Behind the fame, glamor, and riches, Hollywood celebrities are as human as any other person in the world. They have crushes, fall in love, date, marry, get heartbroken, and divorce. With the collaborations and connections in the entertainment industry, these celebrities cross paths in more ways than one.
Whether at a mutual friend’s party or an event, working together in film and television, or being neighbors, Hollywood celebrities hook up more often than most people think. However, more often than not, their busy schedules tend to get in the way of having a long-lasting relationship. Since everyone deserves to be loved or make an attempt to find love, these celebrities have dated at one point in time. Here are 12 celebrities you probably forgot dated.
Ryan Reynolds and Scarlett Johansson
These are two of the most popular and most successful names in the superhero genre. Ryan Reynolds, known for his sarcastic wit, portrays the Marvel Comics superhero character, Deadpool. Besides being known for portraying the Marvel Comics superhero character Black Widow, actress Scarlett Johansson is the highest-grossing box office star of all time. However, before becoming two of the most lovable superhero stars, the two dated and were married for three years. Reynolds and Johansson began dating in 2007 and were engaged and married in May 2008. Although they separated in December 2010, their divorce was finalized in July 2011.
Macaulay Culkin and Mila Kunis
Actress Mila Kunis is known for her romantic comedy films and as Ashton Kutcher‘s wife. However, before her marriage to Kutcher in July 2015, Kunis was in a long-term relationship with popular child actor Macaulay Culkin. Macaulay Culkin is known for playing Kevin McCallister in the Home Alone film series. Culkin and Kunis began dating in 2002. They remained a couple until early 2011, when Kunis’ publicist announced and confirmed reports that Culkin and Kunis had split. Macaulay Culkin and Mila Kunis dated for about eight years. With over a decade since they were together, it is easy to see how they landed on a list of celebrities people forgot dated.
Emilia Clarke and Seth MacFarlane
Mother of Dragons, Daenerys Targaryen’s actress Emilia Clarke appeared on FHM‘s 100 Sexiest Women in the World three years in a row. At the peak of the HBO Game of Thrones series, Clarke was arguably one of the most desirable women on planet Earth. Yet, what many film and television audiences did not know was that she dated actor, comedian, and Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane during the early years of the show. Clarke and MacFarlane began dating in 2012 but split after a year in 2013. A major contributing factor to their break up was the long distance, with the couple living in different cities halfway across the world.
Sofia Coppola and Quentin Tarantino
Academy Award-winning filmmaker Sofia Coppola once dated fellow renowned filmmaker Quentin Tarantino. The couple began dating in 2003, following her divorce from her ex-husband, filmmaker Spike Jonze, in the same year. Coppola and Tarantino dated for two years before splitting in 2005. However, despite their split, they have remained close friends.
Jennifer Aniston and Vince Vaughn
Jennifer Aniston‘s almost five-year marriage to Brad Pitt ended in 2005, after their separation in January and divorce in October. Aniston and Vince Vaughn began dating while filming Peyton Reed‘s romantic comedy-drama The Break-Up in 2005. Aniston has admitted Vaughn was a perfect partner at that point in her life, helping her rediscover herself. However, their relationship didn’t last long, as they split the next year in 2006.
Ryan Gosling and Sandra Bullock
While the age difference may have made the pair an unlikely couple, Hollywood has long revealed anyone can find love in different places. Ryan Gosling and Sandra Bullock first met while filming the psychological thriller Murder by Numbers in 2001. Gosling, who was 21 at that time, was captivated by his 37-year-old co-star, notwithstanding the 16-year age gap between them. Although neither confirmed the relationship, the couple dated for about two years before calling it quits sometime in 2003. Over decades after their break up, many fans have forgotten that the two celebrities dated.
Chris Evans and Jessica Biel
Jessica Biel may have been married to singer and actor Justin Timberlake since 2012, but not many know she once had a long-term relationship with Captain America actor Chris Evans. While both are married today, with Chris Evans marrying Portuguese actress Alba Baptista in September 2023, Evans and Biel dated two decades ago. Chris Evans and Jessica Biel began dating in 2001 and were a couple for five years until they split in 2006. During their time together, besides discussing marriage and children, the actors co-starred in two movies, Cellular (2004) and London (2005).
Salma Hayek and Edward Norton
News of a love affair between Mexican-American actress Salma Hayek and Edward Norton began making waves in 1999. Although they initially tried to keep things quiet, they were regularly seen together at red carpets. They later co-starred in the 2002 biographical drama Frida, with Hayek playing the titular character. Norton helped work on the movie’s screenplay in an uncredited role. Months before the couple split up in 2003, Norton chose to attend the premiere of Salma Hayek’s directorial debut film, The Maldonado Miracle (2003), rather than attend the premiere of The Italian Job (2003) in which he starred. Despite their breakup, they stayed as friends.
Kim Kardashian and Nick Cannon
Not many people knew media personality Kim Kardashian and Nick Cannon were ever in a romantic relationship. This is because it all happened before the Kardashians became a household name. Cannon and Kardashian reportedly met around the time she was dating Ray J. After their split, Nick Cannon actively pursued Kim Kardashian. The couple began dating in late 2006. However, their relationship didn’t last long as they broke up in 2007. Kardashian and Cannon’s relationship was before the actor, comedian, and rapper became a father of many children. Maybe, if it had worked out (considering it was Nick Cannon who did the break-up), Kim Kardashian would have been one of Cannon’s baby mamas.
Nicole Kidman and Lenny Kravitz
Actress Zoë Kravitz‘s father and actress Lisa Bonet‘s ex-husband, Lenny Kravitz, once dated Academy Award-winning actress Nicole Kidman. They began dating in 2003 and became engaged at a point during their relationship. However, the couple ended the engagement and broke up a year later in 2004. In an interview, Zoë Kravitz admitted she, her father, and Nicole Kidman once lived together in the same house. With over twenty years since their break up, you’ll be forgiven for forgetting these two celebrities dated.
Taylor Swift and Joe Jonas
When the singers and songwriters began dating in July 2008, many believed it would be a fairytale love. However, Taylor Swift and Joe Jonas split after only a few months in October 2008. It wasn’t the briefness of their romance that caused much stir but the nature and manner in which it ended. Jonas reportedly broke up with Swift on a less-than-30-second phone call. Anyone who breaks Taylor Swift’s heart knows they automatically have a place in her next album. Unsurprisingly, their split inspired ideas for the lyrics of a song in her second studio album, Fearless. Swift spoke about the relationship in the album’s eleventh song, “Forever & Always.”
Joaquin Phoenix and Liv Tyler
Decades before Joaquin Phoenix would portray Napoleon Bonaparte, Joker, Jesus, or even Commodus, he had dated actress Liv Tyler. Phoenix, who was 21 then, began dating Tyler when the actress was 18 years old. Their relationship lasted for three years before they split in 1998. During the period they dated, the couples co-starred in Pat O’Connor‘s coming-of-age, period drama Inventing the Abbotts (1997), where they both played lead roles. Liv Tyler was so in love with Joaquin Phoenix, she reportedly became a vegan while they dated, and reverted to eating meat after they broke up. The actors continued as friends after the split, with Liv Tyler considering Phoenix’s sisters as family.