4 Relationship Attachment Styles + What They Mean for Your Love Life

Gabrielle Gresge
Jun 18, 2016

On one end of the relationship spectrum, there’s way-too-cute-to-handle signs you’re in L-O-V-E that could make Gwen and Blake’s super cute Billboard duet seem cold. On the other end, there are toxic relationships that can leave you feeling weak and broken-hearted. And while it might seem like there’s a lot of difference and distance between the two, researchers at the University of Denver beg to differ. In a recent study of over 600 people, researchers identified the four attachment styles people exhibit and the areas of romantic relationships they affect. Their findings show that the way you attach yourself to others can have a BIG impact on the health of your relationships.

Four types of attachment

The study says that these attachment styles are rooted in how children relate to their parents, and therefore are considered an ingrained, relatively unchangeable psychological trait.

1. Secure attachment: Children with secure attachments felt safe enough to be independent. The main characteristic of people with a secure attachment style is the ability to feel confident enough in relationships to establish a routine and trust.

2. Anxious preoccupied attachment: People with this type of attachment style often look to others to rescue or complete them. For this reason, they often feel unsafe in relationships and can be clingy or possessive.

3. Dismissive avoidant attachment: Dismissive avoidant attachment causes people to distance themselves from those close to them. They have the ability to seemingly “turn off” their emotions in order to maintain that distance.

4. Fearful avoidant attachment: Those who find themselves in dramatic relationships might have a fearful avoidant attachment style, which causes people to be afraid of intimacy yet crave closeness at the same time. These contradicting desires — to be simultaneously close and removed from people — causes people with a fearful avoidant attachment style to be unpredictable.

Wondering where you fall on the attachment spectrum? The study found that approximately 60 percent of people have a secure attachment style, while 20 percent have avoidant attachment and 20 percent have anxious attachment. Thinking about your relationship with your parents or caretaker as a child will illuminate which attachment style you most likely have.

How They Affect Your Relationship

While your attachment style isn’t necessarily within your control, your relationships are. To this end, the authors of the study make an important point: “It would be naive to think that a style adopted in infancy remains unchanged or unelaborated all through life.”

The research found that attachment styles most heavily affect three facets of a relationship: beliefs about the course of romantic love, the availability and trustworthiness of love partners and their own love-worthiness. So, if you know your attachment style, put some time into thinking about how it affects your relationship with your boo. If you understand how it affects these three categories, you can ultimately reverse your own psychology and create what the study refers to as an “earned secure attachment.” It’s also worth leaning on your partner, because while anxious or avoidant attachments can be harmful, secure attachment can easily turn into love.

What do you think? Are attachment styles related to relationships? Let us know @BritandCo!

(Photos via Getty)

4 Rom-Com Relationships That Are The Actual Worst

Rom-coms are having a moment RN. Between Lindsay Lohan's Irish Wish, Anne Hathaway's The Idea Of You, and Zendaya's Challengers, our hearts are bursting from all the love and romance. But even though romantic comedy relationships are portrayed as #relationshipgoals, many on-screen romances are actually riddled with toxic dynamics and unhealthy behaviors. Christie Tcharkhoutian, professional matchmaker for Los Angeles-based Three Day Rule, revealed to us why four of our fave romantic movie fictional couples should be written off as inspo for you and your S.O.

Juliet and Mark in "Love Actually"

Image via Universal Studios Home Entertainment

Problematic Message: Love is the most exciting when it’s forbidden.

Even if you haven’t seen the romantic comedy, you’ve definitely seen the GIFs: Andrew Lincoln, playing Mark, professing his love for Keira Knightley’s character through handwritten signs, one of which reads the famous line, “To me, you are perfect.” Yes, it’s ultra-romantic — until you look a little closer. “Although we all love an honest display of love, making a play and expressing your love for your best friend’s wife is not a good start for a relationship, on or off screen,” Tcharkhoutian says.

