By Jessica Wedemeyer
5:42am PDT, Aug 16, 2021
Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the stars who found love, suffered heartbreak or experienced some other major event in their love lives in early August 2021, starting with this actress… When Christina Ricci took to Instagram on Aug. 10 to announce that she's pregnant with her second child, she raised questions about the nature of her relationship with hairstylist, makeup artist and photographer Mark Hampton, whom she tagged in her pregnancy announcement. Mark, who's worked with dozens of A-list stars since starting his career in his native Wales, also shared several ultrasound photos, indicating he's the father of Christina's child. It's unclear how long he and the "Casper" actress have been an item; OK! reported that the pair have been living together in Canada, where Christina is shooting "Yellowjackets." She split from her husband of seven years, film producer James Heerdegen, in the summer of 2020.
Now keep reading for more of the week's biggest celeb love life updates…
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Renee Zellweger and Ant Anstead made their public debut as a couple — though they avoided being photographed together in an official capacity — at the Radford Motors gala at the Lyon Air Museum in Santa Ana, California, on Aug. 7. They did, however, pose together for several photos that eventually found their way to social media — like this selfie posted by actor Joseph Gatt. A few days later, People magazine reported that, according to a source, the Oscar-winning actress and the former "Wheeler Dealers" host are "getting pretty serious about each other." Said the source, "They're both busy with various projects and their careers, but they have a major attraction to each other." A second source noted that "they seem very happy."
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On Aug. 9, Closer magazine nearly broke the Internet when it reported that, according to a source, Jennifer Aniston and David Schwimmer are now dating after reconnecting on the set of the "Friends" reunion earlier this year. "After the reunion, it became clear that reminiscing over the past had stirred up feelings for both of them and that chemistry they'd always had to bury was still there," said the alleged insider. "They began texting immediately after filming and, just last month, David flew from his home in New York to see Jen in L.A. They've been spending time at Jen's home, where she's cooked dinners in the evenings, and have enjoyed quality time together, chatting and laughing. They were also spotted drinking wine, deep in conversation, as they walked around one of Jen's favorite vineyards in Santa Barbara [in California], where it was clear there was lots of chemistry between them. … David's smitten with Jen and the feelings are definitely mutual. While there's the obvious distance issue between them, as they live on opposite sides of the country, they are keen to keep the spark alive and make it work. … It's still early days and Jen's trying not to focus too much on the future or put pressure on it, but there's a deep affection between them with the solid base of a long-term friendship." Two days later, however, a rep for the erstwhile Ross Geller threw cold water on the report, telling The Sun that there's "no truth" to the rumors about his relationship with the Emmy-winning actress. During the "Friends" reunion, Jen and David admitted to having mutual crushes on each other while shooting the iconic sitcom.
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Kim Kardashian and Kanye West sparked reconciliation rumors when she turned out to support him at his "Donda" listening party in Atlanta on Aug. 5. But according to a People magazine source, the rapper and the reality star are not giving their marriage another shot: "Kim is trying to be supportive. She is focused on co-parenting. Nothing has changed otherwise. They are still moving forward with the divorce," said the source, noting that it's "very important" to the mother of four that her kids "spend as much time as possible" with their father. All four children attended the concert, during which Kanye sang, "I'm losing all my family / Darling, come back to me." Another lyric that fueled reconciliation rumors? "Time and space is a luxury / But you came here to show that you're still in love with me," he rapped at one point.
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On Aug. 10, Page Six reported that Seal is dating Laura Strayer — a former personal assistant who worked for him during his marriage to Heidi Klum. The duo were snapped packing on the PDA in St-Tropez on Aug. 4. According to DailyMail.com, the singer and the blonde beauty first sparked romance rumors when they stepped out for dinner at Nobu in Malibu in February.
