Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson: What to Know About Their Relationship

Coldplay’s Chris Martin and 50 Shades of Grey actress Dakota Johnson are among Hollywood’s most low-key couples, keeping a quiet profile over the course of their nearly four years together. The couple has kept rather tight-lipped about their relationship, quietly supporting each other at a handful of red carpet events and concerts, but the 31-year-old told Tatler in 2018 that Martin made her “very happy.”

“Chris is head over heels,” a source told Us Weekly in 2018, and there have been persistent engagement rumors ever since. “Chris is very young at heart so it makes sense for him to be with someone younger,” the Us Weekly insider claimed. “He likes creative types so it makes sense that he dates actresses. That’s just one of the ways Dakota is very much his type. While the couple has yet to confirm publicly that they’ve taken the next step, the 44-year-old and Johnson appear to be stronger than ever.

Getting Together in 2017

Johnson and Martin were first linked in December 2017. They were spotted out and about on a sushi date, and a source told Us Weekly that they were “definitely dating” and that it was “more than just a fling.” They also took a trip to Israel and went to a Nick Cave concert in Herzliya, while also grabbing dinner with the singer. “They came in and they were really, really nice, like extremely nice,” an eyewitness told Us Weekly. “It was a surprise.”

The Seal of Approval From Gwyneth Paltrow

Johnson was Martin’s first high-profile relationship following his “conscious uncoupling” with ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow, 48, in 2016. The former couple shares two children, Apple, 15, and Moses, 13, and are committed to peacefully co-parenting. Paltrow gushed about Johnson to Harper’s Bazaar in 2020, explaining that while it might be unconventional, they have a really great relationship.

“I love her,” Paltrow said about Johnson. “I can see how it would seem weird because it’s sort of unconventional. But I think, in this case, just having passed through it iteratively, I just adore her. I always start to think of the ampersand sign — what else can you bring in, instead of being resistant to or being made insecure by? There’s so much juice in leaning into something like that.”

Her Mother Approves

Gwyneth isn’t the only important member of the family circle that approves of this couple. Johnson’s famous mother, Melanie Griffith is also onboard, sharing her approval of Martin at the Global Gift Foundation USA Women’s Empowerment Luncheon in 2018. “I adore him!” Griffith told reporters. “She is very private about her life and I respect that.”

Rumors of a Break Up

There were even pregnancy rumors surrounding the couple in 2018 after blue and pink balloons were seen decorating Johnson’s house. However, she put that rumor to bed on The Ellen Degeneres Show. “The only thing I’m pregnant with is a lot of really good ideas, but not any babies,” the actress told Ellen. “It was my birthday and there were balloons that happened to be pink and blue and so then I was pregnant. I didn’t know that the balloons were gonna be released. They were just in an arch, but I guess that accidentally happened one of the ends just got let go.”

However, in 2019 there was trouble in paradise after the couple allegedly split, shocking people close to the couple. “Chris and Dakota were very easygoing and always seemed really happy together,” a friend told The Sun. “There was talk of engagement but now he says they have gone their separate ways, which has come as a real surprise to everyone.”

Supporting Each Other’s Projects

However, by August 2019, the pair was back together and Martin was by Johnson’s side at the premiere of her film The Peanut Butter Falcon. A source told Us Weekly that Martin decided to rekindle the romance after “Gwyneth pushed him to do it.”

Johnson went on to direct the music video for Coldplay’s single “Cry, Cry, Cry,” and she explained she didn’t want any preferential treatment. “I wrote the story and pitched it to the band like every other director did, and they chose mine,” she told Marie Claire, joking, “Not because they’re partial to me at all.”

Getting Serious

Since 2020, the couple has been getting even more serious. Engagement rumors began to swirl on December when Johnson was seen sporting a massive emerald ring on a very important finger, leaving people wondering if they would be tying the knot sometime soon.

Martin and Johnson also dropped millions on a mansion in Malibu in January 2021, which they are planning on “making it their primary residence,” a source told Us Weekly. “They are really thrilled and happy with their purchase”  and  “very excited to move in” together.