And the most harmful part of these fictional narratives is that they only show a fraction, if any, of the fallout. “This is a toxic dynamic that devalues the dignity of marriage and romanticizes the idea of being in love with someone who is ‘off-limits,’ without portraying the harsh realities of this kind of basis for a relationship,” Tcharkhoutian explains.

Andie and Ben in "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days"

Image via Paramount Pictures

Problematic Message: A relationship that began with ulterior motives can become healthy and functional.

There’s no denying that Kate Hudson and Matthew McConaughey are a dreamy pair, but in this movie, their relationship is a nightmare. Their quick rise to love is certainly entertaining, but the foundation of their relationship makes it impossible to exist outside of fiction.

The two meet as means to prove themselves at their respective jobs, and in true rom-com fashion, their supposedly real feelings take off from there. Tcharkhoutian cautions against this behavior in real life. “This can set up a relationship to be something in which a person is objectified as a vehicle to help you meet your needs, instead of a mutual union and partnership with pure and honest motives of loving each other through thick and thin,” she says.

Lucy and Jack in "While You Were Sleeping"

Image via Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment

Problematic Message: Falling in love with the idea of someone can result in a happy ending.

No one can resist a Sandra Bullock romantic comedy, so it’s no surprise this movie is still revered as a classic of the genre. It has all the necessary components: an unrealistic plot (she saves a man’s life, is confused for his fiancée by his family, and then falls in love with his brother while he’s in a coma — like, come on!), a handsome boy-next-door lead and, of course, love. However, much like the relationship in How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days, the foundation is faulty.

Falling in love with the idea of someone, as Sandra Bullock’s character does, doesn’t equate to falling in love with the actual person, Tcharkhoutian clarifies, and to start a relationship with this basis in real life is ill-advised.

Amanda and Graham in "The Holiday"

Image via Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Problematic Message: True love lies in the next adventure, which is far from your hometown and your past relationship.

Who hasn’t dreamt of traveling to a foreign country; staying in a cozy, remote cottage; and falling in love with someone even half as good-looking as Jude Law? Well, there’s a reason it’s a mere fantasy. Tcharkhoutian describes the phenomenon in The Holiday movie as escapism — the idea that you need to escape from your day-to-day life to find true happiness or, in this case, true love.

Although it’s fun to dream, if taken too far, this particular romantic comedy mentality can lead to irrational expectations. “This escapism mentality can create a false belief that international [relationships] are sustainable in the long-term,” Tcharkhoutian remarks. “True healthy relationships survive and thrive in the everyday, mundane routine, not in the exciting international adventure that depends on thrill and distance.”

Which rom-com couples stay together?

Image via Netflix

However, there are PLENTY of romantic comedy relationships we love! Some of our favorites include Nick and Rachel in Crazy Rich Asians, Matty and Jenna in 13 Going on 30, Harry and Sally in Meg Ryan's When Harry Met Sally, Elle and Emmett in Legally Blonde, and Peter and Lara Jean in To All The Boys I've Loved Before.

What other romantic comedy fictional couples should be on this list? Let us know @BritandCo.

Lead image via Paramount Pictures

This post has been updated.

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WTF Does The "Challengers" Ending Mean?

Challengers is honestly just one giant tennis match. While we watch Zendaya's Tashi, Mike Faist's Art, and Josh O'Connor's Patrick play the game in a literal sense, we also see their personal relationship spiral, ricocheting back and forth as each character plays a different role every couple of years. And the crazy Challengers ending is a culmination of this intense emotional journey because it solidifies Patrick, Tashi, and Art's relationship — both to one another, but also to tennis itself.

What did the ending of The Challengers mean?

Image via Niko Tavernise/Amazon MGM Studios

There is a lot of tension between Tashi, Art, and Patrick throughout the movie, and it all builds to the titular Challenger match. It's Art vs. Patrick, and they're playing for way more than just the title and the money (though of course, they're definitely playing for the title and the money) — this is one final chance to prove themselves to Tashi, who's sitting court-side looking very unimpressed.

