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If You Remember All 26 Of These Celeb Couples From The 2000s And 2010s, Then You’re Basically A Pop Culture Historian If you remember when Ariana Grande was making “Boyfriend Does My Makeup” videos with her Australian YouTuber BF, then this is for you. This week, I was listening to a podcast that reminded me of the fact that Michael Bublé and Emily Blunt were together, and it genuinely stopped me in my tracks. Then, a few days later, I was struck by the memory of Rita Ora briefly dating Rob Kardashian. And the whole thing had me thinking about all the random (and not-so-random) celebrity couples from the 2000s and 2010s who are no longer together. So, if you can remember all of these couples, then congratulations, that means you’re a true 2000s/2010s pop culture historian. Unfortunately, it also means you should be taking daily vitamins and prioritizing regular stretching, because you’re probably getting old, too. 1. Emily Blunt and Michael Bublé One of my favorite celebrity pairings that now feels pretty random to look back on. Emily and Michael reportedly began dating in 2005 and stayed together until 2008. There were rumors of cheating in the relationship, however, they've never been confirmed. In 2015, Emily looked back on the romance, telling Howard Stern: "I don't know if I was perfect with him, but we had a good time!" Today, Emily and Michael are both happily married and share children with their respective partners, John Krasinski and Luisana Lopilato. My favorite fun fact about these two? The lyrics of Michael's song "Everything" (an absolute bop) are rumored to be about Emily. Aww. 2. Mila Kunis and Macaulay Culkin It might seem strange today, but these two were actually a pretty solid couple for the majority of the 2000s. Mila and Macaulay, both former child stars, began dating around 2002. They were incredibly private in the years they were together, and eventually called it quits in 2011. Mila and Macaulay went on to marry other famous folks and are now both parents. We don't know a huge amount about what went wrong between these two, but Mila said in 2018 that the breakup was "horrible." "I was an asshole in my 20s, and I’ll be the first to admit it," she said, admitting that she "fucked up." "And that’s something that took me a long time to come out and be like, 'Yeah, you know what, I was a dick,' and accept it, and I own it now." 3. Zayn Malik and Perrie Edwards This is one for my fellow Brits and One Direction stans. For context, 1D were formed on The X Factor in 2010, and Zayn met Perrie the following year when Little Mix were put together on the same show. They began dating in early 2012, and despite being plagued by unconfirmed cheating rumors, announced their engagement the following year. Unfortunately, this pop power couple never made it down the aisle, and by August 2025, they'd broken up. Perrie — who's now engaged to British soccer player Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain — has previously described her relationship with Zayn as "toxic." "At the time, I thought everything we experienced in our relationship was normal because it was my first relationship, first love... And then when I became single, I was almost thinking like, 'I never ever want to go through that again,'" she said in August 2025. Zayn went on to date Gigi Hadid, but they broke up in 2021 after welcoming a daughter together the previous year. 4. Kim Kardashian and Reggie Bush We all know about Kanye and Ray-J, but what about Reggie? Kim began dating the NFL player in 2007, the same year that Keeping Up With The Kardashians first aired on E!. Kim and Reggie's long-distance relationship was documented on the show, and for a while, it actually seemed like he might be "the one." Sadly, however, it wasn't meant to be. They broke up in 2009, briefly reconciled, but ended the relationship for good in 2010, with Reggie explaining that their busy schedules were to blame. 5. Kanye West and Amber Rose Before Kim, Kanye's most high-profile relationship was with Amber. They reportedly first crossed paths in 2008 and began dating around that time. This, as you'll probably know, was a pretty turbulent time in Kanye's career, and the two called things off in 2010. In 2012, Amber alleged that she and Kanye broke up because he was cheating on her with Kim K, who was with Reggie at the time. Making this claim, Amber called Kim a "homewrecker." We don't know if this is true, but what we do know is that Amber went on to marry Wiz Khalifa in 2013 (they had a child and split the following year) and Kanye married Kim in 2014 (they had four kids and their marriage lasted until 2021). 6. Jamie Dornan and Keira Knightley Before they both met the people they would go on to marry, Jamie and Keira were an item for two years in the early 2000s. Though we didn't know a lot about the relationship, the romance did give us a ton of great candid pics of them walking around London in some very 2000s outfits. They split in 2005, and Jamie has since said that he was a little intimidated by his then-girlfriend's rising stardom while he was still trying to make a name for himself. "There is a big pressure when you go out with someone like Keira," he previously told the Mail on Sunday. "You can feel a bit second-rate and that's what started to happen. It's not like I was bringing the bread to the table — and that can start to affect everything. Keira could see what I was going through and it would have been better if I'd kept it hidden from her." 7. Jennifer Lawrence and Nicholas Hoult J.Law is notoriously private about her love life, and her relationship with Nicholas was no exception. Jen and Nick met on the set of X‑Men: First Class in 2010 and began dating soon after. They were in an on-and-off relationship for years, but broke up for good in 2014, around the time they finished shooting their last X-Men movie together. Making a rare comment about the split in 2015, J.Law said: "These movies had been my life for so long, and they had to come first in everything. I was also in a relationship with somebody for five years, and that was my life. So my life was this person and these movies, and we broke up around the same time that I wrapped those movies. Being 24 was this whole year of, 'Who am I without these movies? Who am I without this man?'" In the same interview, she also said she didn't think she'd ever get married. Fast forward to today, and she has two kids with Cooke Maroney, whom she married in 2019. Nick also has two kids with his wife, Bryana Holly. 