Canadian actor Ryan Gosling, 43, and American actress Eva Mendes, 50, are one of Hollywood's hottest power couples. The Barbie and The Other Guys stars have enjoyed illustrious careers in the spotlight, raking in a number of prestigious awards including Ryan's Golden Globe Award and Eva's Giffoni Experience Award.
The duo started dating in 2011, before seemingly tying the knot in a secret wedding. News of their rumoured nuptials only came to light in November 2022! The couple are notoriously private about their family life and keep their kids firmly out of the spotlight.
However, over the years The Notebook star and his 2 Fast 2 Furious actress wife have revealed certain details about their relationship, including how they first met, got married, and more about their family life settled out of the spotlight with their children. So keep scrolling as HELLO! looks at all we know about the loved-up couple's decade-long romance…
How did Eva and Ryan meet?
The celebrity couple allegedly hit it off in 2011 on the set of The Place Beyond the Pines. Ryan played motorcycle stunt rider Luke, whilst Eva portrayed Romina. Speaking to Oprah Daily, Eva revealed how the couple were, however, already acquainted ahead of filming. She said: "We had known each other for a while already, so to work together was really exciting."
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The couple took their relationship off-screen with a loved-up visit to Disneyland in California. In November 2011, Ryan and Eva paid a special visit to romantic Paris where they celebrated Thanksgiving. They were spotted enjoying a stroll through the famous Père Lachaise Cemetery in the 20th arrondissement.
In June 2012, Eva joined beau Ryan at his mother's graduation ceremony at Brock University in Toronto. Later that year, the couple made their red-carpet debut at the star-studded premiere of The Place Beyond the Pines at the Toronto International Film Festival.
In conversation with Kelly Clarkson, Eva explained how she maintained professionalism on the red carpet. Musing on the glitzy occasion, she said: "That's literally me going like, 'I'm not in love with him. I'm not in love with him.' Cause we just were trying to be very professional."
How many kids do Ryan and Eva have?
The couple have two daughters. In September 2014, Eva gave birth to the couple's first child: Esmerelda Amada Gosling, now nine. Eva didn't initially plan on becoming a mother, but things changed when she fell head over heels in love with Ryan.
Speaking about motherhood, Eva told Australian radio show Nova 96.9's Fitzy & Wippa: "I was lucky enough to work my bum off for 20 years… I never wanted babies before until I fell in love with Ryan, and it kind of worked out to where I was 40 and having my first baby."
MORE: Eva Mendes discusses supporting daughters with Ryan Gosling
Notebook actor Ryan similarly adored the moment he became a parent. In an eye-opening 2016 interview with GQ magazine, he gushed: "Your whole life you hear what it’s like to have kids, and all the clichés are true. I felt I knew that everything would be different, but until you experience that, there’s no way to really know what people mean.
"I only know what it's like to have my kids. And in my situation, Eva's the dream mother, and they're dream babies, and it's like a dream that I'm having right now. I'm dreaming it all."
READ: Eva Mendes shares glimpse of home life with Ryan Gosling in pictures with rarely-seen family members
And in an exclusive chat with HELLO! magazine, the Barbie star opened up about starting a family with the love of his life. "I know that I'm with the person I'm supposed to be with," he revealed, before explaining that the only quality he looks for in a woman is "that she's Eva Mendes. There's nothing else I'm looking for."
In May 2016, the smitten couple welcomed a daughter called Amada Lee, now seven. Their second child is named after Mendes' grandmother. How sweet!
Earlier this year, meanwhile, Ryan stepped out for the Santa Barbara International Film Festival where he scooped the Kirk Douglas Award for Excellence in Film. At the end of his gracious speech, Ryan noted how his career in film led him to finding love with Eva, and said: "Most importantly, I got to meet the girl of my dreams, Eva Mendes, and have two dream children."
He continued: "I dreamed of making movies and now movies have made my life a dream," before concluding with: "No way I have contributed half as much to cinema as cinema has given to me."