Both men lose their cool during different sets, but it's in the third and final set that everything comes to a head. At the end of the match, Patrick confesses to sleeping with Tashi using a tennis ball and racket signal only Art recognizes. For a split second Art is is complete shock, and I expected him to completely lose it. And, technically, he does, but in a totally unexpected way. Rather than jump the net and punch Patrick in the face, Art channels his emotions into his tennis, and the fury he feels actually allows him break through whatever slump he's been stuck in.

Unable to have a conversation about Patrick's secret, Art and Patrick talk with their serves and returns. And because Tashi doesn't catch the signal, for the first time in the whole movie, she's cut out of the conversation.

Did Tashi love Art and Patrick?

Image via Niko Tavernise/Amazon MGM Studios

Tashi's been pulling the strings ever since she met Art and Patrick, and she's never not been in control. After Patrick sends the signal, she knows something is going on between them, she just doesn't know what — and it unnerves her. Thanks to Zendaya's expert subtlety, the twitch of her eyebrow or the particularly anxious way she grips her hands are the only things that give her away. But her confusion, and the men's anger, quickly turn to pure joy in the final moments of the movie.

Patrick and Art end up playing so intensely that they meet at the net and embrace, prompting Tashi's iconic tennis yell before she gives one of her first genuine laughs of the film and the screen cuts to black. The first time I saw the movie, I thought "What?!" but the more I think about it, the clearer the Challengers ending is.

Patrick and Art (whose relationship begins six or seven years before the movie opens) haven't spoken since the big fight surrounding Tashi's injury, and their hug proves they're just happy to be playing together again. It's what they've always loved, and their fight over Tashi almost ended it forever. Tashi's pure elation shows she's happy to watch some good tennis, especially after she failed to help Art break out of his rut.

We've only seen Tashi scream like that once before, when she admits to a perfect tennis match. While Tashi does care for Patrick and Art, the end of Challengers proves the characters' true love was never really each other — it was always the game.

What did you think of the Challengers ending? After you rewatch the movie (and then rewatch it again), check out the other Most-Anticipated Spring Movies For 2024.

Lead image via Niko Tavernise/Amazon MGM Studios

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35 Celebrity Couples Who Will Break Our Hearts If They Ever Split

TBH it’s hard to keep up with all of the relationship rumors and break-ups swirling around Hollywood. Most flings end up fading after a few months, or you have someone like Leonardo DiCaprio who just-so-happens to break up with every girlfriend once they hit 25. Every once in a while, though, we are blessed with a truly adorable couple that defies all the Hollywood odds and finds their soulmate.

Not only are these celebrity couples uber-successful and uber-talented, they give us hope for our own rom-com endings. Keep reading for all of our favorite celeb couples who *actually* make us believe in true love.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce

Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images

This power couple is quite literally on top of the world right now, and I feel like I'm watching a rom-com IRL. Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce made their relationship public in September of 2023, and it definitely feels like invisible string theory.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds

Image via Mike Coppola / Getty Images Entertainment

The Hollywood power duo met in 2010 on the set of Green Lantern and they married soon after in 2012. Today, Blake and Ryan share four daughters.

Barack Obama and Michelle Obama

Image via Alex Wong / Getty Images News

The former POTUS and FLOTUS met back in 1989, when Michelle was assigned as Barack's mentor at their law firm. Reportedly, Barack (then 28) was instantly smitten with Michelle (then 25), and they began dating shortly after. The couple was married in 1992, eventually welcoming daughters Sasha and Malia.

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling

Image via Sonia Recchia / Stringer

This private couple met on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines in 2011 and today have two daughters together. Eva and Ryan are so private, in fact, that news of their marriage only came to light in 2022 following the reveal of Eva’s newest tattoo, which reads “de Gosling.”