Sandra Lee's new boyfriend has been identified! In early August, the 55-year-old TV chef was snapped holding hands with 42-year-old interfaith leader and actor Ben Youcef — who recently appeared on two episodes of the CBS series "SEAL Team" — during a night out in St-Tropez. They've been photographed kissing and holding hands several more times since then. (See photos here.) On Aug. 7, Page Six reported that, according to a source, the new romance is "the first joy Sandra has had in years," though "it's really not accurate to say she's moved on" from her relationship of 14 years with embattled former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, which came to an end in the summer of 2019. "She's spent the past two years in anguish since her split from Andrew. She had to move across the country [to Malibu] to get her life back together again," said the source. Echoed a second Page Six source, "It's very hard for Sandra to move on — she's not done licking her wounds. She's just trying to do the best she can to keep her head above water right now." The insider added that the allegations against Andrew — he resigned on Aug. 10 after an investigation determined he'd sexually harassed at least 11 women — have been "tremendously horrible and painful for [Sandra] to read about." Said the source, who noted that it was an "open secret" the politician regularly cheated, "Her heart was absolutely shattered when she split with Andrew, she has never even spoken out about her time with him, she's always kept her mouth shut. She's just trying to find some kind of solace and happiness." According to the New York Post's gossip column, Sandra met her new boyfriend — who made the first move — at a charity event in Santa Monica, California, in March.
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On Aug. 7, Lily-Rose Depp and Austin Butler were snapped packing on the PDA during a night out in London. (See photos here.) It was the first indication that the model-actress's off-and-on relationship with Timothée Chalamet had come an end for the second time and that Austin's romance with Olivia DeJonge — who's set to play the Priscilla Presley to his Elvis in an upcoming Baz Luhrmann biopic — had also come to an end. Back when Austin and former long-term love Vanessa Hudgens called it quits in late 2019, there were rumors he cheated on the "High School Musical" alum with Olivia. Now, it seems, history may have repeated itself: On Aug. 9, Deux Moi reported that, according to an anonymous source, Olivia "found out" about Austin's relationship with Lily-Rose when the photos of them kissing hit the Internet. "He's a cheater," said the alleged insider. Austin and Lily-Rose, by the way, go way back: They co-starred in Kevin Smith's 2016 indie comedy "Yoga Hosers."
On Aug. 12, Kortnie O'Connor took to Instagram to announce that her boyfriend of about a year and a half — former professional baseball player and "The Real Housewives of Orange County" alum Jim Edmonds — proposed sometime last month. "Dear Diary, A month ago, Jimmy asked me to marry him in the most intimate and personal way. I said yes! Love, Kortnie," she captioned a photo of herself showing off her massive engagement ring. Jim split from "RHOC" star Meghan King in late 2019. Their breakup became incredibly contentious in 2020.
On Aug. 10, Sophia Bush took to Instagram to announce that she and her boyfriend of a little more than a year, Grant Hughes, are engaged. "So it turns out that being your favorite person's favorite person is the actual best feeling on planet Earth #YES. Thank you to @comoclassicboats and @bottega53 for helping my favorite human plan the most incredible, moving surprise of my life. My heart. It bursts," she captioned a photo of her beau popping the question during a boat ride on Lake Como in Italy. The "One Tree Hill" alum captioned a second photo from the day she got engaged with a poem, writing in part, "We see a future on the horizon. We choose it. … This day. Forever. I'm beaming. I never knew. Now I do. I know. This. You." Grant, meanwhile, captioned a slideshow of photos from the proposal, "She is my forever Favorite. This is my favorite. And our life that we're building because she said 'Yes' is already my favorite. I am SO EXCITED to do life with you, my love."
