Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling's Relationship Timeline

Summer of 2011: Falling in Love

While it’s unclear exactly when the former Mouseketeer first laid eyes on his leading lady, the director of their shared film, The Place Beyond the Pines, revealed a clue in an interview with Moviefone. Apparently, Gosling was responsible for Eva’s involvement in the film. "I had asked Ryan about who he thought should be Romina… we thought about it a lot,” Derek Cianfrance said. “He had known Eva a little bit. He said, 'You should meet with Eva because she's great; I think she's got a lot to offer that maybe people haven't seen, which would be great.’ So I said 'okay.'”

Eva confirmed that they had been acquainted ahead of filming to Oprah Daily in 2019, saying, "we had known each other for a while already, so to work together was really exciting."

September 3, 2011: The Happiest Place on Earth

Eva and Ryan were spotted exercising their chemistry offscreen while exploring the happiest place on Earth together at Disneyland in Anaheim, CA, in September 2011. According to a source for Us Weekly, "They were very playful," an observer told the outlet. "Eva was skipping around like a little girl... She would lean into him, and she held his arm the entire time."

October 16, 2011: A Romantic Drive

One month later, the Miami native and the Canadian actor were spotted sharing a kiss while stopped at a light while driving together in Hollywood.

November 26, 2011: Paris for Thanksgiving

The two were spotted together in Paris, France for a Thanksgiving getaway. They were seen holding hands strolling through the Père Lachaise Cemetery.

December 20, 2011: Co-Stars in Funny or Die's Drunk History Christmas

In a revamped reading of "Twas the Night Before Christmas," the dubbed "Drunk History Christmas" aired starring Ryan, Eva, and Jim Carrey. The two cozied up in bed while playing the part of a married couple with two children.

January 1, 2012: A New York City Getaway

On a New Year's trip to New York City, Ryan spent quality time with Eva and his mother. The three were spotted at a local AMC movie theater on New Year's day. The two stayed at Manhattan's Bowery Hotel.

June 2012: Eva Accompanies Ryan to His Mother's Graduation

Eva accompanied Ryan to his mother's graduation ceremony from Brock University in Canada. The very proud son was adamant on maintaining a low profile during the celebration to ensure that the focus remained solely on his mom and her fellow graduates.

September 7, 2012: A Red Carpet Appearance

Eva and Ryan walked the red carpet at the 2012 Toronto International Film Festival to promote their shared movie together. The actress later told Kelly Clarkson of the moment, “That’s literally me going, like, ‘I’m not in love with him. I’m not in love with him.’ Cause we just were trying to be very professional.”

May 20, 2014: Coupled Co-Workers

Three years after the lovebirds fell for each other, the couple debuted their second project together, Lost River. Eva starred alongside lead Christina Hendricks as cabaret dancer, Cat, and Ryan served as the movie’s writer, director, and co-producer.

Eva later reflected on the experience to Oprah Daily, saying, “Being in the film Lost River was nothing short of a magical experience. I would love to either act opposite [Ryan] again or be directed by him at some point. I just love working with him. In a career of 20+ years, to have my two most incredible creative experiences be with him, of course, I’d want a third.”

September 12, 2014: The Couple Welcomes Their First Daughter

Though they kept their romance largely under wraps, Us Weekly confirmed that Eva and Ryan had become parents with the birth of their first baby girl, Esmeralda, on September 12, 2014.

March 5, 2015: A Family Affair

According to People, Ryan worked behind the scenes to make his love's 41st birthday celebration in 2015 one to remember, renting out a roller rink in Glendale. The surprise party came complete with flowers, balloons, and gifts. A source for the publication said that the duo, who attended with their then six-month-old babe in tow, skated around the rink hand in hand.

December 7, 2015: His Perfect Woman

Later that year, the Astronaut star gushed over his life partner to Hello! Canada, more or less calling her the perfect woman. “I know that I’m with the person I’m supposed to be with,” he told the publication. In fact, when it comes to qualities he looks for in a woman, he explained, "that she’s Eva Mendes. There’s nothing else I’m looking for.”