George Clooney and Amal Clooney

Jeff Spicer / Getty Images Entertainment

George and Amal were introduced by a mutual friend at a 2013 dinner party in Lake Como. After a few months, the couple went on their first date, and were engaged within a year. The pair wed in 2014 and have since welcomed twins.

Emily Blunt and John Krasinski

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The A Quiet Place costars initially met in 2008, tying the knot in an Italian ceremony in 2010. The actors are parents to two daughters, Hazel and Violet. Our favorite fact about them? John’s seen in The Devil Wears Prada 72 times.

Tom Holland and Zendaya

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If there's any couple that makes me believe in falling in love with your best friend, it's Tom Holland and Zendaya. The two actors met while making Spider-Man: Homecoming, and the rest is history.

David Beckham and Victoria Beckham

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The Beckhams met in 1997 and were married by 1999. Today they have four children together: Brooklyn, Romeo, Cruz and Harper.

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna

Image via Jesse Grant / Getty Images Entertainment

While the timeline of their romantic relationship is unknown, the singers have been friends for well over a decade. They officially confirmed their relationship in 2020, and as of 2023 are reportedly married. The pair share one son and are expecting a second child by August.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian

Image via Mike Coppola / Getty Images Entertainment

The tennis legend and Reddit co-founder met by chance when they both sat down next to each other during breakfast at the Cavalieri Hotel in Rome back in 2015. They hit it off and were married in 2017, welcoming their daughter Olympia shortly after.

Emma Stone and Dave McCary

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Emma Stone met her husband Dave McCary when she hosted Saturday Night Live in 2016. They were married by 2020 and now have a baby girl together named Louise Jean McCary!

Hayley Kiyoko and Becca Tilley

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The pop singer and two-time Bachelor contestant have been together for five years, and confirmed their relationship in 2022.

Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban

Image via Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Entertainment

The Australian actor and New Zealand singer met at the G’Day USA gala in 2005 and got married in 2006. Today, the duo are parents to two daughters, Sunday Rose and Faith Margaret, in addition to Nicole’s two children with former beau Tom Cruise.

Viola Davis and Julius Tennon

Image via Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images Entertainment

The How To Get Away With Murder actress has been married to her husband Julius since 2003.

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade

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According to Dwayne, the two met at a 2007 Super Bowl party which they were both asked to co-host. Although it wasn’t love at first sight, the couple eventually married in 2014. They share one daughter, in addition to three children from Dwayne’s previous relationship.

Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham

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Oprah began dating Stedman in 1986, the same year her namesake show launched. After meeting at a charity event, the pair were engaged in 1992, but decided against marriage.

Suki Waterhouse and Robert Pattinson

Lead image via Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images

This celebrity couple reportedly began dating in 2018, and (after totally slaying the Met Gala red carpet), they learned they were expecting their first child in 2023!

Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz

Image via Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images Entertainment

The singer and producer have known each other since they were teenagers, but didn't enter a relationship with each other until 2008, with Swiss proposing in 2009. The couple married in 2010 and they have two sons named Egypt and Genesis together.

Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber

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The supermodel married the businessman and former model in 1998. They have two children together, Kaia and Presley — both of whom are successful models too.

Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves

Image via Frederick M. Brown / Getty Images Entertainment

After six years of dating, the couple married in 2012 in Texas. Today, the model and actor have three children together.

Zoë Kravitz and Channing Tatum

Image via Ilya S. Savenok/Getty Images for Kering

While this celebrity couple met in 2017, they didn't become an item until 2021. And we're *very* excited to see them tie the knot soon. Good things come to those who wait!

Chrissy Teigen and John Legend

Image via Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Entertainment

The fan favorite couple met in 2007 on the set of his music video and married in 2013. They share four children, welcoming their youngest via surrogate earlier this month.

Neil Patrick Harris and David Burtka

Image via Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images Entertainment

Neil and David started dating in 2004 and married in 2014. The couple became fathers to twins, Harper and Gideon, in 2010.