What else have they said about their children?
Speaking at the 2024 Santa Barbara International Film Festival, Ryan explained how his two daughters haven't seen Barbie. "I don't know if you should watch your father as Ken," the Dead Man's Bones frontman told the outlet. "I don't know what age is a good age to see your father do that. It gets pretty crazy."
Despite not having seen the film, Ryan added that they weren't completely unfamiliar with Greta's vision or what he'd done for the film, as they did visit him on set. "They've seen little parts of it and they came to set one day when I did a big musical number".
What have they said about their parenting style?
During an appearance on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Eva quipped that their parenting style was "controlling".
"I think what the term is — we're always laughing at these terms — I think we would be 'bulldozing parents,'" she joked. "We have to be on top of them every second ... The stakes are really high, so yeah, I'm a helicopter parent. And then I heard the bulldozing and I'm like, 'Ooh, yeah, I'm probably a bulldozing parent too.' "
Eva has also expressed that she wants to maintain a close relationship with her daughters, revealing on Instagram: "I want my kids when they get in trouble later on in life … to be like, 'I gotta call my mom' versus, 'Ooh, I can’t tell my mom about this.'"
When did Eva and Ryan marry?
Whilst the couple keep their romantic life behind closed doors, it's thought that the duo secretly said "I do" in 2016 surrounded by close family and friends. News of their wedding only appeared to come to light in 2022 when Eva unveiled a touching tribute to her other half. Taking to Instagram, Eva debuted a bold 'de Gosling' wrist tattoo, hinting at her married status.
DISCOVER: Eva Mendes shares loved-up photos with Ryan Gosling as they celebrate special anniversary
She referred to Ryan as her husband for the first time publicly in November 2022. Starring on Channel Nine's Today, Eva said: "Everyone is so welcoming here and my husband Ryan is here, and we are having the best time."
READ MORE: Eva Mendes explains why motherhood is not what she expected
Since alleging tying the knot, Ryan, Eva and their kids have maintained a low-profile. When asked on Instagram why she never shares photos of her family on social media, Eva clapped back: "I have always had a clear boundary when it comes to my man and my kids. I'll talk about them of course, with limits, but I won't post pictures of our daily life.
"And since my children are still so little and don't understand what posting their image really means, I don't have their consent. And I won't post their image until they're old enough to give me consent."
She went on to say: "As far as Ryan and I, it just works for us this way, to stay private." Despite holding back from posting personal pictures, Eva continues to heap praise on her hubby by sharing snapshots and videos from his latest thespian projects.
In June 2022, the Ghost Rider actress posted a photo of Ryan rocking peroxide blonde hair for his upcoming role in Barbie. In her caption, she penned: "So. F. Funny. So F. Good. So F excited for you to see this… #Thatsmyken."
Why don't Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling walk red carpets together?
Despite the couple's clear love and mutual respect for each other and their work projects, part of their dedication to keeping their personal life private means that they are rarely if ever making red carpet appearances alongside each other. In fact, their last appearance together at a public event was also their first - which was their visit to the premiere of The Place Beyond the Pines in 2012.
Eva opened up about this decision in April 2023, when a fan wished her and Ryan all the best for the year ahead professionally, and expressed their hope that Ryan's latest outing as Ken would see awards season success so that there would be more opportunity for the couple to attend events together. "You're the best! What a cool comment, thank you," the Out of Time star said in reply to this comment, but then she continued: "But we don't do those things together."
Referring to the pair's single red carpet appearance, she said: "These photos I've been posting, I'm only comfortable posting because it's already out there... for those who may catch me in a 'lie' – we only were on the red carpet together once when promoting this film."
Do the couple have any pets?
Yes! In 2019, the couple welcomed a new family addition in the form of a dog called Lucho. Eva shared news of their major family update via Instagram, sharing a photo of their adorable Fawn Doberman pup adopted from Friends for Life Rescue Network.