Strange Things About Adele And Rich Paul's Relationship

Adele has built a multi-million dollar career in the music industry out of her experiences with heartbreak. "Divorce, babe, divorce," she famously said discussing her album "30." The Grammy award-winning singer became famous with her knack for writing relatable, heartwrenching ballads, but you can probably expect her musical narrative to take a chirpier turn now that she's with Rich Paul, who she says is the best thing to ever happen in her life.

Adele has been smitten with Paul, the hotshot sports agent managing the careers of NBA greats like LeBron James and Anthony Davis, since 2021. She gushes over him at every chance and isn't shy to admit she's a bit obsessed with her beau. In an interview with Rolling Stone, the crooner notably described their relationship as the most "incredible, openhearted and easiest" one she's ever experienced, a far cry from her past romances. Paul's no different than her, as it turns out, as he's just as taken with the star. "I'm in a good space, we're in a good space. Happy. She's superb," he told Gayle King in a "CBS Mornings" interview. "She's been great for me. We've been great for each other."

But while it appears that their relationship is virtually indestructible, some things about them warrant a double take. They may seem all lovey-dovey, but they may not be as perfect as they make it out to be if you look beyond the scenes.

You would know you've got a good one if your friends approve of your partner, but if the grapevine is to be believed, Rich Paul did not pass the vibe check among Adele's close circle. Her pals are reportedly privy to the fact that Adele is head over heels in love with Paul, but they can't help but think that he's just using her for her superstardom and will eventually break her heart just like her exes did.

"The worry is he's using Adele to boost his Hollywood profile and it'll all end in tears once he's gotten bored with her," a source told Radar. Her friends are also reportedly side-eyeing the fact that Paul preferred to have a lowkey status before he dated Adele, but now that the pair are officially an item, they think that he's riding her coattails for relevancy. "Before they went public, hardly anyone had heard of the guy. Now he's front and center at all the big events, soaking up the limelight and encouraging her to get out there and party alongside him," the insider added.

Take this with a grain of salt, of course, especially since Adele seems to be in her happiest state with Paul. "It'd be interesting to see what my reaction is like in general to anything that hurts me now that I feel so secure in myself, and I'm talking outside of romance as well," she told Oprah in her "One Night Only" CBS Special. 

In January 2022, Adele drew ire from fans when she canceled her Las Vegas residency only a day before it was set to commence, citing pandemic-related delays as the key reason. However, according to sources familiar with the situation backstage, the cancelation was partly caused by Adele's long-distance fights with Rich Paul.

An insider told Page Six that the singer was practically glued to her phone and engaged in heated arguments with Paul. Adding to that, Las Vegas-based journalist Scott Roeben claimed Adele couldn't bring herself to the right headspace to perform because of the supposed fights. "There are rumblings that there are stresses related to Adele's relationship. I'm told that these stresses caused her to be in a place where she was just not confident moving forward," he dished.

Paul was also nowhere near Sin City at the time, raising suspicions that their relationship had indeed been on shaky ground. "She and Rich had been fighting, and their relationship was volatile before she canceled her dates," said another source to Page Six. "Adele is very emotional and dramatic. He's an NBA guy who has to go on the road — they are very different — and they hit a rough patch." But the singer rebuked these insinuations months later, telling Elle that the cancelation was brought about by lack of preparation. "It was the worst moment in my career, by far," she admitted. "There was just no soul in it... It was very disconnected from me and my band, and it lacked intimacy."              

Adele's much-awaited Las Vegas residency eventually kicked off in November 2022, and midway through, the "Hello" singer shocked fans when she referred to Rich Paul as her husband. It appears that the two are back on and better than ever. But did they marry in secret? In a September 2023 show, Adele sparked speculations after a fan jokingly asked for her hand in marriage. "You can't marry me. I'm straight, my love," she quipped. "And my husband's here tonight."

Are congratulations in order? Well, not quite. Neither can give a straight answer on whether they eloped. Adele fueled the rumors further by posting a photo of her holding a copy of Paul's memoir with a massive diamond ring on her finger, while Paul couldn't give Gayle King a straightforward response during his interview. "I'm just not the type of person to put my personal life — it's not for the media," he said, the best response he could come up with. "It's not for paparazzi. It's for us."

It wouldn't come as a surprise if they did get married on the down low, since they already share a home, and Adele had long expressed her desire to have more children. "I definitely want more kids," she told Elle. "I'm a homemaker and I'm a matriarch, and a stable life helps me with my music." Plus, she considers them already hitched anyway. "I'm just in loooove! I'm happy as I'll ever be. I might as well be married."