Adam Brody and Leighton Meester

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TheO.C. and Gossip Girl alumni are believed to have met in 2010 while starring in romantic comedy The Oranges. They married in 2014 and have a daughter and a son.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck

Image via Amy Sussman/Getty Images

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck *totally* make me believe in fate. After breaking off their engagement in 2023, the celebrity couple finally got married in 2022. I'm not crying, you are!

Kevin Jonas and Danielle Jonas

Image via Frazer Harrison / Getty Images Entertainment

The eldest Jonas brother Kevin married Danielle in 2009 after two years of dating. The couple has two daughters, Alena and Valentina, and are very close to the rest of Kevin’s family., Danielle’s regularly seen backstage and in videos with her “Jonas sisters,” Priyanka Chopra (married to Nick Jonas) and Sophie Turner (married to Joe Jonas).

Judd Apatow and Leslie Mann

Image via Jon Kopaloff / Getty Images Entertainment

The comedic director and actress have been together since 1996, and have been married since marrying in 1997. The couple regularly work together on films and have two children, Maude and Iris. Maude is following in her parent's footsteps, having had a breakout role in the hit MAX teen drama Euphoria.

Travis Barker and Kourtney Kardashian

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After getting married in 2022, Kourtney Kardashian just gave birth to her and Travis Barker's son, Rocky Thirteen Barker, in December 2023. Congrats to the happy family!

Julia Roberts and Daniel Mode

Image via Kevin Deitsch / Getty Images News

Julia and Daniel married in 2002 after meeting during the filming of The Mexican, where Julia starred alongside Brad Pitt. They have three children together, now 18 (twins) and 16.

Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson

Images via Hector Vivas/Getty Images and Kevin Winter/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

It appears Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson have been together since 2017 (which means he probably has the real inside scoop on that iconic Architectural Digest house tour), and they might be tying the knot very soon!

Denzel Washington and Pauletta Washington

Image via Emma McIntyre / Getty Images Entertainment

The actors have been married for a whopping 37 years after tying the knot in 1983. They renewed their vows in 1995, and are parents to four children, John David, Malcolm, Olivia and Katia.

Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell

Image via Jason Merritt / Getty Images Entertainment

The couple have been together for 40(!!!) years, ever since 1983. While they never married, they share one son, Wyatt Russell. Goldie also has two children, Kate Hudson (yes, THE Kate Hudson) and Oliver Hudson, whom she shares with her second husband, Bill Hudson.

Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick

Image via Dimitrios Kambouris / Getty Images Entertainment

SJP and Matthew had a surprise wedding in 1997 after meeting on the New York theater scene in 1991. The pair have three children together, James Wilkie and twin daughters Marion Loretta and Tabitha Hodge.

Elton John and David Furnish

Image via Tristan Fewings / Getty Images Entertainment

The world renowned musician and Furnish met in 1993 and were one of the first same-sex couples to enter a civil partnership (the closest thing to a same-sex marriage at the time) in the UK in 2005. “Officially” marrying in 2014, they share two sons together.

Dua Lipa and Callum Turner

Images via Amy Sussman/John Phillips/Getty Images

This celebrity couple were first spotted at the beginning of 2024, and I genuinely might have screamed when I found out. Dua Lipa's recent albums are a masterclass in pop music, while Callum Turner automatically makes every TV show and movie he's in better. I can't wait to see what's in store for these two!

Who’s your fave celebrity couple? Let us know @BritandCo!

Header image courtesy of Mike Coppola / Getty Images Entertainment

This post has been updated.

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7 Devastating TV Breakups That Almost Broke Us

While it's always nice to see something realistic represented in our favorite TV shows, there are few things more painful than watching a TV breakup. Even when we don't actually know fictional characters IRL, it's absolutely devastating to see them break each other's hearts. (Although, it's equally as bad as never seeing your favorite prospective couple get together — I will never forgive The 100 for what they did to Clarke and Bellamy!!).