8. Miley Cyrus and Patrick Schwarzenegger Miley and Patrick dated for about five months between 2014 and 2015, and though the relationship was only brief, it certainly made an impact — on Patrick's family, at least. Over ten years on from the romance, Patrick's dad, Arnold, said he was "sorry it didn't work out." "She is a wonderful, wonderful girl and human being and very, very talented," he gushed, revealing that she even came on a family ski trip with them. "She was just a really good, good person and fun to hang out with." I wonder how Patrick's now-wife, Abby Champion, felt about that. 9. Bradley Cooper and Suki Waterhouse Today, Bradley is with Gigi Hadid, and Suki is with Robert Pattinson. But in 2013, they were with each other — and it was controversial, largely due to their 17-year age gap. They broke up in 2015, and while discussing the split nearly a decade later, Suki said: "I really will say that I’m pretty strong at this point, but when something very public happens to you, and the story behind it is dark and difficult, and you’re actually not doing well, and you can’t explain yourself to the world, that’s very isolating and disorientating." 10. Cristiano Ronaldo and Irina Shayk This one is pretty wild to look back on, especially as it seemed like they might go the distance. The soccer star and supermodel began dating in 2010 after meeting on the set of an Armani ad. They'd been together for nearly five years when they called quits on their romance in 2015. Fun fact: Cristiano has long been one of the most followed people on Instagram (he currently holds the number one spot), and when he and Irina broke up, it was reported that she lost 11 million Instagram followers in the space of 24 hours. Ouch. 11. Cara Delevingne and Michelle Rodriguez Cara and Michelle were first linked in early 2014 after they were spotted looking cozy at a Knicks game. The pair were seen on subsequent public outings, and Michelle soon confirmed the romance, saying, “It’s going really well. She’s so cool. When we started hanging out, I just thought she was awesome, and we have the best time together.” In March that year, there were even rumors that the two were getting married; however, nothing came of it, and the rumored romance soon fizzled out. 12. Cody Simpson and Gigi Hadid These two felt like a real power couple for the tweens. During his pop career, Cody dated then-rising model Gigi for about two years. They broke up in 2014, and Gigi soon revealed that it was Cody who ended things with her. "We're still best friends and I'll always respect him and support his career. I love Cody to death and he loves me," she told WWD after the split. "He needed his time to focus on his music." 13. Nick Jonas and Olivia Culpo After the Jonas Brothers broke up in 2013, Nick entered a high-profile relationship with Olivia, who, at the time, was best known for winning Miss Universe 2012. They broke up in 2015, and Olivia has since described the split as a "very formative experience." "My whole identity was in him, which is a very common story of a young person in love," she said. "I thought we were going to get married, I thought all the things, and I just remember night after night looking up at my ceiling in my apartment that I couldn't afford, thinking to myself, how am I going to pay my rent?" 14. Ariana Grande and Jai Brooks If you remember this, you're a real one. Around 2012, at the beginning of Ari's music career, she was dating Jai, who was best known for being part of the Australian YouTube comedy group, the Janoskians. Ari and Jai had a pretty public relationship and even made YouTube videos together. However, the romance had its rough patches. The couple first split in July 2013, when Jai publicly accused Ari of cheating on him with her musical collaborator, Nathan Sykes (but more on that later). Ariana denied the accusations, and she and Jai actually wound up getting back together in early 2014, shortly after Ariana announced her split from Nathan. Jai and Ari's rekindled romance wasn't to be, and they called it quits in August that year. 15. Ariana Grande and Nathan Sykes Since we're on the topic, we may as well give you the full context. Two months after her messy split from Jai in July 2013, Ari confirmed that she was in a romantic relationship with Nathan from The Wanted, with whom she collaborated on the duet, "Almost Is Never Enough." After getting caught up in those cheating accusations, Ariana and Nathan's relationship faced a lot of scrutiny, and by January 2014, their five-month romance had come to an end. As we mentioned before, she then wound up getting back together with Jai, giving their romance another (short-lived) try. What a saga. Funnily enough, neither Jai nor Nathan got a mention on Ari's "Thank U, Next," which I guess isn't surprising when you remember how young they were. 16. Aaron Rodgers and Olivia Munn Olivia's marriage to John Mulaney is so public that it's honestly hard to picture her with anyone else. But, before John, her relationship with Aaron was a major talking point. Olivia and Aaron dated from 2014 to 2017, and, as you may remember, there were accusations that Olivia was the reason for Aaron's estrangement from his family. After their split, Aaron confirmed in a book about his life that Olivia had "nothing to do with all the years" of drama between him and his family. This year, Olivia said she was "really grateful that he did that." "Even if people didn’t want to take hold of that statement, it made me feel good that it was said," she admitted. 