Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson tend to be a pretty low-key couple, but they’ve actually had a lot of sweet moments over the years—and rumor has it they just got engaged with Gwyneth Paltrow’s blessing! Though, there were also engagement rumors a few years ago sooo…clearly a timeline is in order. On that note, let’s *dusts off favorite and most overused quote* go back, back to the beginning.
October 2017
Dakota and Chris meet through mutual friends and manage to keep their relationship a secret until they’re spotted grabbing sushi together. An “eyewitness” (read: random person also grabbing sushi) tells People that they were “cozy” and “seemed to really be enjoying each other’s company.” In other words, this person saw two humans eating food, next!
November 2017
Dakota is spotted chilling in the sound booth at a Coldplay concert in Argentina, and naturally, fans snap pics:
December 2017
A source confirms to Us Weekly that Dakota and Chris are officially official. Ahem:
“Dakota and Chris are definitely dating. They’ve gotten to know each other really well and are very comfortable from one another. Chris sends Dakota his music to get her opinion. It’s more than just a fling.”
February 2018
Dakota and Chris are spotted attending Ellen DeGeneres’s 60th birthday hand in hand in photos published by People.
May 2018
Dakota’s mom, Melanie Griffith, is asked about Chris and muses, “I adore him!” before adding, “But she is very private about her life and I respect that.” Lol, moms.
July 2018
Chris and Dakota are spotted at a Radiohead concert!
September 2018
Dakota is asked about Chris in a cover story for Tatler and speaks about him for the first time. Kinda. Like, she says, “I’m not going to talk about it, but I am very happy.”
We’ll take what we can get!
Anyway, this same month, the couple is spotted separately with what appear to be matching infinity sign tattoos:
October 2018
Rumors start flying that Dakota is pregnant thanks to some blue and pink balloons being spotted at her house by paps. A rep for the actor denies this, and Dakota later addresses the speculation on Ellen, saying, “The only thing I’m pregnant with is a lot of really good ideas. But not a baby.”
December 2018
A source tells Us Weekly that Chris and Dakota will “be engaged soon” and that “Chris is head over heels.”
April 2019
People reports that Dakota and Chris are getting more serious, with a source saying, “Dakota has been filming out of state, but most weekends, she comes back to Malibu to spend time with Chris. They are very low-key together. They usually have friends over and rarely go out.”
July 2019
The Sun reports that Chris and Dakota are over, with a source saying “There was talk of engagement but now he says they have gone their separate ways, which has come as a real surprise to everyone.”
August 2019
The pair get back together (tg), and an insider actually tells Us Weekly that Gwyneth Paltrow was behind it, saying “Gwyneth is the one who pushed them to do it.”
February 2020
Dakota directs the Coldplay video “Cry Cry Cry”!
March 2020
Chris and Dakota team up for an iconic lesson on how to wash one’s hands:
December 2020
People publishes a photo of Dakota wearing a giant emerald ring on her finger, prompting engagement speculation.
February 2021
Several months later, People reports that Dakota and Chris are living together in Malibu, with a source saying, “She seems to enjoy it as much as Chris does. They both love the outdoors and often take beach strolls. They also support local restaurants.”
November 2021
Not to outdo Melanie Griffith, Dakota’s dad, Don Johnson, decides to chat about whether or not Dakota and Chris will get married, saying, “Listen, if she’s happy, I will be happy, and he’s a lovely guy. And if she decides to get married, I would imagine that there would be grandchildren not too far out for that. I’d be pretty excited about that part.”
October 2021
Chris dedicates “My Universe” to Dakota during a concert in London, saying, “This is about my universe, and she’s here.”
Don’t worry, there’s a video.
December 2021
Dakota opens up about Chris to Elle UK, saying, “We’ve been together for quite a while, and we go out sometimes, but we both work so much that it’s nice to be at home and be cozy and private. Most of the partying takes place inside my house.”
January 2022
Dakota has tech problems during a Zoom and Chris shows up to help her:
April 2022
The pair pop up on Barbara Streisand’s Instagram (iconic).
June 2022
Dakota talks about chilling at the beach with Chris during an interview with Vanity Fair, saying “Chris and I came down here the other day, and I was without my glasses. We were watching ‘seals’ for 10, 15 minutes — and it was seaweed. He just let me think that they were seals the whole time.”
November 2022
Dakota is spotted at another one of Chris’ shows!
June 2023
Dakota blows a kiss to Chris at a Coldplay show in Italy <3
October 2023
Chris and Dakota celebrate her birthday in LA.
February 2024
Chris and Dakota are pap’d at the beach! And we become obsessed with her swimsuit:
March 2024
Dakota opens up about life with Chris to Bustle, saying she loves seeing him perform: “I love watching him. I could watch him every day. I don’t know how to explain it. I feel like, I don’t know… I’m watching my most favorite being do his most favorite thing.”
She also talks about the possibility of having kids, saying “I’m so open to that. I’ve gotten to this place where I really want to experience everything that life has to offer. And especially being a woman, I’m like, What a magical f*cking thing to do. What a crazy, magical, wild experience. If that’s meant to happen for me, I’m totally down for it.”
Meanwhile, The Mirror (take with a slight pinch of salt) drops a report claiming Dakota and Chris are engaged after 6 years of dating. According to a source,“The couple got engaged a while ago and have kept the news private. But now they are being open about it with their circles. They have been besotted with each other from day one so taking this next step was inevitable. They are in no rush to plan the wedding but are just enjoying making their commitment official.”
The outlet also reports that Chris and Dakota have the “full blessing” of Gwyneth Paltrow, as well as Chris and Gwyneth’s kids Apple and Moses.
And that brings us up to date! We’ll keep updating this timeline with more cuteness as it happens.