Keep reading to see some of our most heartbreaking splits — and then check outWhat Being Team Conrad Or Jeremiah Says About Your Dream TV Boyfriendto put a smile back on your face.

Image via NBC

Ross and Rachel from Friends

Friends is one of the most iconic sitcoms of all times, and Ross and Rachel is definitely one of the most devastating TV breakups. In season 3, this iconic couple decides to take a break in and in "The One with the Morning After," Ross wakes up with another woman named Chloe at the exact moment Rachel shows up at his door. Rachel finds out about the affair, and after a fight in Monica's living room, the couple calls it quits.

Regardless of how you feel about Ross claiming they "were on a break" when he slept with Chloe, seeing Rachel's reaction (and knowing the trust between them was broken) is one of the worst moments in the whole show. Just thinking about it makes my stomach bottom out!

Image via The CW/WB

Rory and Jess from Gilmore Girls

This is one of my personal most-devastating TV breakups because it seems like, out of all of Rory's boyfriends, Rory and Jess are just perfect for each other when they start dating. Not only does their love of books bring them closer together, but their personalities are so compatible. But when Jess leaves for California at the end of season 3 — without saying anything to Rory, I might add — is unacceptable! It breaks my heart, and based on the final look he gives Rory during A Year in the Life, he also regrets it BIG TIME.

Image via The CW/WB

Damon and Elena from The Vampire Diaries

This Vampire Diaries couple was truly endgame, and the will-they-won't-they of it all was one of my favorite things about the show. So when they broke up (to my horror), I was devastated.

Damon and Elena admit they're bad for each other in the season 5 episode "While You Were Sleeping" (then Damon tells her he doesn't even want to be friends. Ouch!!), but it's the season finale, "Home," that makes me extra emotional. When Damon gets stuck with Bonnie on the Other Side, he says goodbye to Elena, who's begging him not to leave but can neither see nor hear him. Say it with me: gut! wrenching!

Image via Erika Doss/Prime Video

Conrad and Belly from The Summer I Turned Pretty

The Summer I Turned Pretty fans are PASSIONATE about whether they're team Conrad or team Jeremiah (trick question, my OTP is Taylor and Stephen), and even the most dedicated Conrad stan hates the prom scene. You know, when he breaks up with Belly at her prom, in the rain. I know he just thinks Belly deserves better, but it's still very painful to watch.

Image via FOX

Schmidt and Cece from New Girl

When I hear "devastating TV breakup" I IMMEDIATELY think of Schmidt and Cece from New Girl. Schmidt gets away with a lot of ridiculous things throughout this show, but dating two girls at one time is not one of them. After Nick has a hard time keeping Schmidt's love life a secret, Schmidt finally comes clean to Cece in "Double Date," leaving both her and me in tears. No matter how many times you rewatch the show, it truly feels like their relationship (and maybe even the friend group) will never recover.

Image via BBC/Prime Video

Fleabag and The Priest on Fleabag

In the history of TV, I don't think I've ever heard anything as heartbreaking as "I love you," "It'll pass." Like, who approved that line?! The viral moment comes at the end of the Fleabag series finale, when Fleabag is sitting with The Priest at the bus stop. Over the course of the series, we not only see how much these two care about each other, but how well they know each other (like how The Priest recognizes when Fleabag zones out). To be loved is to be known, and that's what makes this devastating TV breakup even more devastating.

Image via HBO

Carrie and Aidan on Sex and the City

After so much back and forth, it's hard to accept Carrie and Aidan's final breakup on SATC. But in season 4's "Change of a Dress," Carrie realizes she's not ready for marriage and Aidan realizes he doesn't trust her after her affair with Big. The combo of broken trust and being at two different life stages makes this extra painful to watch, and I don't think any amount of rewatches (or And Just Like That binges) is going to change that.

What's YOUR most devastating TV breakup? Let us know on Facebook!

