and guest wings. Guilfoyle herself was also looking at the $9.5 million two-story home next door that had six bedrooms and 11 bathrooms.
February 2021: Guilfoyle introduced Trump Jr.'s address at the Conservative Political Action Conference.
Trump Jr.'s speech, titled "Reigniting the Spirit of the American Dream," covered cancel culture, Liz Cheney, and "the MAGA movement as the future of the Republican Party."
March 2021: As their search for a Florida property continued, Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle sold their house in the Hamptons for $8 million.
The 9,200-square-foot Bridgehampton home sits on nearly 4 acres in a private gated community. It has seven bedrooms plus a heated outdoor pool, spa, and waterfall.
April 2021: The couple purchased a $9.7 million home in the gated Admirals Cove neighborhood of Jupiter, Florida, about 20 minutes from Mar-a-Lago.
The 11,300-square-foot waterfront estate features six bedrooms and 11 bathrooms, People magazine reported.
January 2022: Guilfoyle posted a photo with Trump Jr. where she appeared to be wearing a diamond ring on her left ring finger, sparking reports that the two had gotten engaged.
"Tonight was extra special celebrating @donaldjtrumpjr's birthday," Guilfoyle captioned the Instagram photo. "Don, you are strong, smart, courageous, funny and the love of my life. I can't wait to spend the rest of our lives together. Love you."
An unnamed source told The Daily Mail in January 2022 that the pair quietly got engaged on New Year's Eve in 2020, but neither Trump Jr. nor Guilfoyle had confirmed their engagement publicly.
"Kim has been wearing her engagement ring and both are very excited about blending their families," a source told People magazine.
February 2022: Guilfoyle confirmed their engagement in an Instagram post calling Trump Jr. her fiancé.
"Falling in love with my fiancé more and more every day," Guilfoyle wrote in a Valentine's Day Instagram post. "@donaldjtrumpjr, you're my best friend, my support system and my forever guy. Happy Valentine's Day, I love you and can't wait for the adventures that lie ahead."
November 2022: Guilfoyle and Trump Jr. attended Trump's 2024 campaign launch event.
Eric Trump, Lara Trump, and Jared Kushner were also in attendance, but Ivanka Trump skipped the event, saying in a statement that she was stepping back from politics.
December 2022: In an interview with Metropolitan Palm Beach magazine, Guilfoyle said she is "very traditional" in her relationship with Trump Jr.
"I love taking care of Don, the way I saw my mother lovingly take care of my father," Guilfoyle told Metropolitan Palm Beach magazine. "I go out of my way to make sure he has everything he needs — making coffee in the morning, cooking our favorite meals, doing our families' laundry, and caring for our home."
Guilfoyle also said that Trump Jr. loves that she is "traditional yet fiercely independent."
November 2023: Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle hit the campaign trail for Trump, appearing at a rally in Hialeah, Florida.
"America is Trump country!" Guilfoyle said in her speech.
April 2024: Trump Jr. marked their six-year anniversary on Instagram.
"Thanks for always being there no matter what the haters are throwing our way," Trump Jr. wrote on Instagram. "I love you."
The caption was accompanied by photos of Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle engaged in their hobbies of fishing and shooting, as well as a photo of them at the White House.
July 2024: Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle both spoke on the third night of the Republican National Convention.
Guilfoyle delivered a forceful RNC speech, warning viewers that the country is "closer to World War III than any time in my life."
Trump Jr. was introduced by his daughter, 17-year-old Kai Trump. He praised his father's bravery after the Pennsylvania shooting, calling him "Trump tough."
September 2024: Trump Jr. was spotted with Palm Beach socialite Bettina Anderson, sparking speculation that his relationship with Guilfoyle had ended.
In September, the Daily Mail reported that Trump Jr. was seen eating brunch with Bettina Anderson, a model, socialite, and founder and executive director of the wildlife conservation nonprofit Project Paradise. The outlet reported that Anderson was seen kissing Trump Jr. during their meal, raising questions about his relationship status with Guilfoyle.
Anderson did not respond to a request for comment.
November 2024: Trump Jr. and Guilfoyle appeared together at Trump's election night celebration after he won the race.
Amid rumors about their relationship, Guilfoyle and Trump Jr. continued to appear publicly together. They joined other Trump family members in celebrating Trump's victory on election night in Palm Beach.
December 2024: The day after Trump Jr. was seen holding hands with Anderson in Palm Beach, Trump announced Guilfoyle as his pick for ambassador to Greece.
Trump Jr. and Anderson were photographed leaving a Palm Beach restaurant while holding hands on Anderson's birthday, the Daily Mail reported. Anderson also tagged Trump Jr. in a photo on her Instagram story of a bouquet of flowers with a card reading, "Many have said you're aging out but I think you're perfect...happy birthday!"
The following day, Donald Trump announced he'd chosen Guilfoyle to serve as ambassador to Greece in his second White House administration.
"For many years, Kimberly has been a close friend and ally," Trump wrote on Truth Social. "Her extensive experience and leadership in law, media, and politics along with her sharp intellect make her supremely qualified to represent the United States, and safeguard its interests abroad."
"I am so proud of Kimberly," he wrote. "She loves America and she always has wanted to serve the country as an Ambassador. She will be an amazing leader for America First."
December 2024: In a statement to Page Six, Trump Jr. did not confirm his breakup with Guilfoyle but said that they "will never stop caring for each other."
Trump Jr. told Page Six that he and Guilfoyle "will always keep a special bond" and that he "could not be more proud of her and the important role she'll continue to play in my father's administration."
"She's been an undefeated prosecutor, national TV news star, a leader of the MAGA movement and close advisor to the president," he added. "The people of Greece are getting an absolute star and now the whole world will see it more than ever."
Guilfoyle did not share a statement with Page Six and did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
The pair, who have an age difference of 23 years, met through the 2009 film "Nowhere Boy" and have spoken about their long-lasting romance in various interviews.
2008: They meet when Aaron auditions for the role of John Lennon in 'Nowhere Boy,' Sam's feature film debut
Their exact ages at the time of their first meeting remain largely unclear.
Variouspublications have said that he was 19 and she was 42 when they made the movie, which was released in 2009. The Hollywood Reporter said that Aaron was 18 at the time. Fans have speculated that she knew the actor when he was younger because she was a family friend, but Business Insider could not verify any of these claims.
The Telegraph UK reported that Sam and Aaron met at the audition in 2008, a year prior to the film's release.
In a 2017 interview with The Sunday Times UK, Sam (née Taylor-Wood) said the couple almost didn't meet because Aaron was only available to audition on a date that she was absent.
Aaron had a limited schedule because he was filming "Kick-Ass." Meanwhile, Sam and her first husband, an art dealer named Jay Jopling, had split after 11 years of marriage and she was moving out of their shared home on the day that Aaron was free. So, Aaron auditioned for the biopic at her house.
"It was so inconvenient," Sam said. "In the end, I was like, 'OK, he'll have to come to my home.' I opened my door to John Lennon. I instantly knew he was the guy."
Sam's divorce from Jopling, with whom she shares daughters Anjelica and Jessie Phoenix, was made public in September 2008. Anjelica Jopling also had a small role in "Nowhere Boy" as a younger version of John Lennon's sister, Julia.
Sam told The Telegraph UK that she was immediately impressed by how much Aaron prepared for his audition.
"I could see how much research he'd done already just by the way he was standing and the few words he said," she recalled.
Aaron later told Harper's Bazaar that he still remembers how Sam looked at that first audition.
"I remember it very, very clearly," he said. "I know exactly what she was wearing. This white shirt that she still has, that I love. It definitely changed my life, though not in the way I expected."
Aaron has spoken out about their age gap multiple times. Speaking to The Telegraph UK in 2019, the actor said: "When I met Sam I'd already lived a life far beyond that of most of my contemporaries – I didn't relate to anyone my age. I just feel that we're on the same wavelength."
The stars say that they kept things professional on the set of their movie
IndieWire reported that principal photography for "Nowhere Boy" began in Liverpool, UK on March 8th, 2009.
"We had this intense connection," Sam told The Sunday Times UK of working with the young actor.
"He was very intense and absolutely mind made-up," she said of how their relationship blossomed.
The director also told The Telegraph UK that they clicked from the start.
"We were very professional through the entire film," the couple told Harper's Bazaar in 2019. "No funny business at all."
Sam also said that "everyone on set knew" that they had a connection.
2009: Aaron proposes to Sam after wrapping the film
"As soon as we finished, he told me he was going to marry me," Sam told Harper's Bazaar. "We had never been on a date, or even kissed."
"And a year to the minute after we met, exactly one year to the minute, I got down on one knee and asked her to marry me," Aaron said.
The actor later reflected on their engagement in an interview with The Telegraph UK, saying: "I knew instantly that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with this person."
He added: "I knew I wanted a family with her, I knew I wanted kids, and a month later she was pregnant with our first child."
Sam and Aaron, then 19, announced their engagement at the UK premiere of "Nowhere Boy" in fall 2009.
November 27, 2009: Sam tells The Guardian that she and Aaron have been living together for a while
"I'm not surprised, I'm happy," she told The Guardian when asked if she was caught off guard by the progression in her relationship with Johnson. "We've been living together for ages... since about March."
Sam also said that Aaron got along well with her kids from her previous marriage and "it all felt strangely natural."
The director said that she and Aaron didn't date while working on "Nowhere Boy," but she felt a strong connection to him.
"I managed to hold off really until almost the end of the film," she said.
Her interviewer, Simon Hattenstone, noted earlier in the story that he visited the set of "Nowhere Boy" back in March and observed Sam and Aaron arm-in-arm, acting "like teenagers in love" and wearing matching jackets that only they had.
"We weren't even together then," Sam said when Hattenstone mentioned his set visit. "Maybe feelings were there but unacted upon. The thing is, we had quite a psychic link when we were working together. I knew from a flicker of an eyelash what kind of performance I was going to get. I felt that link almost from day one of meeting him."
April 2, 2010: Aaron speaks about fatherhood during an appearance on 'Friday Night With Jonathan Ross'
The interview occurred while Sam was pregnant with the couple's first child. Aaron said that he wasn't nervous because he was already acting as a step-father to Sam's two daughters from her first marriage.
July 2010: Their 1st child together, daughter Wylda Rae, is born
Sam was 43 and Aaron was 20 at the time of their baby girl's birth. People magazine reported that Wylda was born in London.
March 4, 2011: Sam directs R.E.M.'s music video for "ÜBerlin," which stars Aaron
The track was from the band's 15th studio album, "Collapse Into Now," released that year. The entire video showed Aaron dancing through the East End of London.
January 18, 2012: Their 2nd child, daughter Romy Hero, is born
People magazine reported that their baby was born at home in London.
"Both mother and daughter are well," a rep said in a statement shared with the publication.
June 21, 2012: The couple gets married and changes their last name to Taylor-Johnson
Aaron, then 22, and Sam, then 45, wed in Somerset, England E! News reported.
Aaron told London's Evening Standard about the name change: "I just don't see why women need to take the man's name. I wanted to be a part of her just as much as she wanted to be part of me."
January 2015: Sam speaks about the 'stability' of their relationship and gushes about Aaron being an attentive father
"Being in an amazing relationship, having come out of a difficult one, it felt so good," Sam told The Guardian while promoting "Fifty Shades of Grey," which she was encouraged to direct by Aaron. "And I feel like that stability has enabled me to get on with doing this momentous project."
"The great thing about Aaron is that he's happy not working and being at home with the kids while I work," the director added. "We're actually fighting over it. He's like, 'No no, I like being an at-home dad, doing the cooking and the school runs.'"
April 2015: Aaron says that it was 'important' for him to hyphenate his name after they wed
"It was so important to me," the actor told The Guardian in 2015 of seeing his name written as Taylor-Johnson for the first time in the credits for his 2012 movie "Anna Karenina."
"Actually I wanted it on 'Savages' as well but they told me the posters had already gone out," he added, referring to another of his films released earlier in 2012. "Then they said: 'Look, we hired Aaron Johnson.'"
The "Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging" star told the publication that he fought for his name to be updated in "Anna Karenina" after that experience.
"I said: 'I want it changed! This is important,'" he recalled.
"It felt beautiful," he said of seeing the final product. "It felt right."