April 29, 2016: The Couple Welcomes Their Second Daughter

Eva and Ryan welcomed their second daughter, Amada—Spanish for “beloved”—on April 29, 2016, according to a birth certificate obtained by TMZ. Her birth came less than two weeks after Eva lost her brother, Juan Carlos Mendez, to cancer. “We had a funeral service for him and that same week I had the baby. So it was really, really intense and obviously beyond heartbreaking, but also kind of beautiful,” the Hitch star told Latina magazine later that year.

May 12, 2016: Domestic Bliss

The growing family's household is a happy one if Ryan's 2016 Good Morning America interview is any indicator. When asked about the now three-to-one female-to-male ratio in his household, he gushed, “It’s Heaven. It’s like walking through a field of flowers every day. I live with angels.”

September 2016: Are They or Aren’t They?

Despite reports by Us Weekly in 2016 that the couple had secretly tied the knot right under our noses, TMZ cited a source close to the pair who disputed the claims. Four years later, People refuted similar reports, stating that the duo is “not married.”

January 9, 2017: A Touching Tribute

Ryan saw success with La La Land at the 2017 Golden Globes when he took home the award for Best Actor in a Musical or Comedy. The actor took the opportunity to make a very touching tribute, dedicating his award to the memory of Eva's deceased brother, Juan. “While I was singing and dancing and playing piano and having one of the best experiences I’ve ever had on a film, my lady was raising our daughter, pregnant with our second, and trying to help her brother fight his battle with cancer," the Young Hercules alum shared. "If she hadn’t have taken all that on so that I could have this experience, it would surely be someone else up here other than me today. So, sweetheart, thank you.”

The father of two also acknowledged the pair’s girls, saying, “to my daughters, Amada and Esmeralda, I love you.”

Eva later spoke about the moment to Women’s Health, telling the publication, “It was like a dream. But really, what I heard was that he said my brother’s name. It was the most beautiful gesture, and I had no idea Ryan was going to say it.”

October 1, 2017: Date Night

The twosome stepped out for a rare high-profile date night for a Saturday Night Live after-party at Tao Restaurant in New York City after Ryan hosted the show’s season 43 premiere.

April 16, 2019: Changing Course

Eva admitted that Ryan changed the course of her life while speaking to Women’s Health in April 2019, noting that before falling for the actor, children were “the furthest thing from my mind.” When asked what changed, she retorted, “Ryan Gosling happened. I mean, falling in love with him. Then it made sense for me to have… not kids, but his kids. It was very specific to him.”

June 28, 2019: A Walk Down Memory Lane

Eva took a walk down memory lane in June 2019, sharing a snippet of the film that started it all with fans on social media. “Flashing back to one of my favorite scenes from A Place Beyond the Pines <3,” she captioned the clip, which shows her cozying up to the Dead Man's Bones singer to pose for a fictional family photo.

July 2019: A Furry Addition to the Family

Eva and Ryan adopted a Doberman puppy named Lucho in the summer of 2019. "Meet Lucho. The newest member of our family," she wrote on her Instagram. "We adopted him from this amazing agency called Friends for Life Rescue Network @fflrescuenetwork."

October 4, 2020: Happy at Home

While the couple was homebound with the rest of the world, Eva made it clear there was nowhere else she’d rather be. A fan comment on an old photo of the model running along the beach said, “you need to tell Ryan to get you out more,” to which Eva had the perfect response. “No, thank you, I’m good. Rather be home with my man than anywhere else in the world," she quipped.

May 27, 2021: Nostalgic Vibes

Mendes had fans in a tizzy when she shared a rare-but-heartwarming throwback photo from the pair’s shared 2012 flick, writing, “Throwing it wayyy back....”

June 2022: Eva Crushes on Ryan in His New Role

Eva expressed her support for Ryan in his role as Ken in the Barbie movie with Margot Robbie. With his bleach blonde hair and toned abs, she was reportedly crushing hard on her husband's character in the movie—can we blame her?!