By Jessica Wedemeyer
8:17am PST, Feb 28, 2023
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Take a look back at the stars who found love, suffered heartbreak or experienced some other major event in their love lives in mid-February 2023…
Is a reconciliation underway?! On Feb. 15 — just a few days after The Sun reported that Lily James and Queens of the Stone Age bassist Michael Shuman had called it quits — the "Pam & Tommy" actress reunited with her former off-and-on love of several years, "House of the Dragon" star Matt Smith, in London. The duo — who haven't been together since early 2020 — were snapped hugging while out and about with his dog, raising questions about the status of their relationship. (See photos here.)
Keep reading for more of the week's biggest celeb love life updates…
MORE: Celeb splits of 2023
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In the wake of reports claiming Leonardo DiCaprio's fling with Gigi Hadid had officially come to an end, the pair were spotted together at a mutual friend's birthday party in Italy during Milan Fashion Week. On Feb. 17, People magazine reported that, according to a source, the A-list actor and the model hadn't seen each other "for a while" after things between them "kind of just fizzled." Said the source, "[Gigi] just decided that she was done with him. They are at very different places in life. She prioritizes being a mom. … It was never that serious anyway."
But on Feb. 23, TMZ reported that they were seen sitting next to each other at a birthday party for British Vogue editor Edward Enninful hours after Gigi walked the runway in Milan; they left the restaurant, Casa Cipriani, separately 10 minutes apart. A source, however, told "Entertainment Tonight" it wasn't romantic. "Gigi and Leo spent time together in Milan but they are just friends and are not dating," the source said.
Leo has already been linked to multiple women since he and Gigi were first seen together in September 2022.
MORE: Celeb couples' Instagram debuts
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On Feb. 20 — a few days after Deux Moi reported that, according to an anonymous source, Kendall Jenner and Bad Bunny were seen kissing at a nightclub in Los Angeles on Feb. 15 — People magazine confirmed that, according to multiple sources, the model and the Grammy winner are "spending time together." Said one source, "Kendall recently started hanging out with him. They were introduced by friends. He moved to L.A. a few weeks ago and bought a house. … She likes him and is having fun. He is different from guys that she dated in the past. He is very charming." Said an "Entertainment Tonight" source, "[They] are attracted to each other and definitely have a flirty vibe. It is still new, but they're enjoying each other's company and like each other. … It's been fun for both of them so far." A second "ET" source echoed that the reality star and the musician met through mutual friends and "hit it off," though "it's not serious" for now and they're just "having fun." According to TMZ, they double dated with Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber at an L.A. restaurant on Feb. 18. Bad Bunny has been linked to Gabriela Berlingeri since 2017, though there have been rumors over the years that they have an open relationship. (More on her here.)
MORE: Long-lasting celebrity couples
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On Feb. 21, Paris Match broke the news that Tim Burton and Monica Bellucci are an item. The French outlet also shared a recent photo of the filmmaker — who's previously romanced talented beauties including actresses Helena Bonham Carter and Lisa Marie — and the Italian star walking arm-in-arm. They reportedly connected at the Lumière Film Festival in Lyon, France, in October 2022 when Monica, who shares two daughters with ex-husband Vincent Cassel, presented him with the festival's lifetime achievement award.
MORE: Celeb couples with big age gaps
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On Feb. 22, Page Six reported that Kelsea Ballerini allegedly cheated on her ex-husband, Morgan Evans, with The Chainsmokers' Drew Taggart — who was single at the time. They reportedly hooked up during Lollapalooza in the summer of 2019 after the country-pop superstar collaborated with the EDM duo on the 2018 track "This Feeling." In 2021, she reportedly told Morgan that she'd been unfaithful, leaving him "blindsided."