January 8, 2017: Aaron gives his wife a shout-out after winning a Golden Globe for his role in Tom Ford's 'Nocturnal Animals'
In his acceptance speech for best supporting actor in a motion picture, the actor said, "I want to thank my wife for being there with me and supporting me through this. Thank you for putting up with me, Jesus, I was not very pleasant in this role. You're my soulmate and I love you very much. I'm blessed. I have four beautiful daughters: Anjelica, Phoenix, Wylda, and Romy, I love you all very much."
February 2017: Aaron says that the public's fixation on their relationship is 'intrusive'
"The attention was intrusive," he told New York Magazine of the early reaction from people.
"But having to deal with that early in my career probably got me to a place where I can more quickly just go, 'Oh, fuck it' instead of wanting to rip someone's head off for asking questions I don't like," he added.
March 2017: Aaron reveals that he has a tattoo of his wife's name on his chest near his heart
The "Avengers: Age of Ultron" star no longer has an Instagram account but when he did, he posted a photo in honor of Sam's 50th birthday with the caption "forever in my ❤."
March 2017: Aaron gushes about fatherhood and feeling 'secure and loved and safe' in his relationship
"I get more fulfillment from being a father than I do from being an actor," he said in an interview for Mr Porter. "I'm still constantly wanting to give it up."
The actor also spoke about raising his daughters to be empowered.
"Their mum is one of the strongest, most independent women I know. A role model," he said.
Regarding his marriage, Aaron said, "I don't really analyze our relationship."
"I just know that it works," he continued. "I just feel secure and loved and safe. We have this very deep connection. We're just in sync."
June 2017: Sam says that her husband has an 'old soul'
"I literally found my soulmate," she told The Sunday Times UK in June 2017. "I feel so blessed: every day I wake up happy."
She also described her and the actor, who she said has an "old soul," as "in such sync."
"We spend every minute of the day together," she said. "My friends call him Benjamin Button because he has — on the outside — such youth, and on the inside, he is so wise and settled. He doesn't like parties. He likes being at home and cooking for the family. He likes walking the dogs. He loves his chickens — he collects the eggs and makes breakfast for everyone."
"He is an amazing man," Sam added.
The director also said that she's not bothered by their age gap because, "When you're solid with someone in your own love, you don't think about it."
June 2017: Sam comments on their age difference in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter
"If I gave a second thought to other people, I would be the unhappiest person, probably still in a miserable marriage," she said.
She continued: "People like to talk about it. I'm like, 'Yeah, but it works better than my last marriage.' It's lasted longer than a lot of my friends' marriages."
June 13, 2018: Sam posts a tribute to Aaron in honor of his 28th birthday
"HBD to the most incredible husband, father, man @aarontaylorjohnson I ❤️U," she captioned a photo of him that was shared on Instagram.
A post shared by Artist & Director (@samtaylorjohnson)
June 21, 2019: Sam posts a black-and-white selfie of them for their 7th wedding anniversary
"Seven Years today ❤️" she captioned the Instagram post.
A post shared by Artist & Director (@samtaylorjohnson)
June 29, 2019: They attend Zoë Kravitz and Karl Glusman's wedding in Paris
"To the wedding we go... 🎩 @karlglusman @zoeisabellakravitz," Sam captioned a photo of her and Aaron heading to the event.
Kravitz and Glusman's wedding was also attended by Jason Momoa (Kravitz's step-father) and her "Big Little Lies" costars. The couple's breakup was revealed in early 2021.
A post shared by Artist & Director (@samtaylorjohnson)
August 2019: They participate in a joint interview for The Telegraph UK
"We just have that trust when we collaborate — we are not afraid to play," Aaron said of working with his wife.
Sam said that they "had debates" while co-writing the script for their film "A Million Little Pieces," but Aaron said that they "rarely argue."
The director also called herself "lucky to have such a supportive husband" and said that working together for the film was "a dream come true."
"I really enjoy it," Aaron said. 'There's nothing more empowering than supporting my wife in her passions and ambitions; I've never felt more — what's the opposite of emasculated? Empowered."
Regarding their age gap, the actor also said: "I've never for a second felt a difference in age."
"Sam is far more outgoing and energetic and achieving than I am," he added.
November 2019: The couple says that collaborating on 'A Million Little Pieces' was their greatest decision
"It was the best thing we've ever done," Sam told Harper's Bazaar in their joint interview.
In response, Aaron added: "Even better because we did it together."
In the same interview, the couple said that in the time they've been together, they've "only been apart for maybe two or three days."
James Frey, the controversial author who admitted to fabricating details about his life in his 2003 memoir "A Million Little Pieces," conducted the couple's Harper's Bazaar interview. His book was adapted into a 2019 film of the same name, directed by Sam and starring Aaron as Frey.
December 4, 2019: The couple appear on 'The Late Late Show With James Corden' and discuss collaborating on 'A Million Little Pieces'
Sam and Aaron also cowrote the screenplay for the movie. When asked about what it was like to direct her husband's sex scene in the film with costar Odessa Young, Sam said: "We wrote it together, so I kind of knew what we were getting into when we were writing it. And then it's another thing when you're filming it."
The director recalled "feeling something" while seeing the actors film the scene, especially because it was shot on Valentine's Day.
December 2019: They say that after being together for more than 10 years, they aren't concerned with the chatter surrounding their relationship
"We've been together for over a decade now, so I feel like it is less of a conversation for people," Sam told The Daily Beast while discussing "A Million Little Pieces."
She continued, "It doesn't worry me, and it's not something that is difficult to talk about because it's such a positive story, that we're a decade later together and working together and raising a strong family together. That may be a positive message for people out there."
June 21, 2020: Sam posts a black-and-white photo in honor of their 8th anniversary
"8 years later. Happy anniversary ❤️ #aarontaylorjohnson ❤️," she captioned the photo, which showed them sitting together on massive rocks.
A post shared by Artist & Director (@samtaylorjohnson)
That same day, Sam also posted a photo of him lounging in honor of Father's Day.
A post shared by Artist & Director (@samtaylorjohnson)
October 28, 2020: Aaron stars in musician Rhye's music video for 'Black Rain,' directed by Sam
Aaron danced shirtless by himself for the entirety of the four-minute-long music video. The song was included in Rhye's 2021 studio album "Home."
March 2021: It's reported that Sam and Aaron will team up for another film together
According to Deadline, the movie is called "Rothko" and is based on Lee Seldes' novel "The Legacy of Mark Rothko."
The film will also reportedly star Russell Crowe and "Chernobyl" actor Jared Harris.
April 2021: The couple reportedly lists their home in LA for $7.5 million
The reported listing led fans to speculate about the couple's relationship status and suggest that the two stars were headed for a split. But selling a shared home doesn't necessarily mean they're breaking up. The pair could be selling their property to live elsewhere.
May 26, 2021: Sam reacts to Aaron being cast as the Marvel villain Kraven the Hunter in an Sony project
Multipleoutlets reported Aaron's casting in late May. In the comics, Sergei Kravinoff/Kraven the Hunter is one of the most skilled game hunters and a popular foe of Spider-Man. The movie is set for release on August 30, 2024.
Sam weighed in on Aaron's role by posting an image of Kraven on Instagram with the caption, "My husband ❤️ #kraventhehunter #aarontaylorjohnson."
A post shared by Artist & Director (@samtaylorjohnson)
June 1, 2021: Celebrity tattoo artist Dr. Woo reveals that Sam got her husband's name inked near her collarbone
Dr. Woo posted a photo of Sam's new ink, which is Aaron's name written in cursive.
The artist also tattooed a hummingbird on Aaron's chest, near the tattoo of Sam's name that he got years prior.
"Captured a healed hummingbird on Aaron and added some love ✍🏼 for Sam ✨❤️" he captioned the Instagram post.
A post shared by Doctor Woo (@_dr_woo_)
June 13, 2021: Sam shares a photo of Aaron in celebration of his 31st birthday
"Happy Birthday mon amour ❤️," she captioned an image of Aaron wearing a white dress shirt and sitting near a window.
A post shared by Artist & Director (@samtaylorjohnson)
September 10, 2021: Sam documents a breakfast date with her husband
"Breakfast with the beast ❤️" the director captioned a photo posted on Instagram, which showed Aaron with his elbows resting on a table while dining at Animal Restaurant in Los Angeles, California.
A post shared by Artist & Director (@samtaylorjohnson)
December 25, 2021: Sam posts photos of the couple celebrating Christmas at the beach
The first image, which was turned upside down, showed Aaron with his feet planted along the shoreline and his arms raised above his head.
In the second photo, Sam leaped while waving her arms in the air.
A post shared by Artist & Director (@samtaylorjohnson)
June 13, 2022: Sam shares a black-and-white photo of her husband in honor of his 32nd birthday
"Happy Birthday my darling husband ❤️ @aarontaylorjohnson," she captained the image, which showed him flipping into a pool.
A post shared by Sam Taylor-Johnson (@samtaylorjohnson)
June 21, 2022: The couple celebrate their 10th wedding anniversary by renewing their vows
In his Instagram post, Aaron said that the "beautiful day" involved professing their love "in front of our nearest and dearest friends and family."
"It was a celebration of love and joy!" he wrote. "A decade of marriage. It was a magical unforgettable day and the sun did not stop shining on us both.. we are blessed beyond belief. ❤️ Sammy you are my love, my life, my soulmate, my wife, my world!"
Sam expressed similar sentiments in her post, which featured two photos of the couple kissing at the celebration.
"10 glorious years," she said. "My incredible husband, father to all 4 girls. I love you, I love you, I love you 💕 love conquers all."
July 2022: Sam joins Aaron on the press tour for 'Bullet Train'
Aaron starred as a contract killer with the codename Tangerine in David Leitch's action film.
June 13, 2023: On his 33rd birthday, Sam calls Aaron the 'sweetest husband and incredible father'
"Happy Birthday dear heart ♥️ You're the sweetest husband and incredible Father to all our girls. We love you ♥️" Sam captioned a black-and-white photo of the actor, shared in honor of his birthday.
June 19, 2023: Sam shares her support and excitement for Aaron's starring role in the 'Spider-Man' spin-off movie, 'Kraven the Hunter'
Sam posted the official poster for "Kraven the Hunter" on her Instagram with the caption, "Kraving my Hunter."
August 14, 2023: Aaron speaks about his relationship with Sam, fatherhood, and their family's life in the countryside in a cover story for Esquire
In Esquire's September cover story, the star said that he turned down big acting opportunities after the births of his two daughters.
"I wanted, purely, to be with my babies," he said. "I didn't want to be taken away from them. I battled with what that would be like."
Aaron also said that mundane activities, like "getting my kids ready in the mornings, taking them to school" are the kinds of activities that he finds the most fulfillment in.
Esquire reported that Aaron and Sam bought a farmhouse in Somerset, England, in 2010 but didn't relocate there full-time until 2022 after selling their LA home. In his interview, Aaron gushed about having animals on their property, like pigs, and spoke about harvesting honey from bees on their property.
As for his relationship with Sam, the actor said that it's inaccurate to say that their dynamic works because of their creative collaborations.
"I think we're really great at collaborating. But that's not why I fell in love with her," Aaron said, adding that he knew he would be a young dad before they even met.
"I was going to have a big family," he said. "I knew I was going to be a young father. I knew I was going to have many kids."
September 6, 2023: Sam shares a series of photos documenting the couple's summer adventures
Amid a summer of shocking celebrity breakups, from Joe Manganiello and Sofia Vergara to Joe Jonas and Sophie Turner, the director proved that she and Aaron are stronger than ever.
"Summer romance," Sam captioned her post on Instagram, which included several images of the couple together.
March 4, 2024: Aaron celebrates Sam's 57th birthday with an Instagram post
Happy Birthday my darling @samtaylorjohnson," Aaron captioned a black-and-white image taken by photographer Alexi Lubomirski. "You're an exceptional woman, there's really no one I know quite like you. You are the most wonderful doting mother and beautiful role model to our 4 daughters. A gorgeous loving wife, you are my love, my soulmate and I'm always blown away by you. Your so cool. I couldn't be more proud and excited for this year ahead for you."
March 20, 2024: Aaron tells Rolling Stone UK that the fixation on him and Sam's age gap is 'bizarre'
Aaron told the publication that his life has always moved quickly and progressed at a faster rate than others.
