Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes became linked publicly after starring as romantic partners in The Place Beyond the Pines. Reports of them dating appeared in 2011, and they reunited on screen for Lost River in 2014. Mendes later said they already knew each other before filming, so the movie was a pivotal shared project—not necessarily where they first met.
How their relationship began
Gosling and Mendes played a couple in Derek Cianfrance’s The Place Beyond the Pines. Mendes later recalled that she and Gosling had known each other for a while before they worked together, telling Oprah Magazine, “We had known each other for a while already, so to work together was really exciting.” The Knot’s relationship overview quotes her account.
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Harper’s Bazaar dates their meeting on the film set to August 2011, but that sits uneasily beside Mendes’s recollection. The careful distinction is that they knew each other before filming and the film brought them together as co-stars; the exact circumstances of their first meeting are not clear from the public accounts. Harper’s Bazaar’s timeline covers the film and early public story.
When did Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes start dating?
Press reports placed them together at Disneyland California Adventure in September 2011, followed by additional sightings. Those reports are evidence of when their relationship became a public story, not a direct announcement from the couple confirming a start date. They appeared together at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2012 while promoting The Place Beyond the Pines, but kept a professional demeanor and did not formally confirm their relationship there. Mendes later recalled trying to remain professional despite being in love, as recounted by Harper’s Bazaar.
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From co-stars to collaborators again
In 2014, Mendes acted in Lost River, Gosling’s directorial project. It was their second notable film collaboration, and Gosling later credited Mendes with helping him on the work. The shared screen time in the earlier film therefore became part of a longer creative connection, as well as the backdrop to their relationship. EL PAÍS’s 2024 profile of Mendes discusses her family and work.
What they have said about building a family
Gosling and Mendes have two daughters, born in 2014 and 2016. In comments from a 2023 interview with GQ, reproduced by The Knot, Gosling said, “I wasn’t thinking about kids before I met her, but after I met Eva, I realized that I just didn’t want to have kids without her.” He added that while they were pretending to be a family on The Place Beyond the Pines, he “didn’t really want it to be pretend anymore.” The Knot carries the reported remarks.
Gosling also spoke about his commitment to Mendes in a 2015 interview, saying, “I know that I’m with the person I’m supposed to be with.” Harper’s Bazaar also reported his answer when asked about his ideal woman: “That she’s Eva Mendes. There’s nothing else I’m looking for.” Both remarks are attributed to Gosling in Harper’s Bazaar’s timeline.
Why they keep their family life private
The couple do not make their daughters a regular part of public coverage. Mendes has said protecting them and giving them a relatively normal childhood feels right to the family: “We just want to make sure our kids are protected and have somewhat of a normal kid experience,” she told Oprah Magazine, according to The Knot. Their privacy is a choice they have described themselves, not a reason to infer details about their home life.
Gosling has publicly credited Mendes with supporting his work. During a Golden Globe acceptance speech, he thanked her for taking on family responsibilities while he worked on La La Land, saying, “If she hadn’t taken all that on so that I could have this experience, there would surely be someone else up here other than me. So, sweetheart, thank you.” The Daily Beast’s report gives the surrounding context.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Their recent public appearance
On March 6, 2026, The Daily Beast reported that Gosling brought Mendes onto The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon as a birthday surprise. The outlet described it as their first joint public appearance in more than a decade. Its report provides the recent endpoint in a relationship story the couple have otherwise kept largely out of public view.
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What is—and is not—publicly established
The public record traces a clear arc: a shared film, dating reports, later creative collaboration, a family, and occasional comments about their partnership. It does not establish a reliable wedding date or independently documented ceremony details. Mendes has referred to Gosling as her husband, but that does not resolve when or how they married. “Power couple” is a convenient description of their public profiles, not a label they are known to use for themselves.
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