Photo: David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty
Meet the cast ofStranger Things' significant others in real life.
Fans of the hit-Netflix sci-fi series have seen many of the characters fall in love over the course of its four seasons, but many of the actors have off-screen romantic relationships of their own.
In fact, several cast members were in long-term romances beforeStranger Thingsseason 1 premiered in July 2016, including Winona Ryder and Cara Buono.
WithStranger Thingsseason 5on the horizon, here’s a guide to the real-life partners of the cast.
Winona Ryder
Matt Winkelmeyer/FilmMagic
In real life, Ryder is dating sustainable fashion entrepreneurScott Mackinlay Hahn. While the pair has been together since 2011, they have kept many details about their relationship under wraps. However, in recent years, the Golden Globes winner has opened up about her long-term romance with Hahn.
Shortly after the two were first spotted together at the season 1 premiere ofStranger Things, Ryder revealed in a 2016 interview that she’d been “happily with someone for quite a while now.” But despite their lengthy romance, she expressed uncertainty in regard to tying the knot.
“Marriage? I don’t know. I’d rather never have been married than been divorced a few times,” Ryder toldThe Edit. “Not that there’s anything wrong with divorce, but I don’t think I could do it if that was a possibility.” She added, “When your parents are madly in love for 45 years, your standards are really high.”
David Harbour
David Harbour and Lily Allen.Amy Sussman/WireImage
In real life,Harbour is marriedto British singerLily Allen. The pairtied the knotduring a Las Vegas wedding in September 2020 after first sparking romance rumors in 2019. Allen’s two children,Marnie RoseandEthel Mary(whom she shares with her ex-husband Sam Cooper) were also in attendance.
Since officially becoming husband and wife, Harbour and Allen have shared sweet glimpses of their romance, including attending red carpets together and speaking highly of each other during interviews.
“I’m so grateful that I’m not alone anymore, and that I have someone that I can tell everything to and who can tell me everything,“Harbour told PEOPLE about Allen in 2021. “We can share this experience of walking through life together. I’m always so overcome with gratitude for that, because I’ve been alone for most of my life.”
Monica Schipper/Getty Images
Off screen, Brown is in a relationship with actorJake Bongiovi, the son of musicianJon Bon Jovi. The two first sparked romance rumors in June 2021 and later made their romance Instagram official that November when Brown posted a sweet photo sharing a kiss with Bongiovi while riding theLondon Eye.
They’ve since been spotted together at various Hollywood events — including theStranger Thingsseason 4 premiereandBritish Academy Film Awards— and in everyday adventures featured on Brown’s Instagram.
Brown and Bongiovi seeminglyannounced their engagementon April 11, 2023, on Instagram as theStranger Thingsactress posted a photo of herself wearing a diamond ring on her left hand as Bongiovi embraced her on the beach.
Brown captioned the black and white snapshot with lyrics fromTaylor Swift’s “Lover,” writing, “I’ve loved you three summers now, honey, I want ‘em all 🤍.” Meanwhile, Bongiovi shared another loved-up shot, writing, “Forever 🤍.”
Gaten Matarazzo
Arturo Holmes/WireImage
In real life, Matarazzo is in a relationship with Lizzy Yu. The couple started dating in 2018 and have been together for five years, stepping out alongside each other at events ranging from theirjunior promtored carpet premieres.
They’ve also posted sweet tributes in celebration of their anniversaries, from their first year together to their fifth. “I can’t believe that I’ve been with this gorgeous girl for an entire year. It feels like our first date was yesterday but it also feels like it’s been ten years,” Gaten wrote in part onInstagramin March 2019.
Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton
Charlie Heaton (L) and Natalia Dyer.Vittorio Zunino Celotto/Getty
ThisStranger Thingspair isa couple both on and off the screen! ThoughNatalia Dyer’s Nancy Wheeler was linked to Steve (Joe Keery) in season 1, she eventually started datingCharlie Heaton’s Jonathan Byers on the show (and then eventually in real life as well).
Dyer and Heaton first met when they were cast on the Netflix series in 2015, and fans couldn’t help but notice their chemistry when the show premiered in July 2016. As their characters fell for each other in 1984 Hawkins, their off-screen romance began to blossom as well.
The pair ignited even more dating rumors in 2017 when they werespotted together at the Los Angeles International Airportafter attending theGolden Globes.
Joe Keery
Rachel Murray/Getty
Joe Keeryhas played Steve Harrington onStranger Thingssince season 1. Throughout the show’s four seasons, Nancy Wheeler has been his character’s most notable love interest.
In real life, Keery began dating actressMaika Monroein 2017. The two first met at a party in Los Angeles back in 2017 and went public with their romance a few months later at theStranger Thingsseason 2 premiere that year.
Keery and Monroe have kept their romantic life private on social media but have made several public appearances together at major award shows and events through the years.
In August 2021,Stranger Thingsstar opened up in an interview withGQabout dating a fellow actor. “Over quarantine, it was like we spent so much time together, which was rare,” Keery began.
“I mean, that’s one of the disadvantages of dating someone else in the industry,” he continued. “There are advantages as well: somebody who kind of understands what’s going on with you in a pretty deep way. But yeah, I think she’s like me. She doesn’t take it all too seriously.”
The couple laststepped out togetherat theVanity FairOscar party in March 2022, prompting breakup rumors in recent months, however, neither Keery nor Monroe has commented on their relationship status.
Dacre Montgomery
Christopher Polk/Getty
Off screen, Montgomery has been in a relationship with modelLiv Pollocksince 2017. Back in April 2018, Pollock told Australia’sThe Daily Telegraphthat she and Montgomery met one another through “mutual contacts from work” in Perth, but started talking “through social media.”
“It grew from there,” she said. “We are both also really passionate about design — I’m studying architecture and Dacre has studied interior design so we were drawn to each other through our mutual love of design.”
In the years that followed, Montgomery and Pollock have made several public appearances together at red carpet events and posted about each other on their respective social media pages. Thetwo were together in September 2018at the Emmys Awards, and in February 2019 at theVanity FairOscars after-party.
Recently, they posed at theGQMen of the Year Awards in November 2022 and attended the Politix Ambassador Announcement event in Australia in January, which Pollock shared on herInstagram.
Maya Hawke
Stephane Cardinale/Corbis via Getty
In real life, Hawke was romantically linked to musician Spencer Barnett. The couple first sparked romance rumors in February 2022 whenThe Daily Mailcaptured photos of the two kissing in New York City on Valentine’s Day.
Cara Buono
Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic
Off screen, Buono has been in a long-time relationship with Ethos Water founder and entrepreneur Peter Thum. While the couple, who shares one daughter, has kept details of their romance private over the years, theMad Menalum celebrated her eleventh anniversary with her husband onInstagramin July 2020.
source: people.com