"What you gotta realize is that what most people were doing in their 20s, I was doing when I was 13," he said.
"You're doing something too quickly for someone else? I don't understand that," he continued. "What speed are you supposed to enjoy life at? It's bizarre to me."
Elsewhere in the interview, Aaron gushed about his wife and her Amy Winehouse biopic, "Back to Black."
"Sam is actually a great filmmaker and a wonderful storyteller," he said. "People will think there's sort of a bias to me saying it, but I think when they see 'Back to Black,' everyone's going to realize how fantastic a filmmaker she is."
April 8, 2024: Aaron supports Sam at the world premiere of her film 'Back to Black'
April 2024: Sam talks about the 'uncomfortable' attention on her and Aaron's age gap
"There are times where it's uncomfortable," Sam told The Hollywood Reporter of the scrutiny. "Most of the time we zone it out and stay pretty private. We tend to retreat. Kids and school runs keep you pretty grounded."
In a separate interview with The Guardian, the "Back to Black" director spoke about her relationship and said that their age difference isn't noticeable to the couple.
"We're a bit of an anomaly, but it's that thing: after 14 years you just think, surely by now it doesn't really matter?" she said.
Sam also said that she doesn't pay attention to hateful comments online or go out of her way to avoid social media because "it doesn't mean anything."
"It is just people upset with their own sadness; with misgivings about their own life," she said.
She also said that her children don't take on rude comments directed at the pair.
"They see two loving, happy parents, so it doesn't really register," Sam said. "They just think people are a bit mean, or mad."
In the same interview, Sam talked about the family enjoying their farm life since moving back to the UK.
"I'll turn to Aaron and say, 'Should we get another dog?,' and he'll look at me for a minute and go, 'Yuh.' He always says yes to any mad thing I suggest. That's why we've got 14 animals," she said.
May 17, 2024: Sam tells Time magazine that people were initially skeptical about how long her and Aaron's relationship would last
Sam told Time that she's aware of the interest in their marriage, but her day-to-day with her husband is spent with their family, so she doesn't think about it. The director also said that she doesn't read anything in the press, whether it's about reviews or her personal life.
"The thing is I live my life fairly fearlessly," she said. "I literally leap into every challenge with excitement. And I think if I read and took note of any of that I wouldn't be doing the amazing things I think I'm doing. I wouldn't make this film. I wouldn't have been in this amazing relationship for nearly 15 years."
"Everyone at the beginning said, 'It's a terrible idea, it's not gonna work,' and then you're like 15 years down the road and have raised four kids and you're like, 'Really?'" Sam added.
The filmmaker also said that she and Aaron don't look at each other through the lens of their age gap.
"It's just a connection of souls and hearts and our life is our life where we're just moving through it in a gorgeous loving way," Sam said. "When people make films, or talk about it or question it or dissect it, it is so strange to me. When people fall in love, they fall in love."
She also said that she knows "nothing" regarding the rumors of Aaron being cast as the next Bond, but she'd "be so happy for him if that happens" and would want to direct the film.
June 13, 2024: Sam shares a series of photos for Aaron's 34th birthday
"Happy Birthday my love ♥️," she captioned the Instagram post.
July 14, 2023: The couple attend Wimbledon together
Sam and Aaron attended the men's singles final, in which Carlos Alcaraz defeated Novak Djokovic in straight sets. Sam posted photos and videos on Instagram, showing her and Aaron in their color-coordinated white and off-white attire.
September 24: Aaron posts images from his and Sam's getaway
In the photos shared on Instagram, Aaron was seen smoking a cigarette, doing a handstand, and posing with Sam near a coastline.
December 2, 2024: Sam accompanies Aaron to the world premiere of 'Nosferatu' in Berlin
Robert Eggers directed and wrote the screenplay for "Nosferatu," which stars Bill Skarsgård as the grotesque Count Orlock and Lily-Rose Depp as the protagonist Ellen Hutter. Aaron plays a supporting role in the film as Friedrich Harding, a friend of Ellen's husband, Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult).
December 10, 2024: Sam and her 2 eldest daughters join Aaron for the world premiere of 'Kraven the Hunter' in New York
Aaron and the cast and crew of "Kraven the Hunter" posed for photos at the film's red-carpet premiere at AMC Lincoln Square. Sam and her daughters from her first marriage, Angelica Jopling, 27, and Jessie Phoenix Jopling, 18, also posed with Aaron. The event marked the Joplings' red carpet debut.
Selena Gomez is engaged to Benny Blanco after a year and a half of dating.
Gomez shared pictures of the engagement ring on Instagram on December 11.
The two musicians have collaborated on several songs, starting in 2015 with Gomez's album "Revival."
Selena Gomez and Benny Blanco first collaborated on a song together in 2015. Nine years later, they are engaged.
The news comes a year and a half after Gomez and Blanco began dating and a year after they went public as a couple. The newly-engaged musicians have shared a lot of digital PDA since telling fans they were romantically involved.
Here's a detailed timeline of their relationship.
October 9, 2015: Gomez releases 'Revival,' which includes two collaborations with Blanco
Blanco has built a reputation as a sought-after pop producer, helping to create mega-hits like Kesha's 2009 breakthrough "Tik Tok" and Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" in 2010.
Blanco began making his own music in 2018. The following year, he released "I Can't Get Enough" as a stand-alone single.
The song features Gomez, who sings the lead vocal in English, and J Balvin, who sings his verse in Spanish. It was coproduced by Tainy. All four artists appear together in the music video.
Blanco promoted the song on Instagram, sharing several photos of himself cuddling with Gomez on set.
"Benny has a cool way of bringing people together, even in the weirdest ways," Gomez said in behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot.
October 26, 2020: Blanco seems to throw shade at Gomez while promoting a new song with her ex-boyfriend
Blanco started working with Bieber in 2009 and told Variety the two musicians were like "brothers." The pair worked together on hits like "Eenie Meenie," "Love Yourself," and "Cold Water."
"Justin's not one of those cookie-cutter pop artists," Blanco said. "Like you know, they're like, 'This is my new single and here's my makeup line.' And he's like, Justin's like, 'Yo. I have a pimple and I have anxiety today.' He's always been upfront about that stuff."
Gomez had unveiled her own makeup line, Rare Beauty, earlier that year. Fans were quick to interpret the comment as a thinly veiled insult.
At the time, representatives for Blanco did not respond to Business Insider's request for comment, nor did he publicly address the backlash.
August 25, 2023: Gomez releases 'Single Soon,' coproduced by Blanco
Gomez and Blanco teamed up again for "Single Soon," released as a standalone song.
Earlier that summer, Gomez posted a TikTok shouting her status as single to a group of football players. "I'm single, I'm just a little high maintenance," the singer said in the video.
December 2023: Gomez and Blanco become Instagram official
In late 2023, fans began to speculate that Gomez and Blanco were dating.
Gomez confirmed her romance with Blanco in her Instagram story on December 7, 2023. She shared a photo of the couple cuddling and a photo of herself wearing the letter "B" on her left ring finger.
When fan accounts picked up the news, some reacted with disappointment or concern — mostly due to Blanco's perceived insult from 2020, as well as his enduring friendship with Bieber, whom Gomez accused of emotional abuse.
She also addressed a critic who alluded to Blanco's "cookie-cutter" comment, saying Blanco is "still better than anyone I've ever been with."
Throughout the month, Gomez continued to post photos with Blanco on Instagram. She shared another black-and-white shot of the couple cuddling on December 12, 2023, and a photo of him kissing her cheek on December 30, 2023.
Blanco even made it onto Gomez's Instagram grid that month; he appears twice in a slideshow she posted with the caption, "New York, my favorite moments w you this week."
January 3, 2024: The couple has their first public outing at a basketball game
Blanco and Gomez sat courtside at Crypto.com Arena to watch the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Miami Heat.
"She seems to be really feeling herself at the moment," a source close to Gomez told People. "Maybe that's Benny or maybe that's just where she's at personally and professionally."
"Everyone is so happy that she's happy," the source added.
January 7, 2024: Gomez brings Blanco as her date to the Golden Globes
Gomez attended the 2024 Golden Globes as a nominee; she earned a nod for best performance by a female actor in a TV series, musical or comedy, for "Only Murders in the Building."
Although they didn't walk the red carpet together, Gomez and Blanco weren't shy about PDA inside the event.
March 8, 2024: Gomez shares birthday Instagram tribute for Blanco
Gomez posted in her Instagram feed celebrating Blanco's 36th birthday, sharing a roundup of pictures with the caption: "Happy birthday baby! Your emotional endurance, positive disposition, unbelievable talent (that blows me away), undeniable humor and loving, kind heart absolutely kill me. I love you @itsbennyblanco."
May 24, 2024: Blanco says he didn't realize he was on a date with Gomez on their first date
Appearing on an episode of SiriusXM's "The Howard Stern Show," Blanco said he didn't realize his relationship with Gomez had turned romantic during their first date.
"She was like, 'Hey, you want to hang out,' and I was like, 'Yeah,' we go and we hang out," he said. "I remember sitting there, and she's like, 'Well, I would have worn something different for this date, and I was like, 'What? We're on a date?'"
Blanco said they continued hanging out and described Gomez as his "best friend."
In the interview, Blanco said he wanted to marry Gomez but hadn't planned anything yet. He also said his next goal was to have children.
July 22, 2024: Blanco shares tribute for Gomez's 32nd birthday
In the Instagram post, Blanco reshared the photo from the music video of his 2019 song "I Can't Get Enough" and shared a new photo of Gomez holding a white teddy bear.
"I used to play a teddy bear in ur music video and now i get to b urs in real life… happy bday bb ! i love u!" he captioned the post aluding to the music video for their collaboration back in 2019.
Gomez commented on the post: "I love you 🧸."
September 9, 2024: Gomez reacts to Blanco's comments about marriage and shares she can't have kids
During Gomez's Vanity Fair cover interview in September 2024, she was asked about Blanco's wishes to get married.
"He can't lie. After the interview, I was dying laughing. Like, 'Anything else you wanted to put out there?'" She said, adding later that neither she nor Blanco are in a rush to get married.
"I haven't ever said this, but I unfortunately can't carry my own children," Gomez said. "I have a lot of medical issues that would put my life and the baby's in jeopardy. That was something I had to grieve for a while."
She added she's "in a much better place" about the situation."At the end of the day, I don't care. It'll be mine. It'll be my baby," she said.
November 20, 2024: Gomez says she shares so much about Blanco on social media because she sees a future with him
When asked about why she has been very public about her relationship with Blanco, Gomez told The Hollywood Reporter: "I guess this is the safest I've ever felt in one, and I see a future with this person. And when you put a little bit out there, people are not as hungry to hunt you down."
Gomez was asked about Blanco again during an interview with CBS Sunday on November 30, but this time about her thoughts on Blanco's inclusion in 2024's People's Sexiest Man Alive issue.
"That's my man," Gomez said.
"I'm really, really lucky." Selena Gomez opened up about her relationship with Benny Blanco, calling him her best friend, biggest supporter and now one of People's "Sexiest Men Alive." https://t.co/uBGatfUbGSpic.twitter.com/vD2ax2hJKY
Gomez announced that she and Blanco are engaged on Instagram on Wednesday evening. She marked the engagement with a slideshow of pictures showing the ring and captioned the post: "Forever begins now…"
People reported, citing an unnamed source, that Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan have broken up.
Carpenter and Keoghan never confirmed a romantic relationship, but it was rumored they were dating.
Here's a timeline of their relationship.
Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan's suspected yearlong relationship could be over.
Carpenter and Keoghan never confirmed widespread rumors that they were dating, but they seemed to acknowledge them when the actor appeared in one of her music videos.
On December 3, People reported, citing unnamed sources, that the pair were taking a break from their relationship.
Representatives for Keoghan and Carpenter did not respond to a request for comment from Business Insider.
Both Carpenter and Keoghan's popularity suddenly spiked in 2024.
Keoghan's leading role in 2023's "Saltburn" took his fame to new heights, while Carpenter's star rose thanks to slots in Taylor Swift's Eras Tour and Coachella, plus her hit summer song "Espresso" and latest album "Short n Sweet."
Here's what to know about the pair.