In recent weeks, Kelsea and Morgan have shared conflicting accounts of the circumstances that led to their surprise split in the summer of 2022. "It's really sad for me to see this person, who I spent so much of my life with, and loved with all my heart, saying things that aren't reality and that leave out what really happened," Morgan wrote on Instagram on Feb. 21 after Kelsea said on the "Call Her Daddy" podcast that there was "such a sense of disconnection" in their marriage and that they would go long periods of time without seeing each other.
"There was a lack of effort to see each other. I was getting resentful because any time we did see each other, I felt like I was carrying that load, and I was tired. I was just tired of showing up in that way all the time and not feeling like I was seen or matched," she said, adding that she felt like she had to "do everything" to keep the relationship alive. She also said that they worked on their relationship "for a long time" before ultimately throwing in the towel but that she "checked out a long time" before then: "There were separations, there was years of couples therapy. There was, like, many a night of sleeping on the couch. This was just a relationship that took work for a long time," she confessed.
Another major issue in their relationship? He was ready for kids and she wasn't. "That's a fundamental difference, and I still don't know if I want kids at all or not," she said.
Kelsea concluded the wide-ranging interview by confirming recent rumors there's a new man in her life. (More on that later!)
MORE: Country music's biggest scandals
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On the Feb. 22 episode of the "Call Her Daddy" podcast, Kelsea Ballerini confirmed she's no longer single. She went on to detail how she and her new boyfriend, Chase Stokes, first connected: She slid into his DMs. "He shoots ['Outer Banks'] in Charleston [in South Carolina], and my manager lives there, and he, like, put the bug in my ear. He's like, 'You know who's really cute when you're ready? Chase.' I was like, 'You're so right,'" she recalled, adding that she "knew of" the handsome actor but had never seen his hit Netflix drama. "So I followed him, and he followed me, and I just swan-dove right on in. … His handle is '@hichasestokes,' and I said, 'Hi, Chase Stokes,'" she added, noting that they started talking in early December 2022.
"I was ready to open back up. I just felt, why not? I've never really dated; I don't know how it works. I'm like, 'Let's just put ourselves out there; let's just vibe.' And it's been fun," she said.
Kelsea also revealed that while she loves "the idea of partnership," she doesn't think she'll get married again because she's not sure if she believes in "the legality" of marriage following her divorce from Morgan Evans.
MORE: See the biggest country music stars when they were young
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On Feb. 19 — in the wake of rampant rumors that Megan Fox and Machine Gun Kelly are in the midst of a rough patch because he strayed from the relationship — the "Transformers" alum took to Instagram to share a since-deleted post insisting that "there has been no third-party interference in this relationship of any kind … that includes, but is not limited to actual humans, DMs, AI bots or succubus demons." She then shared her support for Sophie Lloyd, the stunning guitarist at the center of the rumors MGK was unfaithful: "How me making a joke in order to absolve this girl of a hurtful accusation somehow turned into a confirmation of it, I will never understand," Megan commented on a photo the musician shared of herself on Instagram on Feb. 18. "Sophie, you are insanely talented. Welcome to Hollywood. Your first unwarranted PR disaster. You have now been baptized by the flames of fame. It only gets worse from here, unfortunately Just ignore it as much as you can," Megan continued.
Sophie, who has a serious boyfriend, got dragged into the drama between Megan and MGK when a fan speculated on Instagram that the Grammy nominee "probably got with Sophie" and Megan replied, "Maybe I got with Sophie."
Megan and MGK are reportedly "working through their issues," though People magazine reported on Feb. 20 that, according to a source, they're "still not in a good place."
The People source went on to explain that Megan was, in fact, under the impression that her fiancé had cheated on her when she created a media firestorm by deleting her photos with him on Instagram and sharing a cryptic post quoting Beyonce's cheating-themed "Lemonade" album: "She's now posted that there was no cheating, but she initially thought there was and now is backtracking a bit. She was definitely hinting at infidelity with her first post. She regrets making it all so public, but was really upset in the moment. … Their relationship is crazy and intense, yet it wouldn't be shocking if they were back together completely by the end of the week," the source said.
