Joaquin Phoenix & Rooney Mara’s Relationship Timeline Is Just As Low-Key As They Are

While much is known about the film careers of Joker star Joaquin Phoenix and actor Rooney Mara, their relationship timeline seems to be more low-key. Both actors have been linked for about six years now, when they first met on the set of Spike Jonze’s 2013 science-fiction romance Her, as reported by Entertainment Tonight. In the film, Phoenix and Mara played characters who were childhood sweethearts amid a divorce. However, rumors of Phoenix and Mara’s relationship didn’t emerge publicly until a few years later in 2017, as per Page Six.

In 2017, Phoenix and Mara starred on the biblical drama Mary Magdalene, which only recently released in April 2019. Mara played the film’s title character while Phoenix took on the role of Jesus. The two reportedly fell in love while on set, according to various tabloid reports at the time, including Page Six. During this time, however, the two didn’t speak publicly about each other in the press. Since then, they’ve been spotted out and about together, and have even made rare joint appearances at film festivals and red carpets.

Fast forward to present day, and the two are currently engaged as of July 2019. From their first meeting to their engagement to a recent appearance at the Joker premiere, below is a loose timeline of Phoenix and Mara’s low-key relationship.

2013: They First Met

Phoenix and Rooney met on the set of Spike Jonze’s 2013 film Her, which starred Phoenix in the central role. The science-fiction drama followed Theodore (Phoenix), a man who falls in love with an operating system named Samantha, voiced by Scarlett Johansson. Mara starred as Catherine, Theodore’s childhood sweetheart and soon-to-be ex-wife. The two started dating a few years later, when they reunited on set for the film Mary Magdalene, as per Page Six.

January 2017: Dating Rumors Emerge

In 2017, dating rumors surfaced while the two were on set for the 2018 biblical film Mary Magdalene. On Jan. 10, 2017, Page Six reported that the two “fell for each other on the set while shooting the biblical epic and have been spending a lot of time together ever since.” A few days later on Jan. 13, the two were spotted at a detox spa together in California, as reported by E! News. At the time, however, Phoenix’s rep told Page Six that the two were “just good friends.”

May 2017: Their First Public Event

Following months of romance speculation by the press, Phoenix and Mara made their first joint appearance together at the 70th annual Cannes Film Festival on May 28, 2017. At the event, Phoenix took home the best actor win for his 2017 film You Were Never Really Here. The couple’s “close bond was on full display” throughout the show, with Phoenix reportedly seen "resting his hand on Mara’s leg," according to a May 27, 2017 report by People. At the end of the ceremony, they were spotted leaving together, hand-in-hand, in the same car, as per the report.

September 2017: Phoenix Revealed They Live Together

In an interview with the New York Times Style Magazine published on Sept. 6, 2017, Phoenix revealed that the couple moved in together. The profile disclosed that the two live “remarkably simple” life” together in the Hollywood Hills, located in Los Angeles.

July 2018: Reports State They’re “Never Going To Get Married”

In a July 12, 2018 exclusive in Us Weekly, sources told the publication that while the two are “so in love,” they aren’t in a rush to get married. The source said, “They’re never going to get married because they think marriage is too mainstream.”

May 2019: Engagement Rumors Emerge

In May, the low-key couple sparked engagement rumors when Mara had been spotted with a diamond ring on her finger while she was running errands around Los Angeles on May 24. At the time, neither Mara or Phoenix’s reps commented on the rumors.

July 2019: The Two Get Engaged

On July 22, news broke that Mara and Phoenix got engaged after three years together. Us Weekly broke the news on the heels of the engagement rumors sparked back in May.

September 2019: Red Carpet Appearance At The Joker Premiere

On Sept. 28, the notoriously-private couple made a rare red carpet appearance together for the premiere of Phoenix’s upcoming film, Joker, in Hollywood.

October 2019: Phoenix Revealed He Thought Mara Initially Hated Him

In an Oct. 1 interview with Vanity Fair, Phoenix told the magazine he thought Mara despised him when the two met on the set of 2013’s Her. He later realized she was “just shy.” The Joker actor even admitted to looking her up on the web. “She’s the only girl I ever looked up on the internet," he told VF. "We were just friends, email friends. I’d never done that. Never looked up a girl online."

From falling in love on the set of a biblical drama to getting engaged after several years together, Phoenix and Mara’s relationship seems like one made for the movies.

Source: Read Full Article