September 2023: The likely first meeting, at a fashion show.
In September 2023, Keoghan and Carpenter attended a fashion show hosted by Givenchy during Paris Fashion Week.
E! News and DailyMail.com previously reported that this is when the rumored couple first met.
December 2023: A report of a date.
On December 3, 2023, DailyMail.com published pictures of Keoghan and Carpenter together and reported they went on a dinner date in Los Angeles.
Fans were confused by this news since Keoghan had yet to confirm whether he had split from longtime girlfriend Alyson Kierans. The pair have a son, Brando, and there were unconfirmedreports that the couple split in July 2023.
In January 2024, Keoghan mentioned Kierans in a cover story for GQ magazine in a way that suggested they were more co-parents than partners.
"She's done a great job, and she's an incredible mother," Keoghan said.
January 2024: Keoghan reportedly goes on another date with Carpenter.
People reported, citing unnamed sources, that Keoghan and Carpenter went on a date to Luna Luna, an art exhibit in LA, on January 15.
A witness told People that the pair kissed during the date. Neither addressed the dating rumor.
February 2024: Keoghan and Carpenter spend time together during a Grammys afterparty.
A month later, Carpenter and Keoghan attended W Magazine's Grammys afterparty separately, but W reported that they hung out together inside.
"Meanwhile, Barry Keoghan chatted with friends as Sabrina Carpenter perched on his lap," a W staff member wrote.
The magazine also shared a picture of the pair on Instagram.
Later that month, People reported that Carpenter and Keoghan went on two more dates in LA.
March 2024: Keoghan and Carpenter become more open about dating but do not confirm rumors.
In March, Carpenter performed her last few opening-act shows for Swift's Eras Tour.
During one of Carpenter's performances in Singapore, fans noticed Keoghan in the crowd and shared videos of him.
Then, on March 10, several outlets reported that Keoghan wore a friendship bracelet with Carpenter's name on it to the Oscars.
Later in March, Carpenter refused to comment on the dating rumors during an interview with Cosmopolitan, dodging a question about her dating life.
"The relationships that I actually want to put my energy into have to be so interesting or invigorating because they take me away from the other things I love," Carpenter said. "So yeah, it's fun and it's messy. I think I'm still just at this place where I'm really enjoying the newness of all of it."
April 2024: Carpenter references "Saltburn" at Coachella.
During the first weekend, Keoghan was in the crowd, and fans shared multiple videos of him recording Carpenter or dancing to her songs.
In a video shared on social media, Carpenter seemed to wave toward Keoghan in the crowd during her performance.
Later in the day, fans posted a video on TikTok showing Keoghan and Carpenter hanging out with Swift and her boyfriend Travis Kelce.
During the second weekend of Coachella, Carpenter made a reference to Keoghan's hit film "Saltburn" during her performance.
During the outro for Carpenter's song "Nonsense" from her 2022 album "Emails I Can't Send," Carpenter normally ad-libbed a funny, risque verse.
That time she sang: "Made his knees so weak he had to spread mine / He's drinking my bath water like it's red wine / Coachella , see you back here when I headline."
The "drinking my bath water" line seemed like a reference to a scandalous scene in "Saltburn," where Keoghan's character drinks bathwater after it has been used by the man he is obsessed with.
May 2024: Carpenter and Keoghan make their red carpet debut.
On May 6, Keoghan and Carpenter arrived together at the 2024 Met Gala, making their first joint appearance on a red carpet.
After the event, Vogue published a video of the pair getting ready for the gala. In the clip, Carpenter is happy to see Keoghan when he walks in, and Keoghan appears to lean in for a kiss.
May 2024: Keoghan threw a 25th birthday party for Carpenter.
A few days later, Carpenter celebrated her 25th birthday.
People reported, citing an unnamed source, that Keoghan threw her a party on May 11 in Brooklyn.
The party featured a cake with Leonardo DiCaprio's face and the caption: "Nooo don't turn 25 [you're] so sexy aha." This refers to the internet joke that DiCaprio is only attracted to women under 25.
Later in the month, Carpenter traveled to the UK for the BBC Radio 1 Weekend music festival.
Fans think they saw Keoghan backstage in a video of Carpenter's performance — pointing to a blurry figure in purple that resembles him.
June 2024: Keoghan appears in the video for Carpenter's new single.
Carpenter took on the dating rumors in the best way possible — casting Keoghan as her criminal boyfriend in her latest music video.
In the video for "Please Please Please," which received more than three million views in its first 14 hours, Keoghan plays a convict who keeps getting locked up for violent crimes.
In the first verse, Carpenter seems to tease Keoghan's identity, signing: "I heard that you're an actor, so act like a stand-up guy."
In the second verse, Carpenter appears to reference her initial attempt to keep her relationship with Keoghan private.
"And we could live so happily, if no-one knows that you're with me — I'm just kidding, but really," she sings.
In the video, Carpenter's character falls for him at first sight and dates him after he is out of prison. However, their relationship goes wrong because he keeps bringing her along whenever he commits a crime.
At the end of the video, Carpenter handcuffs Keoghan and puts tape around his mouth before kissing him.
August 2024: Carpenter calls Keoghan "one of the best actors of this generation."
On August 6, Variety asked Carpenter about Keoghan's appearance in the "Please Please Please" music video in its cover issue interview.
Carpenter did not give any details about their relationship but had a lot of praise for Keoghan.
"I don't want to sound biased, but I think he's one of the best actors of this generation. So getting to see him on the screen with my song as the soundtrack made the video better and all the more special," she said.
Carpenter also said Keoghan was a fan of the song.
"He loved the song. He's obsessed with the lyrics, and I'm so grateful for that," she said.
December 2024: People report that the couple have split
In the days following People's report, a rumor spread on social media that Keoghan had cheated on Carpenter with an LA-based influencer.
The rumor began after Deux Moi, the blind-item gossip account, shared an anonymous message that said an "A-list singer who's having her breakout year and her foreign boyfriend are done for good" because the boyfriend cheated on her with a "blonde, semi-famous, LA based influencer (who's particularly big on TikTok)."
Fans believed the post was about Keoghan and Carpenter and thought Brekkie Hill was the other person involved.
UNCONFIRMED reports are circulating that Sabrina Carpenter and Barry Keoghan have broken up after Barry allegedly cheated on Sabrina. pic.twitter.com/F9addTGS8d
Keoghan deleted his Instagram account on December 7 and wrote in a statement on X: "My name has been dragged across the internet in ways I usually don't respond to. I have to respond now because it's getting to a place where there are too many lines being crossed."
Keoghan said people had turned up where his son and grandmother live.
Carpenter has not said anything about the breakup reports or cheating rumors.
Kimberly Guilfoyle and Gavin Newsom were married for five years, from 2001 to 2006.
As the mayor and first lady of San Francisco, they were dubbed "the new Kennedys."
Guilfoyle went on to work in the Trump White House and is engaged to Donald Trump Jr.
Kimberly Guilfoyle and Gavin Newsom, who were married from 2001 to 2006, were once a high-profile political couple dubbed "the new Kennedys."
Their paths have diverged significantly since their time as mayor and first lady of San Francisco.
Newsom, whose push for marriage equality cemented him as a national figure in the Democratic party, is now the governor of California and was floated as a 2024 Democratic presidential candidate. He married documentary filmmaker Jennifer Siebel Newsom in 2008.
Guilfoyle, a former assistant district attorney turned Fox News host, became a conservative influencer and advisor to President Donald Trump. She is engaged to Trump's son, Donald Trump Jr.
Despite their political differences, Guilfoyle and Newsom remained friends for years until things began to deteriorate around the 2020 presidential election.
Here's a timeline of their relationship.
Circa 1994: Kimberly Guilfoyle and Gavin Newsom met at a Democratic fundraiser.
San Francisco attorney Art Groza introduced the couple at a fundraiser for John Burton, who was then a member of the California State Assembly and went on to be elected to the House of Representatives, The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
December 2001: Guilfoyle and Newsom got married seven years after they met.
Newsom and Guilfoyle wed at St. Ignatius Church in San Francisco. At the time, Newsom worked as a county supervisor, and Guilfoyle was an assistant district attorney.
January 2004: Newsom was sworn in as mayor of San Francisco, and Guilfoyle moved to New York to host "Both Sides" on Court TV.
Months later, Newsom told the San Francisco Chronicle that living on different coasts had "taken a huge toll personally."
"The transcontinental marriage is tough — the only godsend is that we don't have kids," he said. "You give up your life in the traditional sense."
September 2004: A feature in Harper's Bazaar magazine dubbed them "the new Kennedys."
One image from the Harper's Bazaar spread showed Guilfoyle and Newsom lying together in formalwear on a rug at Ann and Gordon Getty's house.
In the accompanying article, Newsom described their relationship as "a wonderful combination of being in love and extraordinarily proud."
January 2005: The couple jointly filed for divorce.
Newsom and Guilfoyle released a joint statement announcing the end of their marriage "with great sadness," The San Francisco Chronicle reported.
"Unfortunately, the demands of our respective careers have made it too difficult for us to continue as a married couple," the statement said. "Over the past 10 years, we have developed a tremendous bond of love and respect for each other. That will never change. We will remain close friends. We ask for your understanding and consideration during this difficult time."
November 2005: Newsom and Guilfoyle reunited for a series of events, sparking reports they had gotten back together.
After the two were spotted together at Newsom's birthday party, a golf championship, and an outing with then-Prince Charles and Camilla during their royal visit, The San Francisco Chronicle described their marriage as "on-again, off again."
When former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown asked about his marital status at the royal gathering, Newsom replied, "I have a very confusing life," the Chronicle reported.
Guilfoyle gave a vague answer to the Chronicle when asked if she and Newsom had gotten back together.
"If I was standing back and looking at the situation, I would say it went great — these two people obviously love each other and get along very well," she said. "But I don't have an answer for you. We are not back together."
February 2006: Their divorce was finalized.
Guilfoyle told The San Francisco Chronicle that the divorce was amicable, and that she and Newsom shared a lawyer throughout the proceedings.
"We're very close, and we're going to remain that way," she said.
Guilfoyle and Newsom did not have any children together during their marriage.
May 2006: Guilfoyle married businessman and furniture heir Eric Villency.
Villency and Guilfoyle welcomed a son in October 2006. They divorced in November 2009.
January 2007: Newsom admitted to having an affair with his campaign manager's wife in 2005 while he and Guilfoyle were in the midst of their divorce.
After Newsom's campaign manager, Alex Tourk, abruptly resigned for "personal" reasons, Newsom publicly apologized for the affair the next day, the Los Angeles Times reported.
"I want to make it clear that everything you've heard and read is true, and I'm deeply sorry about that," he said at a press conference. "I've hurt someone I care deeply about — Alex Tourk, and his friends and family. And that is something I have to live with."
July 2008: Newsom married documentary filmmaker and actor Jennifer Siebel.
Newsom and Siebel wed in Stevensville, Montana, on a ranch belonging to Siebel's parents, People magazine reported. Nancy Pelosi, former San Francisco mayor Willie Brown, and actor Jason Lewis were in attendance.
The couple now shares four children.
August 2017: Guilfoyle spoke highly of Newsom during his 2018 gubernatorial campaign, which he went on to win.
In a profile of Newsom in The Sacramento Bee, Guilfoyle described him as "an amazing 'ideas guy' in terms of having an idea, developing it and seeing it to fruition."
She also recalled his dedication to an array of small businesses he operated, including wine shops, bars, and cafés. Guilfoyle told The Sacramento Bee that Newsom handled "everything from food selection and menus" to "all of the personnel decisions."
Newsom won the race for California governor in the 2018 midterm elections and took the oath of office in 2019.
May 2018: Guilfoyle and Donald Trump Jr. went public as a couple.
Guilfoyle told The Washington Post that she joked with Newsom about directing Trump Jr. to campaign against his bid for governor, and that the two men discussed the hair products they use to keep their styles intact.
"Gav's hair is slicked back, and Don's hair is slicked back," she said.
September 2018: Newsom publicly addressed Guilfoyle's relationship with Trump Jr. for the first time.
Newsom told KQED host Lily Jamali that he was "still trying to come to grips with all of it."
"I wish her well, and them well," he said of Guilfoyle and Trump Jr. "And we see the world, clearly, with a different set of eyes politically."