On Aug. 9, Us Weekly broke the news that Joey Lawrence is engaged to his girlfriend of about a year, actress Samantha Cope. The duo connected on the set of their upcoming Lifetime made-for-TV movie "A Deadly Deed" … around the time the former teen heartthrob filed to divorce his wife of 15 years, Chandie Yawn-Nelson. "She's the best person ever," Joey told Us Weekly of his future missus, adding that "meeting her has just been really the greatest thing ever." Continued the actor, "When you least expect it, you know, you literally meet the perfect person for you. … It's cool to be this age and have that happen because all the pretense is gone and you're not playing games. And there was no way to wine and dine anybody [when we started dating in 2020 because] we couldn't go anywhere [due to the coronavirus pandemic]. … It was just hanging out, trapped in that, you know, confined space. And when you can meet the greatest person for you in that kind of environment, it's saying something."
Season 17 of "The Bachelorette" concluded on Aug. 9 with Katie Thurston accepting a marriage proposal from Blake Moynes … who previously dated Clare Crawley and Tayshia Adams on the 16th season of the ABC reality show. After the finale aired, the couple confirmed on social media that they're still going strong. "I couldn't ask for a better partner. You are kind, patient, understanding, and your advocacy for the planet and animals is remarkable. I'm so lucky to call you my fiancé. My best friend. My confidant. We are just two weirdos laughing our way through life together. Cheers to the upcoming adventures!" Katie captioned a slideshow of photos of herself and the Canadian wildlife manager celebrating his birthday. Blake, meanwhile, captioned a sweet shot of himself kissing the former bank marketing manager, "You're a rock. My rock. A mature, nurturing, supportive and loving partner who continues to impress me every day. We have an adventure called life ahead of us and I hope you know I'll do everything I can to help, push and encourage you to make the most of every little bit of it! I love you, Buggy. Ya, that's my nick name for her. Buggy."
Meanwhile… On Aug. 7, the Bachelor Nation Scoop Instagram account shared a photo of controversial "The Bachelorette" contestant Greg Grippo during a night out in New York City with "The Bachelor" alum Bri Springs. (Greg recently sparked a national conversation about "gaslighting" and emotional abuse following his extremely dramatic split from Katie Thurston on the penultimate episode of season 17 of "The Bachelorette," while Bri became a fan favorite while competing for Matt James's heart on the 25th season of "The Bachelor" earlier this year.) After the hangout sparked rumors they're dating, Bri took to her Instagram Story to clear the air: On Aug. 8, she posted a photo (see it here) of what appeared to be her hand holding a mystery man's hand. (The man has dark skin and clearly isn't Greg.) "Current relationship status," she captioned the PDA pic, indicating there's someone else in her life. Then on the Aug. 11 episode of Nick Viall's "The Viall Files" podcast, Greg insisted that "Bri is just a friend." Added the aspiring actor, "Pretty sure she has a boyfriend." He also noted that they met and connected "through the show."
In other Bachelor Nation love news… Less than two weeks after Tyler Cameron said he was "very in love" with Camila Kendra during an appearance on the July 27 episode of "Watch What Happens Live," the male model and his girlfriend of about eight months have called it quits. On Aug. 8, Deux Moi shared a photo of an unidentified blonde woman touching the Bachelor Nation alum's chest during a night out at a bar in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. According to a spy, the mystery woman was "all over him." The following day, Page Six reported that, according to a source, Tyler and Camila suddenly split after "things took a turn" between them. Echoed an Us Weekly source, "Things were going well until they weren't. Friends were surprised things ended so quickly." A second Us Weekly source said that it was Camila who "broke off the relationship" when she realized "it was time for her to refocus on her own very lucrative career." The second source added that the model-influencer found her romance with the former reality TV star to be "daunting."
On Aug. 9, filmmaker Jennifer Lee — who wrote and directed both "Frozen" movies — announced on Instagram that she Alfred Molina — who voiced Anna and Elsa's father in "Frozen II" — recently tied the knot. "We did. We do," she captioned a slideshow of photos from their intimate outdoor nuptials, which were officiated by Jonathan Groff, who voices Kristoff in the "Frozen" franchise and co-starred with the groom in the 2014 HBO made-for-TV movie "The Normal Heart." (In a second Instagram post, the bride explained that it was Jonathan who introduced her to her husband: "This beautiful, generous soul is the reason Fred and I met. We owe him the world," she captioned a photo with the "Hamilton" star.) Alfred and Jennifer have been a couple since at least 2019. He was previously married to English actress Jill Gascoine — who died in April 2020 following a lengthy battle with Alzheimer's — for more than three decades.
