Strange Things About Ryan Gosling And Eva Mendes' Relationship

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes may be famously private about their relationship, but they haven't been able to keep some of the strange aspects of their shared life under wraps. They do a pretty good job, though. Mendes and Gosling managed to became parents without ever announcing the pregnancy. Mendes went to great lengths to hide her pregnancy up until she gave birth to Esmeralda on September 12, 2014. She couldn't keep the rumors from surfacing, though. 

And then they did it again in 2016, when Mendes fell pregnant with their second daughter. This time around, she managed to keep it a secret for longer, with the press becoming suspicious just two weeks before she gave birth to Amada on April 29, 2016. Gosling and Mendes' need for privacy may seen strange to some, but they have their reasons. Above all, the couple wants to protect their children. Mendes even keeps her daughters from learning too much about her acting career. "The way I keep it normal is by not letting them see me in these situations. I'm just Mom," she told Women's Health in 2019.

Gosling and Mendes even left Hollywood behind in an effort to give Esmeralda and Amada a more grounding experience somewhere north of Los Angeles. "They didn't want the girls to grow up around other celebrity kids," a source told People in March 2024. But Mendes and Gosling's intense attempts to stay away from the public eye have given their relationship a sometimes weird vibe. 

Secret weddings are commonplace in Hollywood, but Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes really know how to play the game. In fact, we still can't say for sure whether they're legally married. Marriage rumors have been around since 2016, when Us Weekly reported they had secretly exchanged wedding vows early that year. Reps for the couple denied the report, though. Speculation picked up again in 2022 and this time around, Mendes was the one who sparked it.

When Mendes reflected about the ever hotter autumns by cupping a flower in her left hand on Instagram that September, her fans showed a lot more interest in her wrist, which featured a tattoo of the words "de Gosling." In Hispanic countries, it is customary for women to add their husband's last name preceded by the preposition "de," Spanish for "of." The following November, she shared a photo that put the tattoo front and center.

Later that November, Mendes seemingly confirmed she and Gosling were indeed married. "Everyone is so welcoming here and my husband Ryan is here and we are having the best time," she said on Australia's Channel Nine's "Today" show. And she also suggested they had been for some time when the hosts of Australia's "Kyle & Jackie O Show" asked her about the rumors she and Gosling had recently tied the knot. "But who says we weren't already?" she teased. Mendes has sported the tattoo since at least 2020, after all. 

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes avoid the cameras at all costs, even if that means they can't attend events together. Since they've been together, Gosling has been nominated for a series of big awards. But Mendes is notoriously never by his side. In March, Gosling's 2024 Oscars dates — where he was up for best supporting actor for "Barbie" — were his sister, mother, and stepfather, seen above. But those who know the couple shouldn't be surprised.

Mendes has been open about their decision to keep work separate from their personal life. In 2023, she told an Instagram fan, who said was looking forward to seeing her on the "Barbie" press tour, that she had no plans to accompany Gosling. "We don't do those things together," she commented on a clip of her and Gosling in "The Place Beyond the Pines." "Like these photos I've been posing Im only comfortable posting because it's already out there."

In addition to trying to protect her family's privacy, Mendes also reportedly just doesn't enjoy star-studded events at this point. "She's moved past that part of her life for now — the glam and the red carpet and the photographers," a source told People in March. "It's just not important to her. She knows that it's part of Ryan's job but it's not part of hers at the moment." To date, Mendes and Gosling have only attended events together for "The Place Beyond the Pines."

Red carpet events aren't the only places Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes seem to avoid. The private couple is rarely together anywhere. In 2017, they were captured holding hands as they walked into an after-party (seen above) following Gosling's "Saturday Night Live" appearance that September. And just a month earlier, they were also seen enjoying themselves at Disneyland, where they were first photographed after sparking relationship rumors back in 2011.

But those glimpses are rare. For the most part, the private pair prefers to stay in. "What people don't know about me is that I love being home," she told Shape in 2017. Gosling apparently does, too. While date nights do happen occasionally, they seem to lean more toward day fun. "[They] prefer hikes and trips to the beach over fancy restaurants or a big party," a source told Us Weekly. And instead of going out, the couple is said to prefer a cozy night in. "Ryan loves to cook for Eva, and once the kids are asleep, they'll enjoy one of their favorite shows together," the insider shared.

Mendes has previously boasted about Gosling's skills in the kitchen. "Ryan's the cook. He's an incredible cook," she told People in 2022. She also revealed he does most of the cooking in the Mendes-Gosling household, while she takes on cleaning duties. "I think that there's a really nice balance to 'you cook, I clean.' And it just works for us," she added.

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes have a bigger age gap than many might realize. Mendes was born on March 5, 1974, which means she was 6 going on 7 when Gosling was born on November 12, 1980. While considerable, it's unlikely the age gap was ever an issue in their relationship. To Gosling, Mendes has always been the perfect woman for him. "I know that I'm with the person I'm supposed to be with ... There's nothing else I'm looking for," he told Hello! in 2015.

Gosling is also no stranger to dating women who are older than him. In fact, Mendes isn't the oldest partner he's ever had. Between 2002 and 2003, Gosling was in a relationship with Sandra Bullock, who is 16 years his senior. Gosling and Bullock had quite the age gap, but it seemingly played no part in the demise of the romance. Instead, Gosling's split from Bullock had a different culprit. "Showbusiness is the bad guy. When both people are in show business it's too much showbusiness. It takes all of the light, so nothing else can grow," he told The Times (via Us Weekly) in 2011.

Gosling's only other confirmed girlfriend, his "Notebook" co-star Rachel McAdams, was actually also older than him. But the age gap wasn't as significant. Born on November 17, 1978, McAdams is almost exactly two years older than him. Gosling's breakup with McAdams was similarly amicable. "I had two of the greatest girlfriends of all time," he said.