March 2019: When asked about his past with Guilfoyle, Newsom said, "Life's interesting."
In an interview on PROFILE by BuzzFeed News, Newsom was asked if then-President Trump had ever mentioned Newsom's past marriage to Guilfoyle in their conversations.
"We may have had a private moment on that conversation, which in and of itself, makes life just interesting," Newsom said.
When host Ben Smith asked Newsom for details, he simply said, "Life's interesting."
August 2020: Newsom declined to comment after Guilfoyle attacked California in her speech at the Republican National Convention.
"If you want to see the Socialist Biden Harris future for our country, just take a look at California," Guilfoyle said in her speech. "It is a place of immense wealth, immeasurable innovation, and immaculate environment, and the Democrats turned it into a land of discarded heroin needles in parks, riots in streets, and blackouts in homes."
Fox News host Elex Michaelson asked the California governor if he had a response. Newsom opted to "respectfully defer to the next question."
September 2022: Newsom said he and Guilfoyle weren't in touch anymore.
When MSNBC host Alex Wagner asked if he and Guilfoyle still spoke, Newsom replied, "Nope. Not lately."
"It must be weird for you," Wagner said.
"Yeah, of course," Newsom replied.
December 2022: Guilfoyle appeared to reference Newsom's rumored White House aspirations, saying, "He ain't making it to the White House."
As speculation swirled that Newsom might run for president in 2024 if President Joe Biden didn't seek a second term, Guilfoyle appeared to allude to her past with Newsom in a speech at Turning Points USA.
"In California, they have vowed to get rid of gas-powered cars with no explanation of how they are going to fund and power alternatives," Guilfoyle said. "A bunch of winners over there, folks. Ask me how I know."
"He ain't making it to the White House," she added, seemingly referring to Newsom.
February 2023: Newsom said Guilfoyle was a "different person" when they were married and that she "fell prey" to the culture at Fox News.
On an episode of CNN's "The Axe Files" podcast, Newsom said Guilfoyle was "spending a lot of time in Democratic circles" while they were married, citing her work for a progressive district attorney and former friendship with fellow California attorney Kamala Harris, who went on to become vice president.
"She fell prey, I think, to the culture at Fox in a deep way," Newsom said of Guilfoyle. "She would disagree with that assessment, she would perhaps suggest that she found the light."
February 2023: Guilfoyle hit back, saying that Newsom was "unrecognizable" and had "fallen prey" to the "radical left."
On an episode of "The Charlie Kirk Show" later that week, Guilfoyle called Newsom's comments "absurd," adding that she was a registered Republican while they were married and that it was Newsom who had changed drastically.
"I didn't change, he did," she said. "He used to be so proud to fight for small business, for entrepreneurs, for those hardworking men and women. And he's fallen prey to the left, the radical left, that is pushing him so far to the left that it's unrecognizable."
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle met on a blind date before eventually marrying in a lavish royal wedding ceremony.
Throughout their six years of marriage, the couple has faced scrutiny from the public over their decision to step away from the royal family and their roles as working royals in order to pursue what they called "financial independence," as well as their strained relationship with Prince William and his wife, Kate Middleton.
Harry recently addressed speculation that his marriage to Meghan was on the rocks.
"Apparently we've bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We've apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well," he joked with New York Times columnist and DealBook founder Andrew Ross Sorkin during a panel at The New York Times' 2024 DealBook Summit on Wednesday, People reported. "So it's just like, 'what?'"
Here's a complete timeline of their royal relationship.
July 2016: Meghan Markle and Prince Harry are set up on a blind date, and during the early days of their relationship, things go from "0 to 60."
A mutual friend set them up on a blind date at Soho House's Dean Street Townhouse.
In their first sit-down interview as a couple, Meghan told the BBC in 2017 that she knew little about the prince or the royal family before the date.
"Because I'm from the States, you don't grow up with the same understanding of the royal family," she said. "I didn't know much about him, so the only thing that I had asked [our mutual friend] when she said that she wanted to set us up, was, 'Well, is he nice?' Cause if he wasn't kind, it just didn't seem like it would make sense."
In an interview with James Corden on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" in February 2021, Prince Harry recalled how serious the pair got within their first two months of dating.
"The second date I was starting to think: This is pretty special," Prince Harry told the host.
"Dating with me, or with any member of the royal family I guess, is kind of flipped upside down," he said. "All the dates become dinners or watching the TV or chatting at home. And then eventually, once you become a couple you venture out to dinners, to the cinema, and everything else. So, everything was done back to front with us."
"There were no distractions, and that was great, that was an amazing thing. We went from 0 to 60 like in the first two months," the royal added.
October 2016: It is first reported that the two are dating.
The Sunday Express reported that the country's single prince was dating American actor, philanthropist, and blogger Meghan Markle. A source told the publication that he was "happier than he's been for many years."
November 2016: Meghan calls herself the "luckiest girl in the world."
While they still had not publicly announced they were dating, Meghan made headlines when she told The Vancouver Sun in a Q&A that "my cup runneth over, and I'm the luckiest girl in the world!"
November 2016: Prince Harry secretly visits Meghan in Toronto while she's filming "Suits."
While The Star reported that the pair attended a Halloween party in the city, Us Weekly reported that Meghan and Harry stayed put in her apartment all weekend.
November 2016: Meghan reportedly meets Harry's father for the first time.
People reported that Meghan met Harry's dad, Prince Charles — now King Charles — and that an "engagement was a possibility."
November 2016: Kensington Palace releases a statement confirming Harry and Meghan's relationship while calling out the "wave of abuse and harassment" directed at her.
Harry released a statement confirming that he was dating Meghan but slammed the press coverage surrounding her and their relationship. He said that much of the coverage had been sexist and racist, as Meghan is a biracial woman.
The statement said, in part, "Prince Harry is worried about Ms. Markle's safety and is deeply disappointed that he has not been able to protect her. It is not right that a few months into a relationship with him that Ms. Markle should be subjected to such a storm. He knows commentators will say this is 'the price she has to pay' and that 'this is all part of the game'. He strongly disagrees. This is not a game — it is her life and his."
November 2016: Responding to reports he was not happy with Harry's decision to speak out, Prince William issues a statement giving the couple his support.
After reports that Prince William was not happy with Harry's decision to go public about his relationship with Meghan, William disputed the claims and said he was supportive of Harry's decision to speak out about Meghan and the abuse she was receiving in the press.
"The Duke of Cambridge absolutely understands the situation concerning privacy and supports the need for Prince Harry to support those closest to him," the statement read.
December 2016: The two are seen enjoying a Christmas date in London.
The Sun shared photos of Meghan and Harry ringing in some holiday cheer by picking out a Christmas tree and seeing the Christmas lights in London. Later, they attended the play "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime."
January 2017: Meghan meets Kate Middleton and her daughter, Princess Charlotte.
Prince Harry introduced his girlfriend to his sister-in-law, Kate Middleton, and her daughter at the beginning of 2017. Meghan apparently "adored" Charlotte.
Prince George was away at nursery school, so she missed meeting him, The Sun reported.
January 2017: Harry and Meghan visit the small Norwegian town of Tromvik on their first vacation together.
Norwegian media reports at the time said they stayed at the luxurious Tromvik Lodge, which gives panoramic views of the Norwegian Sea and the northern lights.
A friend reportedly told The Sun, "Harry wanted to make this first holiday something Meg will never forget."
April 2017: Meghan shuts down her lifestyle blog.
Meghan announced that she was shutting down her lifestyle blog, "The Tig." Her post was sweet yet vague, so many assumed this meant she and Harry would be getting engaged. But People reported that she was just too busy to keep it up.
May 2017: The couple kisses publicly for the first time after Harry competed in a polo match.
Us Weekly reported the pair were spotted kissing in the parking lot after the annual Audi Polo Challenge in Ascot, England. Harry was participating while Meghan cheered from the sidelines.
May 2017: Markle is Harry's date at Pippa Middleton's wedding reception.
Meghan did not attend the ceremony because Pippa had a "no ring, no bring" policy, but the break between the ceremony and the reception allowed Harry to pick her up and bring her later for the "less formal" reception.
September 2017: Meghan confirms the relationship in an interview with Vanity Fair and says they're "in love."
"We're a couple," Meghan said in the October issue of Vanity Fair. "We're in love. I'm sure there will be a time when we will have to come forward and present ourselves and have stories to tell, but I hope what people will understand is that this is our time. This is for us. It's part of what makes it so special, that it's just ours. But we're happy."
She added that they had been "very quietly dating" for six months before reports of the relationship emerged.
September 2017: The couple is finally seen out in public together, and they appear very much in love.
After more than a year of dating, Meghan and Harry attended a tennis event during the Invictus Games in Toronto. They were seen holding hands, whispering to each other, and smiling.
November 2017: Prince Harry proposes to Meghan at their home while she is cooking a roast chicken.
The couple said the proposal happened quite spontaneously.
"It happened a few weeks ago, earlier this month, here at our cottage; just a standard typical night for us," Prince Harry later told the BBC.
Meghan added, "[We were] trying to roast a chicken and it just — just an amazing surprise, it was so sweet and natural and very romantic. He got on one knee."
Harry continued, "She didn't even let me finish; she said, 'Can I say yes, can I say yes?' and then were hugs. I had the ring on my finger, and I was like, 'Can I — can I give you the ring?' She goes — 'Oh, yes the ring.'"
November 27, 2017: They announce their engagement to the public.
The news came via a statement from Kensington Palace and Clarence House, and the couple posed for celebratory photos.
The statement also announced they would be getting married on May 19, 2018.
December 2017: The pair makes their first royal appearance as a couple.
For their first official public engagement, the pair greeted onlookers in Nottingham, England.
December 2017: A few weeks later, Meghan breaks royal precedent by celebrating Christmas with Harry's family, even though they are not yet married.
Royal fiancés are not typically included in official royal Christmas activities, but Queen Elizabeth invited Meghan to join the family at her Sandringham estate.
"It was fantastic. She really enjoyed it," Harry told BBC Radio 4 in an interview a few days later. "The family loved having her there."
It was also the first time that Meghan was photographed with Prince William and Kate, now the Prince and Princess of Wales.
March 2018: In the months leading up to their May wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan appear at a number of public engagements.
They traveled all over the United Kingdom and even made a surprise appearance in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in March.
May 19, 2018: Prince Harry and Meghan tie the knot at St. George's Chapel at Windsor Castle, but Meghan later says they actually said their vows three days before.
Celebrities, including Oprah, Serena Williams, and Elton John, were invited to the celebrations, while thousands of well-wishers lined the streets to wave at the couple, who arrived at the reception via a horse-drawn carriage.
Meghan's wedding dress was designed by Givenchy, one of her favorite designers. Her veil featured a motif of different embroidered flowers, including the California state flower. Her bouquet contained forget-me-nots, which were Princess Diana's favorite flower.
"No one knows that, but we called the archbishop and we just said, 'This thing, this spectacle is for the world, but we want our union between us.' So the vows that we have framed in our room are just the two of us in our backyard with the Archbishop of Canterbury," she said.
October 2018: The royals announce Meghan is pregnant with their first child.
Rather than live in Apartment 1 at Kensington Palace, the couple decided to move slightly further afield from the royal family and settled at Frogmore House.
October 2018: The couple tours Australia, Fiji, Tonga, and New Zealand for 16 days.
During the jam-packed tour, Meghan performed a traditional greeting, the Hongi, with the governor-general of New Zealand, pictured.
The couple also cuddled with koalas in Sydney, met with youth mental health organizations, took part in traditional ceremonies, met foreign leaders, and laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Warrior in Wellington, New Zealand.
December 2018: Prince Harry and Meghan celebrate Christmas with the royals, dispelling rumors that there is a rift in the family.
The couple's appearance at Christmas services temporarily halted rumors that they were on the outs with the royal family, namely Prince William and Kate Middleton.
January 2019: Unbeknownst to the public, Meghan is struggling with her mental health.
Though they looked the picture of happiness from the outside looking in, Meghan would later reveal in her tell-all interview with Oprah in March 2021 that just before attending this event at Royal Albert Hall on January 16, 2019, she had expressed concern to Prince Harry over her mental health and not "[wanting] to be alive anymore."