MORE: Notorious celeb cheating scandals
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On Feb. 14, Josh Groban took to Instagram to reveal he has a new girlfriend: English theater actress Natalie McQueen, who's made a name for herself on London's West End. "Happy Valentine's Day to this remarkable woman who makes me so gosh dang stupid happy," he captioned a silly selfie with the blonde beauty, who captioned the same snap, "Happy Valentine's Day to the greatest ever. You make me the happiest." Natalie first referenced her "boyfriend" on Instagram in September 2022 when she shared a photo of the four-time Grammy nominee from behind, keeping his identity under wraps.
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On Feb. 21, TMZ broke the news that Avril Lavigne recently broke up with Mod Sun and called off their engagement of about a year. According to the webloid, the pair — who confirmed they were more than friends in early 2021 — have been off and on "over the last few months" and trying "to make things work" but ultimately realized "it just wasn't right." (A People magazine source later echoed that the former collaborators "have been on and off for the past two months, but are no longer together as a couple.") While Avril's rep confirmed the breakup news to multiple media outlets, Mod Sun's rep insisted "they were together and engaged as of three days ago when he left for tour so if anything has changed, that's news to him."
As for questions about the nature of the "Sk8er Boi" singer's relationship with Tyga, multiple media outlets report the duo — who were snapped hugging outside Nobu in Malibu on Feb. 19 (see photos here) — are simply good, long-term friends and nothing more. "There was absolutely no third party involved in the split," said a People source.
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On Feb. 22, Heidi Klum took to Instagram to celebrate her fourth wedding anniversary with her husband, Tom Kaulitz, by sharing a slideshow of photos with the Tokio Hotel guitarist including a mirror selfie taken while the twosome were kissing while apparently in the buff. "Love of my life," she wrote in the caption. The duo secretly tied the knot in 2019.
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On Feb. 14, Kris Jenner sparked a fresh round of rumors that she and long-term boyfriend Corey Gamble are engaged when she took to her Instagram Story to share a photo of herself wearing what appeared to be a massive heart-shaped diamond engagement ring. Five days later, DailyMail.com reported that the headline-making bling is "definitely" not an engagement ring but rather a favorite bauble that the reality star has owned for three years and worn out "countless times" before. "Kris is not engaged to Corey, and she has no plans to be. She really has no need to marry him because she has exactly what she wants with him right now," the source said, adding that the mother of six "does not want to put anything on paper regarding their relationship because she knows that, if their relationship does end, God forbid, it would not end well if they were married." The duo also sparked engagement rumors in 2022 when fans noticed that Kris has begun sporting a different diamond ring.
MORE: Celeb engagements of 2023
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On Feb. 17 — just three days after they spent Valentine's Day together — Emily Ratajkowski indicated on TikTok that her whirlwind romance with Eric André had come to an end. "What should you do when a situationship ends? Start another one," she wrote across a video of herself laying in bed. (A "situationship" refers to a non-exclusive casual romantic relationship that has yet to be defined by the involved parties.) There have been whispers online that the comedian is already back on Raya — an uber-exclusive dating app for the rich and famous — since calling it quits with the model. The duo took off like wildfire after they were first linked in early January — Emily even seemed to put the other men she was seeing on hold to spend more time with Eric.
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On Feb. 20, model-hairstylist Chris Appleton and "You" and "The White Lotus" star Lukas Gage made their relationship Instagram official. "Joyride," the 39-year-old beauty professional captioned a slideshow of photos from a recent stay at The St. Regis Punta Mita Resort in Mexico with the 27-year-old actor, who captioned his own slideshow simply "la major" — "the best" in Spanish. After the photos hit the social media platform, Just Jared reported that, according to multiple sources, the two men are "officially dating."