On Aug. 6, "Game of Thrones" and "The Queen's Gambit" actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster was snapped holding hands with actress Talulah Riley, who was previously married to Elon Musk … twice. It was the first indication that the duo — who are set to co-star in an upcoming series about the Sex Pistols — are an item. It's unclear when exactly the former child star and the "Westworld" actress started dating.
During an interview with Variety that debuted online on Aug. 11, Lil Nas X said that he has a secret boyfriend … and things are serious. "I've had some good boyfriends and some bad ones. A lot of them were emotionally unavailable or had a lot of insecurity and whatnot," he said. "[But] I've found someone special now. I think this is the one. I can't explain it — it's just a feeling."
On Aug. 6, "Awkward" alum Beau Mirchoff took to Instagram to announce that he and his girlfriend of a little more than a year, psychologist Jenny Meinen, got engaged in front of the Eiffel Tower during a recent trip to Paris. "The love of my life said oui!" the "Good Trouble" star captioned a slideshow of photos. The bride-to-be, meanwhile, captioned her own slideshow of photos and videos from the proposal, "Yes to a lifetime of love with you."
When Brooks Laich started sharing photos of Katrin Tanja Davidsdottir on Instagram in late July, it wasn't immediately clear that the former professional hockey player and the Icelandic CrossFit athlete were an item. It wasn't until early August — when the Katrin-centric posts suddenly became more frequent — that it became clear they're more than workout buddies. Then on Aug. 8 — in case there were any lingering questions about the nature of their relationship — Brooks shared a photo of himself and his new girlfriend vacationing together in Hawaii. Katrin, meanwhile, captioned a selfie with her beau, who split from Julianne Hough in mid-2020, "Life is better with a couple coconuts and this favorite human of mine."
On Aug. 9, model Meadow Walker took to Instagram to announce that she's engaged to aspiring actor Louis Thornton-Allan. The 22-year-old daughter of late "Fast & Furious" franchise star Paul Walker shared a video of herself showing off her new engagement ring while taking a dip in a swimming pool.
During an Aug. 9 interview with E! News, Savannah Chrisley said that she and her ex-fiancé, Nic Kerdiles, are "still trying to figure things out" and "taking it day by day" after calling off their engagement in mid-2020 and then breaking up a few months later. Said the "Chrisley Knows Best" star, "We just decided to keep things off of social media, keep things a little more private, because when the world gets involved, I kind of put my life out there for everyone to see and have an opinion about, and I've kind of come to a place in life to where I've decided to keep my relationships to myself because I feel like I deserve a little bit of privacy when it comes to that." Late last year, there were signs that Savannah and Nic were giving it another go.
On Aug. 5, Pierce Brosnan took to Instagram to publicly celebrate his 20th wedding anniversary with wife Keely Shaye Smith. "Happy anniversary my darling Keely, my love forever grows with you," he captioned a side-by-side of a recent photo with his missus and a shot from early in their relationship. Keely, meanwhile, captioned a photo from the day she and Pierce tied the knot, "Still the one! Happy 20th wedding anniversary @piercebrosnanofficial Thank you for the gift of your love and friendship. The world is more beautiful with you in it!"
On Aug. 2, "Never Have I Ever" star Darren Barnet and his girlfriend of about a year, Mikaela Hoover, made their red carpet debut as a couple at the premiere of "The Suicide Squad," in which she has a small role. Mikaela previously romanced another "The Suicide Squad" actor: She was briefly engaged to "Castle" alum Nathan Fillion in 2013.