"We had to go to an official event. We had to go to this event at the Royal Albert Hall, and a friend said, 'I know you don't look at pictures, but, oh, my God, you guys look so great...'" she said. "I zoomed in, and what I saw was the truth of what that moment was, because right before we had to leave for that, I had just had that conversation with Harry that morning, and it was the next day that I talked to the institution."
"It was like, 'These are the thoughts that I'm having in the middle of the night that are very clear ... And I'm scared, because this is very real. This isn't some abstract idea. This is methodical, and this is not who I am.' But we had to go to this event, and I remember him saying, 'I don't think you can go.' And I said, 'I can't be left alone,'" she said.
"And that picture, if you zoom in, what I see is how tightly his knuckles are gripped around mine. You can see the whites of our knuckles, because we are smiling and doing our job, but we're both just trying to hold on. And every time that those lights went down in that royal box, I was just weeping, and he was gripping my hand."
May 2019: Prince Harry and Meghan's son, Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor, is born.
Meghan and Prince Harry broke from royal tradition by skipping the post-birth photo call on the hospital steps. But outside Windsor Castle, Harry gushed to the media about his newborn son and how proud he was of his wife.
"It's been the most amazing experience I could ever have possibly imagined," he told the media. "How any woman does what they do is beyond comprehension. But we're both absolutely thrilled and so grateful [for] all the love and support from everybody out there. It's been amazing."
They appeared for their photo call with Archie three days later. Archie also did not receive a royal title, and details about his christening or godparents were not released publicly.
However, Meghan told Oprah Winfrey in March 2021 that the decision not to give Archie a royal title was not their own and that he was also refused security upon his birth.
October 2019: Meghan and Harry announce they are suing Associated Newspapers after the Daily Mail published a private letter sent by Meghan to her father.
"Unfortunately, my wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences — a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son," the prince wrote in a statement.
It added, "Though we have continued to put on a brave face—as so many of you can relate to — I cannot begin to describe how painful it has been."
September 2019: The royal couple tours Malawi, Angola, and South Africa.
While touring South Africa, the royal couple met with Nelson Mandela's widow, Graca Machel.
Archie accompanied the royal couple on the trip, which took them to Auwal Mosque, the oldest mosque in South Africa, and other famous sites. At the time, Archie was only 6 months old, which made him one of the youngest royals to ever go on a royal tour.
September 2019: Meghan and Prince Harry also spend a few days in Botswana, which holds special significance for the couple.
"It was three, maybe four weeks later that I managed to persuade her to come join me in Botswana, and we camped out with each other under the stars," Prince Harry said in the couple's engagement interview. "She came and joined me for five days out there, which was absolutely fantastic."
Meghan's engagement ring features two diamonds from Princess Diana's collection and a center jewel from a conflict-free diamond supplier in Botswana.
October 2019: Multiple news outlets report that Harry and Meghan will take a six-week break from royal duties and spend the holidays in Canada with her mother.
When the reports were published, a royal source told CNN that the couple was planning to split their time between the UK and Canada.
Though the royals themselves didn't confirm this report, Markle did speak about how the pressure of constantly being in the public eye was affecting her.
"Not many people have asked if I'm OK, but it's a very real thing to be going through behind the scenes," she told ITV reporter Tom Bradby, CNN reported.
January 2020: The couple shares their decision to be "financially independent" and take a "step back" from the royal family.
"We intend to step back as 'senior' members of the Royal Family and work to become financially independent, while continuing to fully support Her Majesty The Queen," the statement read. "We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honor our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages.
"This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity."
In the couple's tell-all interview with Oprah, Prince Harry revealed that the primary reasons for their leaving their royal roles were a "lack of support and lack of understanding" from both the media and the royal family.
January 2020: Prince Harry speaks about the decision to step back from his royal duties, saying, "There really was no other option."
"It brings me great sadness that it has come to this," the duke said during a private dinner for his charity Sentebale. "I know I haven't always gotten it right, but as far as this goes, there really was no other option."
March 2020: Meghan and Prince Harry return to the UK for their final engagements as senior royals.
In an iconic photo taken by photographer Samir Hussein, the pair wore coordinating blue outfits while looking happier than ever. The romantic snap, taken at the 2020 Endeavour Fund Awards in London on March 5, was quickly shared by fans across the internet.
"I've taken many photos I'm really proud of, but in terms of the huge interest in the subjects and the response I've had, this is probably the most iconic photo I've taken," Hussein said in a statement.
March 2020: They also attend the Commonwealth Day service alongside Prince William and Kate Middleton, but the mood is noticeably "frostier."
It was the first and final official engagement the "Fab Four" — the nickname given to the two royal couples — participated in after Meghan and Harry announced they would be stepping back from their royal duties.
Richard Fitzwilliams, a royal commentator, told Business Insider that the interactions between the couples, or lack thereof, were visibly "frosty." The couples acted noticeably cold to one another, barely making eye contact or speaking to one another, despite being seated just one row apart.
April 2020: The royal couple cuts all ties with four British tabloids.
On April 20, Prince Harry and Meghan announced they would no longer engage with or respond to inquiries from journalists from the Sun, the Daily Mail, the Daily Mirror, and the Daily Express, explaining they no longer wished to "offer themselves up as currency for an economy of clickbait and distortion."
July 2020: Harry and Meghan purchase their first home together in Santa Barbara, California.
Vogue reported that the pair settled in the private and exclusive neighborhood of Montecito. The publication also reported that, according to property records, the royal couple bought their 14,500-square-foot home for $14.65 million.
"They have settled into the quiet privacy of their community since their arrival and hope that this will be respected for their neighbors, as well as for them as a family."
August 2020: Meghan and Harry plant flowers in honor of Princess Diana on the anniversary of her death.
Harry and Meghan planted forget-me-nots, which is widely known as Princess Diana's favorite flower, alongside children at the Preschool Learning Center in Los Angeles, which provides support to local low-income families.
Princess Diana died more than 23 years ago, on August 31, 1997, from injuries sustained after a car crash in Paris. Prince Harry has been vocal about the impact his mother's death had on him and receiving therapy to help process his grief.
September 2020: It's announced that Meghan and Prince Harry have founded their own production company and signed a deal with Netflix.
The New York Times reported that the couple plans to produce documentaries, docuseries, feature films, scripted television shows, and children's programming under their new business.
"Our focus will be on creating content that informs but also gives hope," Harry and Meghan told the outlet. "As new parents, making inspirational family programming is also important to us."
November 2020: Meghan pens an op-ed revealing she had a miscarriage in July.
In a New York Times essay titled "The Losses We Share," Meghan opened up about the "unbearable grief, experienced by many but talked about by few" she had after having a miscarriage over the summer.
"I knew, as I clutched my firstborn child, that I was losing my second," she wrote. "Hours later, I lay in a hospital bed, holding my husband's hand. I felt the clamminess of his palm and kissed his knuckles, wet from both our tears. Staring at the cold white walls, my eyes glazed over. I tried to imagine how we'd heal."
December 2020: The couple shares a Christmas card from their new home in the US.
In the same month the couple sent out their family Christmas card — which was not shared publicly — they also won one of their first legal battles over paparazzi pics of their son, Archie.
"As explained in today's hearing, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have successfully settled a legal claim brought at the beginning of this year against the paparazzi agency Splash UK," a spokesperson for Schillings, the legal representation for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, said in a statement to Town & Country.
February 14, 2021: Meghan wins her case against Associated Newspapers and thanks her husband for his support.
"After two long years of pursuing litigation, I am grateful to the courts for holding Associated Newspapers and the Mail on Sunday to account for their illegal and dehumanizing practiced," she wrote in a statement.
"These tactics (and those of their sister publications MailOnline and the Daily Mail) are not new; in fact, they've been going on for far too long without consequence. For these outlets, it's a game. For me and so many others, it's real life, real relationships, and very real sadness. The damage they have done and continue to do runs deep," she continued.
In the statement, she thanked Harry and others for their support.
At the time, a newspaper spokesperson told Business Insider, "We are very surprised by today's summary judgment and disappointed at being denied the chance to have all the evidence heard and tested in open court at a full trial."
"We are carefully considering the judgment's contents and will decide in due course whether to lodge an appeal," the spokesperson added.
February 14, 2021: Meghan and Prince Harry announce they are expecting their second child.
"We can confirm that Archie is going to be a big brother. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are overjoyed to be expecting their second child," a spokesperson for the couple said.
February 19, 2021: Buckingham Palace confirms Prince Harry and Meghan will no longer work on behalf of the royal family.
"The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have confirmed to Her Majesty The Queen that they will not be returning as working members of The Royal Family," Buckingham Palace said in a statement. "While all are saddened by their decision, The Duke and Duchess remain much-loved members of the family."
In addition to losing their involvement with numerous UK charities and patronages, Prince Harry will lose his honorary military appointments with The Royal Marines, the RAF Honington, and the Royal Navy Small Ships and Diving.
People reported that the couple will retain their Duke and Duchess of Sussex titles and will still be referred to as His/Her Royal Highness, though they do not actively use either of their titles.
In a statement released by Prince Harry and Meghan, the couple said they "remain committed to their duty and service to the UK and around the world, and have offered their continued support to the organizations they have represented regardless of official role."
"We can all live a life of service. Service is universal," they concluded.
March 2021: Prince Harry and Meghan's sit-down, tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey airs in the US and the UK.
On March 7, Prince Harry and Meghan's first sit-down interview since leaving the royal family, titled "Oprah with Meghan And Harry: A Primetime Special," aired on CBS in the US. The next day, the special interview aired in the UK.
The couple talked about everything from parenthood to life after leaving the royal family and the pressure they faced prior to doing so.
In one part of the interview, Prince Harry compared himself to his mother, Princess Diana, and discussed the struggles they both faced as members of the royal family.
"For me, I'm just really relieved and happy to be sitting here talking to you with my wife by my side because I can't begin to imagine what it must have been like for [Diana] going through this process by herself all those years ago," he said in the interview. "Because it has been unbelievably tough for the two of us, but at least we have each other."
In response to the interview, Buckingham Palace in a statement on behalf of the Queen that "the whole family is saddened to learn the full extent of how challenging the last few years have been for Harry and Meghan."
"The issues raised, particularly that of race, are concerning. While some recollections may vary, they are taken very seriously and will be addressed by the family privately," it continued.
April 17, 2021: Prince Harry attends the funeral of Prince Philip while Meghan remains in California.
Meghan had intended to travel to the UK with her husband to attend Prince Philip's funeral but was not given clearance to fly because of her pregnancy.
Prince Philip died, age 99, on April 9.
"My grandfather was a man of service, honor and great humor," Prince Harry said in a statement sent to Business Insider. "He was authentically himself, with a seriously sharp wit, and could hold the attention of any room due to his charm—and also because you never knew what he might say next."
"He will be remembered as the longest reigning consort to the Monarch, a decorated serviceman, a Prince and a Duke. But to me, like many of you who have lost a loved one or grandparent over the pain of this past year, he was my grandpa," Prince Harry continued.
He also called the late royal a "master of the barbecue, legend of banter, and cheeky right 'til the end."
"Meghan, Archie, and I (as well as your future great-granddaughter) will always hold a special place for you in our hearts," he added.
April 29, 2021: Harry and Meghan privately congratulate William and Middleton on their 10th wedding anniversary.
Prince William and Kate Middleton wed on April 29, 2011.
People reported that Meghan and Harry privately congratulated the couple on the milestone. Queen Elizabeth also publicly congratulated the couple on social media.
May 19, 2021: Prince Harry and Meghan celebrate their third wedding anniversary.
Three years after their Windsor Castle royal wedding, Prince Harry and Meghan celebrated the milestone at their new home in Santa Barbara, California.
June 4, 2021: The couple welcomes their second child, a daughter named Lilibet Diana Mountbatten-Windsor.
The couple released an official statement announcing that Lilibet "Lili" Diana was born on Friday, June 4, at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital in Santa Barbara, California.
"She weighed 7 lbs 11 oz. Both mother and child are healthy and well, and settling in at home," the statement read.
"Lili is named after her great-grandmother, Her Majesty The Queen, whose family nickname is Lilibet," the couple said. "Her middle name, Diana, was chosen to honor her beloved late grandmother, The Princess of Wales."