Lead image via The CW/The WB

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Sophia Bush And Ashlyn Harris Made Their Relationship Red Carpet Official

Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris caused quite a stir at Elton John's Oscars afterparty, but for good reason! After dodging dating rumors for quite awhile, they dressed to impress and made their first public debut as a couple! Sophia even wore her best accessory — a mega-watt smile — that further confirms this blissful pair.

While some people love to know whencelebrity couples fell in love, the details about Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris' relationship have people wondering when this couple actually got together. Well, our wait is over because Sophia decided to open about what led to her romance with Ashlyn Harris and why certain rumors hold no merit!

Since we're clearly tuned in to this love story, here's everything you need to know about Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris's relationship!

Who is Sophia Bush?

Image via Robin L Marshall/Getty Images

Sophia Bush has had a lengthy career as an actress, and she's most recognized for her portrayal of Brooke Davis in the hit TV series One Tree Hill. She's also appeared in Nip/Tuck, Chicago Fire, Incredibles 2, and John Tucker Must Die. When she's not showing off her acting chops, she hosts the Drama Queens podcast alongside former One Tree Hill castmates Hilarie Burton and Bethany Joy Lenz!

Who is Ashlyn Harris?

Image via Jamie McCarthy/Getty Images for W Magazine

Ashlyn Harris is a former U.S. soccer player who had a successful run — no pun intended — as a goalkeeper during the career. She also won the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup in Canada and continued making an impressionable mark. However, she announced her retirementin 2022 and — per her Instagrampage — has gone on to become the Global Creative Advisor for Gotham FC and Adidas Football.

When did the dating rumors about Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris start?

Image via Frazer Harrison/Getty Images and Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

June 2023

Rumors about a possible connection between Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris swirled last summer when Cosmopolitanreported they were on a panel at Cannes Lion International Festival of Creativity. Sophia shared a pic of the two at the festival on Instagramand wrote, "Love you @ashlynharris24 and @sophieannkelly" towards the end of her caption.

A source told Page Six, "It’s very new...They are definitely a couple.” But, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris didn't confirm or deny anything at that time.

When did Sophia Bush file for divorce from Grant Hughes?

Image via Leigh Vogel/Getty Images

August 2023

A couple of months after Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris were seen getting cozy together, Sophia filed for divorce from her former husband Grant Hughes. Peopleshared that they were only married for a little over a year — 13 months — but didn't end on a bad terms. A source then told Entertainment Tonight, "Grant and Sophia are better off as friends and they weren’t getting enough time with each other before their breakup."

When did Ashlyn Harris and Ali Krieger file for divorce?

Image via Roy Rochlin/Getty Images

October 2023

While things seemed to quiet down, Ashlyn Harris soon filed for divorce from Ali Krieger after getting married towards the end of 2019. What's interesting is that a source told Peoplethis decision wasn't surprising. "Although it’s new information to the public, Ashlyn and Ali’s divorce began months ago and they have been living apart since the summer,” the source said.

This is also around the time it was speculated Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris had their first official date. A rep told People, "Grant will always want the best for Sophia, and is supportive of all that makes her happy and fulfilled." We guess it helps he and Sophia had a solid friendship before getting married!

As for Ali Krieger, she basically let the world know things were business as usual with an Instagrampost. She captioned a pic of her playing soccer with, "Preparing for playoffs while in my Beyoncé lemonade era." A comment from user @lgbtlfg said, "the fact that a lot of players in these comment’s usually mind their business and stay out of drama but are supporting ali should tell everyone all they need to know."

The only thing Ashlyn said about it on Instagramis that she never intended for her and Ali's divorce to be made a public matter. A portion of her note says, "This process is never easy, but we were making our way through."

Have Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris publicly talked about their relationship?

Image via Vivien Killilea/Getty Images for Tequila Don Julio

March 2024

Besides showing up to Elton John's Oscars afterparty together, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris were previously tight-lipped about their relationship. The only hint Sophia offered was much more of a reflective post about 2023 on Instagramat the beginning of January. She said, "This year taught me to listen to myself and no one else. To let go of expectation that wounds and grasp possibility that frees. To not care about optics and instead invest in honesty."