17. Kristen Stewart and Stella Maxwell Kristen and Stella began dating in late 2016, with a source telling People, “They are having fun.” The fun lasted for about two years before their first split made headlines in December 2018. It seemed like everything was over between these two, but then they were spotted together looking very much loved-up in 2019. Despite this, reports suggest they broke up for good just a few months later. 18. Ciara and Future Today, Ciara is very much loved-up with Russell Wilson. But who could forget the chaos of her relationship with Future? Ciara and Future were first linked in 2012 and began dating soon after. The romance moved quickly: They got engaged in 2013 and welcomed a son, Future Zahir, the following year. However, things quickly turned sour when Future Sr. was accused of cheating. The split was pretty messy, but it's safe to say that Ciara moved on to bigger and better things. She and Russell got married in 2016 and have welcomed three kids since. 19. Zac Efron and Michelle Rodriguez Welcome back, Michelle! In 2014, after things ended between her and Cara, the Fast & Furious star debuted a somewhat surprising romance with Zac Efron. The pair — who have an age gap of nearly ten years — were photographed kissing over the summer months, with sources claiming they were "inseparable." However, the relationship didn't last, and it will forever be remembered as the ultimate summer fling. We've all been there! 20. Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake I'm not sure if it's just me, but this pairing stands out to me as pretty memorable, if not a little strange to look back on. These two apparently met in 2003, sparking a romance that would last until 2007. Their split was a big talking point at the time, with speculation of infidelity. About a week after the breakup, the exes were said to have gotten into a heated argument at a Golden Globes afterparty, where Justin's now-wife, Jessica Biel, was present. We never heard exactly what went down here, but tellingly, Justin and Cameron were able to remain on good terms as they promoted Shrek the Third post-split. What a time to be alive. 21. Zachary Quinto and Jonathan Groff Zachary and Jonathan confirmed their relationship in 2012, with Zach describing himself as "incredibly happy" and "incredibly lucky." They sadly broke up in 2013, although it seemingly ended amicably. They appear to have maintained a good friendship, and in 2023, they were even seen hanging out in NYC, with reports describing them as friendly exes. 22. Khloé Kardashian and French Montana After her tumultuous split from Lamar Odom, Khloé entered into a short but seemingly happy romance with French. He appeared on their show, and Khloé even made a cameo in one of his music videos — it was peak Khlo-money era, IYKYK. The relationship ended in December 2014, and the rapper has since opened up about how they've maintained a friendship. "I feel like we had a real dope relationship ― there was no bad blood, nobody did something to somebody that we couldn't come back from," he said in 2019. "When the love was like that, it's always going to be like that. Friendship after a relationship is something that's real hard to do, and I'm glad we've been able to do it." 23. Rita Ora and Rob Kardashian Speaking of short-lived Kardashian relationships: Hello, Rob and Rita! This might be one of the most random inclusions on this list, but it had to be done. Rob and Rita began dating in October 2012, but the relationship didn't even make it to the end of the year. Arguably, the most memorable thing about the brief romance was that, shortly after their split, Rob took to social media to accuse an unnamed ex of cheating, and people speculated that it was about Rita. (The post was soon deleted.) Hilariously, Rita joked in 2020 that her fling with Rob was so brief that she "forgot" it even happened. "It was very short-lived," she explained. "I was so young. It was great. It was fun. It was very, very fun, I guess. That's all I remember." I don't blame her! 24. Jessica Biel and Chris Evans As they were navigating the early days of their acting careers in the 2000s, Jessica and Chris found stability over five years of dating. They were in their early 20s at this point, and I don't know about you, but I'd say that a five-year relationship at that age is pretty significant, particularly in Hollywood. They broke up in 2006, and it's not clear exactly what went wrong. Notably, Chris told Elle in 2017 that he's never experienced a "bad breakup," saying: "Typically, if I see an ex, I give a big hug, and it’s wonderful to catch up. If you’re ever fortunate enough to love someone and have them love you back, it’s worth protecting that." 25. Brooklyn Beckham and Chloë Grace Moretz Another case of young love. Brooklyn and Chloë reportedly became friendly in 2014, aged 15 and 17 respectively, after meeting at a Soul Cycle class. The two were rumored to be dating for years, but it wasn't until 2016 that Chloë confirmed they were in a relationship. After this, the romance took a more public turn: Brooklyn joined Chloë at red carpet events and award shows, and they talked about each other in interviews. That said, the relationship was still very much on and off, and things ended for good in 2018. 26. Janet Jackson and Matthew McConaughey Did they date? Did they not? Either way, this pairing was super fun — so let's get into it. For context, there were longstanding rumors that Janet and Matthew briefly dated in the early 2000s after reportedly meeting at the Grammys. They were photographed together a few times and — without stating the obvious — made a super hot couple. Neither has talked in much detail about what went on, although Janet once reportedly confirmed that they did technically date, but "just for a minute." Similarly, Matthew's response to a question about the rumored romance in 2019 indicated that it was probably more of a fling. Either way, something happened, and I'm into it. Wow, that was a ride. How many of these did you remember, and did any of them totally catch you off guard? Let me know in the comments if there are any other examples I missed!
