Robert Pattinson and Suki Waterhouse have spent most of their relationship fiercely guarding it, and yet somehow the public has watched nearly every chapter unfold anyway. A kiss caught outside a cinema in 2018 turned into a private, low-key partnership that lasted years before either of them said much about it out loud, engagement rumors, a baby, a rare red carpet appearance, and a running joke about “Daddy Batman.” Whether they’re actually married at this point remains one of the few things the two have managed to keep entirely to themselves.
Below, we trace their story from that first blurry photo in London to the family they’ve quietly built since.
Photo: 1 – Aeon/Getty Images
July 2018: First Sighting
Robert and Suki were first linked on July 30, when E! obtained photos of the two kissing on a London street.
August 2018: "Casually Dating"
A source told E! the couple was keeping things casual. Pattinson had only recently come out of a three-year relationship, and, per the insider, “he isn’t looking for anything serious right now.”
January 2019: Birthdays and Hand-Holding
April 2019: Robert Acknowledges the Relationship, Reluctantly
Asked about Waterhouse by The Sunday Times, Pattinson’s first response was, “Do I have to?” He went on to explain his resistance to discussing his personal life at all. “If you let people in, it devalues what love is,” he said. “If a stranger on the street asked you about your relationship, you’d think it extremely rude. If you put up a wall, it ends up better.” It marked the first time he’d referenced Waterhouse publicly at all.
September 2019: Ibiza
Photographer Sofia Malamute shared a photo of the couple cuddled together in early September, captioned simply, “Ibiza, 2019.”
Photo: Sofia Malamute
January 2020: Engagement Rumors Begin
Waterhouse was spotted wearing a gold band during a Dior dinner party in Paris, immediately sparking engagement speculation. Neither she nor Pattinson confirmed or denied it.
May 2020: Quarantining Together
Pattinson all but confirmed he was isolating with Waterhouse in a GQ June cover story, revealing he’d been sequestered “with his girlfriend” in the London apartment rented for him during a pause in Batman production.
April 2021: A Photo in the Background
Photo: Courtesy of Suki Waterhouse
February 2022: Opening Up During the Batman Press Tour
Pattinson gave two rare glimpses into life with Waterhouse. In GQ, he explained why he’d changed the location of the interview from the London Zoo to Holland Park. “I was talking to my girlfriend last night and she was like, ‘You know, people don’t really like zoos.’
On Jimmy Kimmel Live!, he described watching The Batman for the first time with her and how her reaction changed his own feelings about the film. “I’m pretty sure she’s not normally into watching superhero movies,” he said. “And just seeing that it was capturing her attention the entire time, and then she held my hand and touched it to her face and I could feel a little tear. And I was like, ‘No way!'”
December 2022: The Red Carpet Debut
Photo: Stephane Cardinale Corbis/Getty Images
February 2023: Opening Up in The Times
Waterhouse spoke more candidly than ever in a profile with The Times, revealing that she and Pattinson live together in London and rarely spend long apart. “I’m shocked that I’m so happy with someone for nearly five years,” she said, adding that the spark hasn’t faded. “I’m always incredibly excited when I see his name pop up on my phone or even a text, and I think he feels the same about me. We’ve always got so much to say, and I find him hilarious.”
May 2023: The Met Gala Debut
The couple posed together on the red carpet at the Met Gala for the first time.
Photo: Cindy Ord/MG23/Getty Images
December 2023: Engagement Rumors & Pregnancy
Waterhouse was photographed wearing a toi et moi diamond ring on her left hand, reigniting engagement speculation. Around the same time, she began sharing photos revealing her pregnancy, including a series of vacation shots showing off her growing belly.
Photo: Courtesy of Suki Waterhouse
April 2024: Welcome to the World
Waterhouse shared the first photo of her and Pattinson’s baby on Instagram, keeping details like the baby’s name and sex private. “Welcome to the world angel,” she wrote.
Photo: Courtesy of Suki Waterhouse
June 2024: Opening Up About Fatherhood
At the Dior Homme Menswear show in Paris, Pattinson spoke publicly about fatherhood for the first time. “It makes you feel very old and very young,” he said. “She’s so cute. And you know, I’m amazed by how quickly their personality comes. So even at three months, I’m like, ‘Oh, I can kinda see who she is already.'” He mentioned he’d only planned to stay in Paris one day before heading home to his family.
July 2024: How They Actually Met
In a British Vogue cover story, Waterhouse revealed that she and Pattinson had actually met six years earlier at a games night in L.A., “one of the things people do here to congregate.” “I was sure that I’d met him a long time ago, but he didn’t think that we had,” she said. The two didn’t exchange numbers that night, but ran into each other again nearly a year later. The rest, as she put it, is history.
She also opened up about planning their pregnancy. “One day we looked at each other and said, ‘Well, this is as ready as we’re going to be.'” Pattinson made her a rap playlist for the birth. “He was there with me and like all dads, he was really nervous, but for someone who’s quite an anxious person, he’s been very calm,” she said. “He’s the dad I could have hoped for. I mean a dad and his daughter? It’s an actual love story.”
May 2025: A Different Kind of Energy
At Cannes, promoting Die, My Love, Pattinson made a rare comment about fatherhood on the red carpet. “I think, in the most unexpected ways, having a baby gives you the biggest trove of energy and inspiration afterward. It’s a different kind of energy.”
November 2025: A Rare Red Carpet Together
Waterhouse joined Pattinson at the New York premiere of Die My Love on November 1, one of the few public appearances the two have made together since becoming parents.
Photo: Kristina Bumphrey/Getty Images
January 2026: Not the Biggest Fan of Kids, Until He Was
In a GQ interview, Pattinson admitted that before fatherhood, “I wasn’t the biggest fan of kids. I didn’t mind them. I would tolerate them.” Now, he says, being with his daughter is “the most fun thing. I think it’s absolutely wonderful.” He also described the physical toll of being away from her. “Even if you’re on the other side of the planet, you’re like, ‘Okay, I cannot spend more than 10 days away.’ After 10 days of being away, it’s physical pain. It’s so interesting, your body chemistry changes without you even thinking about it.”
March 2026: A Night at Vanity Fair
The couple attended the 2026 Vanity Fair Oscars after-party on March 15, Waterhouse in an ivory Tamara Ralph gown with an ornate gold bodice and sheer cape, Pattinson keeping it classic in a black Dior tuxedo.
May 2026: Talk of a Bigger Family
In a Variety interview, Waterhouse hinted that she and Pattinson are open to more children down the line. “I feel like I’m in it for the long run,” she said. “I just want to keep creating, really, and maybe have a larger family, like max two more kids. That would be cool.”
July 2026: A Song Called "Weirdo"
Waterhouse told Rolling Stone that her new song “Weirdo” was inspired by Pattinson, touching on the difficulty of balancing two demanding careers and the distance that comes with it.
Later that month, on the And the Writer Is… podcast, she gave a glimpse into family life, revealing their daughter has fully embraced Pattinson’s latest role. “She calls him ‘Daddy Batman’ now because he’s always dressed up like that now for the next seven months whenever he’s on FaceTime.”