June 6, 2021: The couple announces the birth of their daughter but without the usual fanfare of royal birth.
It's traditional for most royal births to have an announcement posted outside Buckingham Palace (pictured). However, the birth of Lilibet Diana was much more subdued, with the couple releasing a statement on their Archewell website.
"It is with great joy that Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, welcome their daughter, Lilibet 'Lili' Diana Mountbatten-Windsor, to the world," the statement read.
"She is more than we could have ever imagined, and we remain grateful for the love and prayers we've felt from across the globe," the couple said. "Thank you for your continued kindness and support during this very special time for our family."
June 8, 2021: Meghan publishes her first children's book, "The Bench," inspired by a Father's Day poem she wrote for Prince Harry.
The children's book spoke about the relationship between a father and son from the perspective of a mother. The book featured illustrations by Christian Robinson and became a New York Times bestseller within a week of its release.
April 17, 2022: The couple shares some PDA at the Invictus Games.
Prince Harry could be seen placing his hand on Markle's leg during a volleyball game. Meghan also wore jeans, a far cry from the more dressed-up style she had as a working royal.
May 6, 2022: Prince Harry and Meghan confirm they will attend the Queen's Jubilee in the UK, along with their two children.
"Prince Harry and Meghan, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are excited and honored to attend The Queen's Platinum Jubilee celebrations this June with their children," the spokesperson said in a statement shared with Business Insider.
However, while the couple and their two children planned to attend the 70th-anniversary celebration of the Queen's reign, Prince Harry and Meghan announced they would not join the Queen on the balcony of Buckingham Palace for the Trooping the Colour parade alongside other members of the royal family.
May 19, 2022: Prince Harry and Meghan celebrate their fourth wedding anniversary.
June 3, 2022: Prince Harry and Meghan return to the UK for the first time since their royal exit to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's Platinum Jubilee.
The royal couple was spotted at the Trooping the Colour parade, which celebrated Queen Elizabeth's historic 70-year reign. However, they did not appear alongside other members of the royal family on the balcony of Buckingham Palace.
Following a thanksgiving service at St. Paul's Cathedral, which they attended along with Prince William and Kate Middleton, the couple could be seen being booed by fans as they exited. They did not attend a royal luncheon following the service, The Mirror reported.
June 6, 2022: The couple shares a new photo of their daughter, who has red hair like her dad and brother.
A spokesperson for the royal couple told Page Six that Lilibet's birthday party was a "casual, intimate backyard picnic" for "close friends and family" at Frogmore Cottage, the couple's previous residence.
Prince William and Kate Middleton were reportedly invited to the family affair but didn't attend due to a planned trip to Wales. Lilibet was introduced to her namesake, Queen Elizabeth, following the Trooping the Colour parade.
"It's simply a coincidence they fell on the same day," a source told Entertainment Tonight. "There was no intended slight."
Representatives for the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Prince William, and Middleton did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.
August 29, 2022: Meghan tells The Cut that she and Prince Harry navigate life in Montecito, California, "like salt and pepper."
Meghan said she was teaching her son, Archie, that the polite way to pass salt and pepper shakers across a table is by holding them together. She then told the outlet that this reminded her of the way she and Prince Harry are navigating their new life together in Montecito, California.
"'You never move one without the other,'" she told The Cut. "That's me and Harry. We're like salt and pepper. We always move together."
Sep 19, 2022: Prince Harry and Meghan attend the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II.
Prince Harry, Meghan, Prince William, Kate Middleton, and other members of the royal family attended her funeral on September 19. Some 2,000 people also gathered at Westminster Abbey to pay their respects to the Queen.
December 1, 2022: The first trailer for Prince Harry and Meghan's Netflix documentary series is released.
The couple's new documentary series, "Harry & Meghan," consisted of six episodes and was released on Netflix on December 8. The trailer for the series featured interviews with the couple and behind-the-scenes photos from their royal life. It promised to give an in-depth, personal look at their decision to "step back" from royal life.
"When the stakes are this high, doesn't it make more sense to hear our story from us?" Markle asks in the trailer.
"I had to do everything I could to protect my family," Harry says during an interview.
January 2023: Prince Harry releases his memoir, "Spare." It gives further insight into the couple's relationship.
The title of the book reflects Harry's position as the "spare" in relation to his older brother, William, the heir to the throne, and his unlikely path to kingship. In the book, Harry discussed his complex relationship with William, describing him as both a "beloved brother" and an "arch nemesis."
The tell-all memoir also detailed his relationship with Markle, including concerns that his sister-in-law Kate Middleton was "going to be compared to, and forced to compete with, Meg."
June 2023: The couple exits their deal with Spotify, ending the three-year partnership.
Reports emerged in June 2023 that Markle and Harry had ended their partnership with Spotify and would no longer produce content on the platform.
Reports also said that Meghan and Harry would not receive the full $20 million payout from their Spotify deal.
"The podcast will no longer be produced at Spotify as we are mutually parting ways," a spokesperson for Archewell Audio, the couple's production company, told Business Insider.
In February 2024, Meghan announced that she had signed a new partnership with Lemonada Media, Deadline reported.
July 2023: Unfounded rumors circulate that Meghan and Harry are having relationship problems.
The tabloid Radar Online originally reported that the couple was facing "tremendous financial pressure" and a "trial separation" after the end of their Spotify deal, citing an unnamed source who said "that stress coupled with their emotional issues has likely made life a living hell. Taking time apart on different continents will hopefully help them find whatever they need to move on."
However, Page Six disputed the rumors, citing a source close to the couple who said, "It's not true. It's literally made up."
September 2023: Harry and Meghan make multiple public appearances as a couple.
The pair attended a basketball game during the Invictus Games and a Beyoncé concert at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, dispelling speculation that the couple had separated.
The couple, wearing matching silver outfits, was spotted dancing together and kissing in a private box at the concert.
March 2024: Meghan announces that she will launch American Riviera Orchard, a lifestyle and alcohol brand.
The New York Post reported that, according to a trademark application filed by Meghan's lawyers and reviewed by the outlet, Meghan's new brand will sell tableware, drinkware, kitchen linens, jams, marmalade, cookbooks, and other products.
May 2024: The couple travels to Nigeria for public appearances at the Lightway Academy school.
"These trips are about us being able to go out and go and focus on the things that mean so much to us," Meghan, who recently found out she is part-Nigerian, told People. "And being able to be on the ground, to us, is what it's all about."
People reported that Nigeria's chief of defense staff, General Christopher Musa, invited the couple to visit the country. The trip was not meant to compensate for other royal family members stepping back from public duties — both King Charles and Kate Middleton were battling cancer. Kate is now cancer-free and plans to resume public work next year.
June 2024: Harry and Meghan do not attend Trooping the Colour for the second year in a row.
People reported that the couple had not received invitations from Harry's family to attend the annual event, which celebrated King Charles' second birthday as monarch.
November 2024: Harry and Meghan celebrate a "low-key" Thanksgiving with friends in California.
"I was thinking about, in the past few years of having Thanksgiving here, like many of us, I think you always make sure there's room at the table for your friends who don't have family, which is really key," Meghan told Marie Claire in a recent interview.
"We're always making sure we have something fun to do," she said. "Like any other family, you spend time having a great meal, and then what do you do? Play games, all the same stuff, someone brings a guitar — fun."
December 4, 2024: Prince Harry comments publicly on speculation about his and Meghan's relationship, dispelling divorce reports.
In a conversation with New York Times columnist and DealBook founder Andrew Ross Sorkin during a panel at the 2024 DealBook Summit hosted by The New York Times, Harry joked about the constant reports and attention he and his wife receive from the press — positive and negative.
"Apparently we've bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We've apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well," he said, laughing, People reported. "So it's just like, 'what?'"
"It's hard to keep up with, but that's why you just sort of ignore it. The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls," he continued. "Their hopes are just built and built, and it's like, 'Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,' and then it doesn't happen. So I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do."
Harry also said that he enjoys his life in the US and doesn't regret leaving the UK, adding it's what he believes his mother, Princess Diana, would have wanted for him.
"I very much enjoy living here and bringing up my kids here. It's a part of my life that I never thought that I was gonna live," he told Sorkin.
"I feel as though it's the life that my mom wanted for me," he continued. "To be able to do the things I'm able to do with my kids that I undoubtedly wouldn't be able to do in the UK — it's huge. I'm hugely grateful for that."
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater reportedly began dating on the "Wicked" movie set.
Slater confirmed he "fell in love" while filming, calling the experience "a really beautiful thing."
Slater's ex-wife, Lilly Jay, wrote an essay for The Cut that unpacks her sudden public divorce.
Ariana Grande and Ethan Slater seem to be going strong, nearly two years after they met on the set of "Wicked."
The "Eternal Sunshine" singer, 31, and Broadway star, 32, were both legally married to other people when they began filming the two-part blockbuster. Now, the two have reportedly become a "full-on couple. " Some sources even claim they're living together in New York City.
Here's a complete timeline of their friendship-turned-romance.
December 2022: Grande begins filming the 'Wicked' movie
Back in 2021, Grande and Cynthia Erivo were cast in the big-screen "Wicked" adaptation as Galinda Upland (eventually Glinda the Good Witch) and Elphaba Thropp (eventually the Wicked Witch of the West), respectively.
On December 7, 2022, director Jon M. Chu confirmed that filming was underway.
"My daughter wrote a note and drew a picture to commemorate the first day of shooting," he wrote on his Instagram story. Grande also reshared the photo, adding, "My heart."
Ariana Grande & Cynthia Erivo after the first official day of filming Wicked
Grande announced that filming "Wicked" was halfway done with a sentimental post on Instagram.
"i am so grateful, i don't know what to do or say… to be here in Oz where everyday is a life changing one… to be feeling, learning and growing so much at such a disarming speed," she wrote in the caption. "to be transforming and healing parts of me that i never knew needed it. or maybe did."
Grande also wished a "happy halfway" to her crew and costars, whom she described as "my fellow Ozians."
"my heart will be stuck here forever," she added.
May 14, 2023: Slater praises his wife, Lilly Jay, on Mother's Day
Slater had been married to his high-school sweetheart, a clinical psychologist, since 2018. The couple welcomed a son in August 2022.
Slater dedicated a Mother's Day post to Jay on May 14, 2023, describing his wife as "the most loving caring and wonderful mom/person in the world." (Grande liked the post.)
May 15, 2023: Grande shares a photo with Gomez to celebrate their second wedding anniversary
In an Instagram story, Grande shared a photo of her and Gomez kissing at their wedding. She wrote that they'd been together for over three years, adding, "I love him so."
Ariana Grande celebrates second wedding anniversary with Dalton Gomez in new Instagram story:
July 17, 2023: News breaks that Grande and Gomez are 'heading for divorce'
Rumors were already swirling about Grande's split from Gomez when she attended a Wimbledon tennis match with her "Wicked" costar Jonathan Bailey sans her engagement ring or wedding band.
The following day, TMZ published a report that she and Gomez had been separated for several months and were "heading for divorce," citing anonymous sources close to the couple.
Another source confirmed the news to People, claiming that Grande and Gomez "have been quietly and lovingly working on their friendship."
July 20, 2023: Grande and Slater's new relationship makes headlines
TMZ broke the news that Grande and Slater were a couple. According to the tabloid, they began dating while filming "Wicked."
When his relationship with Grande made headlines, neither Slater nor Jay had yet announced their separation. Later that day, People confirmed that Slater and Jay had "gone their separate ways," but did not provide a timeline for their split.
"My family is just collateral damage," Jay told Bacardi, adding, "The story is her and Dalton."
Jay also said she's focused on being a "good mom" to her 1-year-old son.
Shortly after, TMZ reported that Jay hadn't meant to publicly criticize Grande and "did not understand what it meant that she was on the record when she made the comments," citing sources close to Slater.
September 18, 2023: Grande and Gomez simultaneously file for divorce
Grande cited "irreconcilable differences" in her official divorce filing, according to TMZ. Gomez quickly followed suit with his own filing.
"They've been really caring and respectful of one another every step of this process," a source told the outlet.
According to court documents, the date of their separation was listed as February 20, 2023.
Their divorce was finalized just three weeks after filing on October 6, 2023, according to multipleoutlets. In accordance with the couple's prenuptial agreement, Gomez reportedly received $1,250,000 from Grande.