But, she's since chosen to own where she is in life.

Image via Lauren Dukoff/Glamour Magazine

Sophia Bush on the cover of Glamour Magazine

April 2024

Sophia Bush has now reached a point where she's publicly ready to stand in her truth regarding her life and her relationship status so much that she penned her own cover story for Glamour. The first thing she did was open up about how she really felt about her marriage and fertility struggles.

She wrote, "But after the wedding I found myself in the depths and heartbreak of the fertility process, which was the most clarifying experience of my life. It feels like society is finally making space for brutally honest conversations about how hard and painful any fertility journey is, but I kept mine private. I was trying to get through months of endless ultrasounds, hormone shots, so many blood draws that I have scar tissue in my veins, and retrieval after retrieval, while simultaneously realizing the person I had chosen to be my partner didn’t necessarily speak the same emotional language I did.”

Image via Lauren Dukoff/Glamour Magazine

As far as her relationship with Ashlyn Harris is concerned, the star is enjoying the love that exists between them. Contrary to alleged rumors, their initial relationship was a platonic one that stemmed from a place of understanding and support.

She told Glamour,“I didn’t expect to find love in this support system. I don’t know how else to say it other than: I didn’t see it until I saw it. And I think it’s very easy not to see something that’s been in front of your face for a long time when you’d never looked at it as an option and you had never been looked at as an option. What I saw was a friend with her big, happy life. And now I know she thought the same thing about me.”

She also added, "A lot of effort was made to be graceful with other people’s processing, their time and obligations, and their feelings. What felt like seconds after I started to see what was in front of me, the online rumor mill began to spit in the ugliest ways. There were blatant lies. Violent threats. There were the accusations of being a home-wrecker. The ones who said I’d left my ex because I suddenly realized I wanted to be with women—my partners have known what I’m into for as long as I have (so that’s not it, y’all, sorry!).”

Image via Lauren Dukoff/Glamour Magazine

It's safe to say that Sophia Bush is thoroughly comfortable with her love life and identity as a queer woman. She said, "I’ve experienced so much safety, respect, and love in the queer community, as an ally all of my life, that, as I came into myself, I already felt it was my home. I think I’ve always known that my sexuality exists on a spectrum. Right now I think the word that best defines it is queer. I can’t say it without smiling, actually. And that feels pretty great.”

And this is what it looks like to reclaim your narrative when so many people are looking at a brief glimpse of the lives of celebrities. We love that Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris are loving each other on their terms without feeling pressured to share anything before they were ready to. Our hope is that their love story continues to unfold beautifully.

Be sure to watch Sophia Bush's interview with Glamour's Editor-in-Chief Samantha Barry here!

Full Credits From Glamour Magazine:

Writer: Sophia Bush

Photographer: Lauren Dukoff

Stylist: Deborah Afshani

Hair: Matthew Collins

Makeup: Afton Williams

Manicure: Brittney Boyce

Have Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris made their official red carpet debut?

Image via Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for Kimball Stroud & Associates

April 27, 2024

Per Glamour, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn made their official red carpet debut as a couple on Friday. They attended the White House Correspondent's dinner where they were dressed to impress in complementing black ensembles.

It's easy to see the glowing couple couldn't stop laughing and smiling as they posed for pictures that seemed to capture every good angle of their faces and style.

Image via Paul Morigi/Getty Images

After the dinner, Sophia Bush and Ashlyn Harris posed for more pictures on the red carpet leading to the Correspondent's after-party. Now that we're able to see their full faces, we have to talk about how well their hair and makeup complements their outfits. It's clear that Ashlyn's contour and bronzer were expertly applied to her face while Sophia's blush gave her a natural flush.

*Sigh* Their smiles are the only confirmation we need that they're enjoying the bliss of being a couple.

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This article has been updated.

Lead image via Paul Morigi/Getty Images

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