It looks like any hopes for a reconciliation are officially over… On Aug. 9, People magazine confirmed that Kenya Moore filed to divorce off-and-on love Marc Daly in Fulton County, Georgia, back in May. In her divorce paperwork, the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star describes the marriage as "irretrievably broken" and notes that she and the restauranteur have been living in a "bona fide state of separation" since September 2019. She's reportedly asking for their joint personal property and marital debt to be "equitably divided" and for sole legal and physical custody of their daughter, Brooklyn. (He's asking for joint legal custody of their little girl, for the court to award him "separate real and personal property" and for his estranged wife to cover the cost of his legal fees.)
TMZ reported on Aug. 8 that "The Neighborhood" actress Tichina Arnold finally filed to divorce Sacramento Kings basketball coach Rico Hines earlier this month … five and a half years after they split amid a cheating scandal: Back in January 2016, the "Martin" and "Everybody Hates Chris" alum claimed she found a sex tape her husband made with another woman. They tied the knot in 2012.
On the Aug. 9 episode of the "Two Guys From Hollywood" podcast, Duane "Dog the Bounty Hunter" Chapman said that he and his fiancée of more than a year, Francie Frane, are planning to tie the knot on Sept. 2 after selecting a wedding venue earlier in the week. He also admitted that he "felt very bad about even wanting to have someone else" after his fifth wife, Beth Chapman, died in June 2019 following a lengthy battle with cancer. Ultimately, however, he found reassurance through his Christian faith, he said, noting that God "knows we need a companion." On Aug. 10, Dog told Us Weekly that he "knew Francie was the one almost straight away" and that they're "both looking forward to spending the rest of our lives together." A source added that Francie "turned [Dog's] life around" and that they "can't wait to be man and wife." According to the insider, the duo "knew from the start of their relationship it was a special union" and "wanted to marry for a long time" but put their wedding plans on hold because "COVID made things difficult."
"Married at First Sight" couple Jamie Otis and Doug Hehner, who tied the knot in 2014, have hit a rough patch in their relationship. On Aug. 10, the mother of two took to Instagram to share a photo of herself and her husband crying while embracing inside a car. "We're not giving up on each other — not now, not ever. TBH, sitting in the car in a random parking lot crying — like the hard ugly cry with snotty noses and hiccups — was not at all what I intended on sharing today… but here we are," she wrote in the caption, adding that they "just finished a heated call" with their therapist that started with "anger, yelling [and] blaming" but "ended with us holding each other and trying to figure out our next steps TOGETHER." Admitted the reality star, "Right now, I'm fighting for my marriage. For my children. For ME." That same day, Jamie captioned another photo with Doug on the Instagram account they share for their "Hot Marriage. Cool Parents." podcast, "I will always and FOREVER love you, Douglas. You are my rock and my safe place. I'm so glad that you didn't give up on this crazy girl almost 8 years ago!"
TMZ reported on Aug. 9 that Talib Kweli and DJ Eque are in serious disagreement over some very important details in their divorce… She claims they split on July 10, 2020, but he says they've been living separate lives since he moved out of their marital home in Los Angeles on Oct. 20, 2015. (They tied the knot in 2009 and she filed for divorce in February 2021.) According to the rapper, there's been zero contact between them since he moved to New York City six years ago. He alleges his estranged wife is lying about their date of separation to score a better deal when it comes to their division of assets. He also claims that she was aggressive and violent during their marriage, that he allowed her to live rent-free in one of his L.A. homes after their breakup, that he gifted her $30K in profit after he sold said L.A. home and that he continued providing for her financially "exceeding any legal obligation to avoid confrontation." As they hash out the financial details, he's agreed to pay her $2K a month in spousal support.
On Aug. 5, Page Six reported that Mark Ronson and Grace Gummer, who got engaged earlier this year, were set to tie the knot in New York over the weekend of Aug. 7, but so far, there's no evidence of a wedding. It's unclear if the couple managed to keep their nuptials entirely under wraps or if the New York Post's gossip column simply got bad intel. Either way, we'll be keeping an eye on them…