Meanwhile, a source told People that Grande is trying to keep her relationship with Slater out of the spotlight.
"While this entire situation has been blown out of proportion, it's much different than what has been portrayed in public," said a friend of the couple. "They are just trying to navigate their new relationship in private."
September 29, 2023: Grande and Slater spend a night together at Disney World
"They went with a big group of friends as well her mom and brother," a source told People, adding, "All of her friends love him."
October 31, 2023: Grande is spotted cheering for the cast of Broadway's 'Spamalot,' including Slater
Grande was spotted in the audience for the first preview performance of "Spamalot," a Monty Python-inspired musical. She can be seen cheering for the cast in a video that made the rounds on social media.
Fans assumed she was primarily there to support Slater, who played The Historian and Prince Herbert in the production.
"She has seen it during tech rehearsals," an anonymous attendee told People. "She was so sweet last night, taking pictures with fans and gushing about how much she was enjoying the performances. She's a theater kid at her core, so you see she really feels at peace being around Broadway."
"Had the BEST time at @spamalotbway last night. Run, don't walk!" Gillies wrote in the caption. Grande reshared the photo on her own story.
November 12, 2023: The couple enjoys a theatrical date night
Grande and Slater were spotted together at the James Earl Jones Theater, catching a performance of "Gutenberg! The Musical!" on Broadway.
The couple also spent some time backstage with the production's costars, Josh Gad and Andrew Rannells. The former "Girls" actor later shared a photo of the foursome on Instagram.
"We had some big fun in Schlimmer yesterday! Spamalot's Ethan Slater AND Michael Urie! Two great guys to eat dreams with," Rannells wrote in the caption. "Plus Ariana Grande! It was a perfect Sunday."
November 16, 2023: Grande attends the opening night of 'Spamalot'
Grande was then spotted in the crowd at the St. James Theatre for the official opening night of "Spamalot."
She also brought her mother, Joan Grande; her brother-in-law, Hale Grande; and a few friends along for the occasion (including Doug Middlebrook of "In My Head" fame).
Grande later shared a slideshow of photos from the evening, including a T-shirt that reads, "Happy Opening Of Broadway Show."
In his own slideshow, Slater included a photo of himself wearing the same shirt.
December 22, 2023: Grande includes an apparent nod to Slater in her holiday decor
In an Instagram slideshow that she captioned with a heart, Grande included a photo of a Spam tree ornament.
Many fans believe the can of processed pork is a shoutout to Slater's role in "Spamalot."
December 23, 2023: The couple is seen dining with Grande's father, Ed Butera, in New York City
Grande, Slater, and Butera had dinner "at her family's favorite Italian restaurant" in Manhattan, according to Page Six.
They were photographed leaving the restaurant before heading to the Theater District, where Grande caught another performance of "Spamalot."
"They love to support each other in their work," an anonymous source told the outlet. "When she's done with work, she loves going to the theater when she can." (This exact quote was also cited by People.)
December 28, 2023: TMZ reports that Grande and Slater are living together
Grande and Slater are currently living together in New York City, according to sources close to the couple. One source also said they "vibe together."
"We're told each maintains a separate residence, but they are together almost all of the time," TMZ wrote.
January 12, 2024: Grande mocks people who scrutinize her sex life in the new single 'Yes, And?'
"Yes, And?" was written by Grande, Max Martin, and Ilya Salmanzadeh for Grande's forthcoming album.
In the song, Grande takes on critics of her body and relationship, with the most relevant lyrics appearing in the bridge: "Your business is yours and mine is mine / Why do you care so much whose **** I ride?" (The censor is Grande's own.)
The "Yes, And?" music video doubles down on this theme. It shows Grande performing the song for her biggest critics, who, by the end of the song, are persuaded to abandon their haughtiness and dance along with Grande.
March 8, 2024: Grande releases her album 'Eternal Sunshine,' which may contain references to her new boyfriend
Amid several breakup songs on Grande's seventh studio album, she sings about finding new love.
"I found a good boy and he's on my side / You're just my eternal sunshine," she sings in the title track, drawing a distinction between her new man and her ex. (Although Grande hasn't identified any muses for "Eternal Sunshine," the information we have about her love life would indicate these lyrics are about Slater and Gomez, respectively.)
"Supernatural," "Imperfect For You," and "Ordinary Things" also allude to a recently sparked romance ("Nothing else felt this way inside me," "We crashed and we burned / Now I just can't go where you don't go," "There's never gonna be an ordinary thing as long as I'm with you").
Notably, the two-song sequence "True Story" and "The Boy Is Mine" addresses Grande's reputation as a "villain" in the public eye — but filtered through a satirical, tongue-in-cheek lens.
"It's like, 'OK, I'll play the bad girl, here's your bad girl anthem,'" Grande told Zane Lowe. "That's why they're in that order in the tracklist."
June 8, 2024: Grande and Slater attend a hockey game together
Grande and Slater were photographed sitting side-by-side at Amerant Bank Arena in Florida, Grande's home state, for the 2024 Stanley Cup Final.
They were joined by Grande's longtime friend, Courtney Chipolone, per People.
September 30, 2024: Grande defends Slater and their relationship against 'disreputable evil tabloids'
"It definitely doesn't get any easier, seeing some of the negativity that was birthed by disreputable tabloids. Of course, I went through a lot of life changes during the filming of this movie. A lot of people that were working on it did," Grande said, referring to "Wicked."
Grande also disavowed the negative perception of her relationship with Slater, which she said was created by the media — though, again, she didn't clarify any specifics, telling the magazine she "will never go into certain details."
"The most disappointing part was to see so many people believe the worst version of it," she said.
"There couldn't be a less accurate depiction of a human being than the one that the tabloids spread about him," Grande added of Slater, alluding to rumors that he left his wife and child to be with her.
"No one on this Earth tries harder or spreads themselves thinner to be there for the people that he loves and cares about. There is no one on this Earth with a better heart, and that is something that no bullshit tabloid can rewrite in real life."
October 30, 2024: Slater confirms he 'fell in love' while filming 'Wicked'
"You also fell in love making this movie," reporter Eileen Cartter said to him. "Can you tell me a little bit about what that was like?"
"Yeah," he replied. "That's a really sweet question. That's really nice of you to ask. That's a really sweet question."
"Obviously, it was a really super big year," he continued, "and I think there was something that was really difficult about things in your private life being commented on and looked at by the public. There were a lot of big changes in private lives that were really happening, so it's really hard to see people who don't know anything about what's happening commenting on it and speculating, and then getting things wrong about the people you love. So just to address that part of it, that feels really hard."
Despite the rumors about his love life, however, Slater said it was "an amazing year and a really beautiful thing." He also praised Grande's acting chops and comedic timing.
"I'm just really, really proud of Ari and the work she's done on this," Slater said, referring to her role as Galinda. "She's poured herself into it. I'm really proud that I got to be there for that part of it, and I'm really excited to be there for this next step of it when the world gets to see the amazing thing that she did."
Grande signaled her support by sharing GQ's photos of Slater on her Instagram Story.
She also shared a link to the interview, calling it "a beautifully written piece about an unfathomably beautiful human being."
November 4, 2024: Slater makes his debut on Grande's Instagram grid
In an Instagram carousel dedicated to the Sydney premiere of "Wicked," Grande included a photo of the cast posing on the red (actually, yellow) carpet.
Although Grande and Slater weren't standing next to each other, the photo shows them smiling at each other.
In another candid shot, Slater is holding the train of Grande's gown as they walk down stairs.
November 14, 2024: They hug and hold hands at the 'Wicked' premiere in New York City
Photographers caught a brief interaction between Grande and Slater in New York City, where both actors walked the red carpet for the "Wicked" premiere.
November 22, 2024: Slater shares several photos with Grande from the set of 'Wicked'
One is a selfie that Slater took with Grande and their costar, Bronwyn James, while another shows Erivo, Grande, and Slater posing in sunglasses.
"To say I'm honored to be a part of this movie is the understatement of the century," Slater wrote in the caption. "I cannot wait for you to see it."
Grande liked the post and commented with three cupid-heart emojis.
In the weeks following, he shared two more photos with Grande from the "Wicked" set (one on November 29 and another on December 5), both showing the costars in their Shiz University costumes.
December 19, 2024: Lilly Jay publishes an essay that unpacks her sudden public divorce
"I really never thought I would get divorced," Jay writes. "Especially not just after giving birth to my first child and especially not in the shadow of my husband's new relationship with a celebrity."
Although Jay never names either Slater or Grande in the piece, she refers to "a tabloid drama in which I play the role of a voiceless ex-wife."
Jay also reveals that she "confidently moved to another country with my 2-month-old baby and my husband to support his career," confirming that she and Slater were still together when he began filming "Wicked" in England.
Although Jay is still grappling with the ripple effects of their breakup, she praises Slater's commitment to co-parenting their child.
"While our partnership has changed, our parenthood has not. Both of us fiercely love our son 100 percent of the time, regardless of how our parenting time is divided," Jay writes. "As for me, days with my son are sunny. Days when I can't escape the promotion of a movie associated with the saddest days of my life are darker."
Grande and Slater did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comments.
This post is a developing story. Check back for updates.
The new "Wicked" movie musical is a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz."
Many characters established in "The Wizard of Oz" make appearances in the first film.
Here's what to know about how the two stories overlap.
Spoilers ahead for "Wicked" movie and Broadway show
"Wicked" is a prequel to "The Wizard of Oz," but the story starts halfway through the original 1939 movie.
This may confuse some fans who tune into the new prequel, which premieres this week on the same day as another blockbuster heavyweight, "Gladiator II."
The 1939 film and other adaptations of Oz, like 1970s film 'The Wiz', are based on the original book by Frank L. Baum "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz," written in 1900.
The "Wicked" movie and Broadway show, however, are based on Gregory Maguire's 1995 revisionist novel "Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West."
Maguire's novel reframes the popular plot of the original book and 1939 movie "The Wizard of Oz" around the book's main villain, the Wicked Witch of the West. Elphaba, as she's christened by Maguire, is the hero of this rewriting.
The Broadway adaption of the book is a resounding success. Since its debut in 2005, "Wicked" has become the second-highest-grossing Broadway show, selling over a billion tickets.
Wicked begins after Elphaba's death
"Wicked" closely follows the musical's first act, which begins half way through the original plot of "The Wizard of Oz" film.
"The Wizard of Oz" starts when Dorothy Gale, her dog Toto, and her house are picked up by a tornado in Kansas and dropped in Oz, landing on and killing the Wicked Witch of the East.
Glinda the Good Witch gives Dorothy the Wicked Witch of the East's ruby shoes. The Wicked Witch of the West, the Witch of the East's sister, (also known as Elphaba) swears vengeance against Dorothy.
Later in the film, Dorothy must steal Elphaba's broom and deliver it to the Wizard of Oz, so the Wizard will transport her home to Kansas. Dorothy accidentally splashes water on the witch during the encounter.
The witch melts and eventually dies, allowing Dorothy to complete her mission to retrieve Elphaba's broom for the Wizard.
This moment is where "Wicked" begins.
The movie's opening scene is set in Elphaba's castle after the confrontation with Dorothy, signified by the puddle of water and a witch hat on the floor.
A flying monkey, one of Elphaba's servants, crashes through the window. The camera briefly shows Dorothy and her crew — the cowardly lion, the Tin Man, and the scarecrow — on the yellow brick road as the monkey flies over Oz.
Glinda (Ariana Grande) later confirms to the people of Munchkinland, a region in Oz, that Elphaba (Cynthia Erivo) is dead, leading to cheers and joyful singing.
When the crowd asks how Elphaba became evil, Glinda starts telling the story of the witch's life from childhood revealing she and the wicked witch were once friends.
The movie follows the musical and book's plot where Elphaba, the Wicked Witch of the West, didn't start out wicked. She was ostracized in Oz for her green skin tone from an early age.
The rest of the film shows Elphaba's origin story, ending where the end of act one would normally be in the Broadway show.
"Wicked Part Two," which premieres in November 2025, covers act two of the Broadway show. The second act shows the days leading up to Dorothy's arrival and the story of "The Wizard of Oz" from the point of view of Glinda and Elphaba.