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Louis Tomlinson was snapped holding hands with Danish model Sofie Nyvang in Los Angeles on Feb. 15 (see photos here) — just a little more than a month after The Sun reported that the former One Direction singer had split from off-and-on girlfriend Eleanor Calder for the second time. Louis and Eleanor dated from 2011 to 2015 and reconnected in 2017. During their time apart, the singer had a baby boy with another woman.
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Ali Wong reunited with her estranged husband, Justin Hakuta, in San Francisco on Feb. 18. According to DailyMail.com, the actress could be heard calling the entrepreneur — who was seen wearing his wedding ring — "Babe" as they played pickleball with friends. Later, Justin was spied helping Ali with her bag outside her stand-up gig in Santa Rosa, California. In April 2022, People magazine reported that the parents of two were throwing in the towel. The funnywoman then had a brief fling with Bill Hader.
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On Feb. 20, Susan Sarandon's daughter, actress and lifestyle blogger Eva Amurri, took to Instagram to announce that she got engaged to her boyfriend of a little more than two years, chef Ian Hock, during a recent trip to Paris. "Those who know us know so well what this moment means to us. We are so so so happy. Can't wait to spend all the rest of our days together," the mother of three captioned a slideshow of photos showing off her new engagement ring.
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During an interview with E! News that debuted online on Feb. 22, "Summer House" star Danielle Olivera revealed that she and Robert Sieber called it quits in November 2022 following about two and a half years of coupledom. "There's still a lot of love there and mutual respect, but it just wasn't working out," she said, adding that "there's no animosity" between herself and the chef. "Our relationship definitely suffered a bit because there wasn't enough time [spent together] and I would keep things in and then they would obviously explode in the wrong ways. I'm not the easiest person to be in a relationship — I am awesome — but I expect a lot also. His career is amazing and I'm so proud of him. Do I wish things were different? Yeah, but that's life," she explained. She went on to share how she knew it was time to throw in the towel: "I expressed unhappiness and when we got into the conversation, it became like a lot and the bubble burst. He was like, 'I can't make you happy right now,' and I was like, 'OK,'" she recalled.
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According to People magazine, Rod Stewart's oldest son, former "Sons of Hollywood" reality star Sean Stewart, married film producer Jerry Weintraub's daughter, former "Extra" producer Jody Weintraub, in Las Vegas on Valentine's Day — the very same night they got engaged. "Sean asked her while they were out to dinner at Catch. They married shortly after getting their marriage license at 10 p.m. at Little Church of the West," a source said. The duo have reportedly know each other since high school and "share a best friend," which is how they "kept reconnecting over the years." Said the source, "They just get each other. … They're from the same town, they have the same friends. They just understand each other." The insider added that they're "so much alike" and essentially "the same person." Sean and Jody are reportedly planning a bigger wedding for friends and family in Spain this summer.
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On Feb. 17, singer Sophie Simmons — the daughter of KISS rocker Gene Simmons and former model-actress Shannon Tweed — exchanged vows with her love of nearly a decade, James Henderson, at a Los Angeles courthouse. Five days later, they said "I do" in front of 50 guests at her mom's Malibu home. "We couldn't be prouder of our daughter," Gene and Shannon told People magazine, which published exclusive wedding photos. "James is a solid young man, and Sophie can do anything she puts her mind to. We wish them a lifetime of love and happiness. If they are even half as happy as we are, they will last long." The duo got engaged in the summer of 2022.
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According to People magazine, which published exclusive wedding photos, country music star Marcus King married Briley Hussey at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center in Nashville on Feb. 19. Said the groom of the day he met his missus, "I fell in love, hard! … I told her the next morning to quit her job and marry me instead."
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According to People magazine, Emma Slater filed to divorce Sasha Farber on Feb. 21 — about six months after the news broke that the "Dancing With the Stars" pros were going their separate ways. She reportedly cited irreconcilable differences as the reason for the split. "Emma and Sasha still remain close. There's no bad blood between them," a source said.
