Weird Things About Sydney Sweeney & Jonathan Davino's Relationship

Sydney Sweeney is pretty secretive about her relationship with Jonathan Davino, but that's not the only weird aspect of their romance. From rarely being seen in public with him to having a pretty big age gap, not to mention intentionally stoking rumors of a romance with Glen Powell, Sweeney has proved she is in no ordinary relationship. But while the "Euphoria" star prefers not to disclose much information about Davino, she's shown she's serious about him.

Sweeney and Davino reportedly started dating in 2017, around the time she just turned 20. Apparently, she had no interest in playing the field before settling down. In February 2022, Sweeney sparked engagement rumors when she was spotted with a rock on her finger, and People confirmed the news the following month. Sweeney never publicly acknowledged the engagement until March 2024 when she referred to Davino as her fiancé while hosting "Saturday Night Live."

The "Immaculate" star has also been open about wanting to be a mom, noting that she hopes to fulfill that dream sooner rather than later. "I want to have a family, I've always wanted to be a young mom," she told The Hollywood Reporter in July 2022. Although she worries that the industry might not be receptive to her decision to have children at such a young age. Sweeney wants to be a successful actor and producer and also lead a normal life. Many of the strange aspects of her relationship seem to stem to from this duality.

Sydney Sweeney and Jonathan Davino have a pretty big age gap. In December 2023, she confirmed he was 38 in an interview with Glamour U.K. She had just turned 26 that September, making Davino 12 to 13 years older than her. While an older man in a relationship with a much younger woman is nothing new in showbiz, Sweeney and Davino have drawn criticism online for their age difference. At the time of the interview, she had been with Davino for six years, meaning they met around 2017.

By that math, Sweeney was either 19 or had recently turned 20 while Davino was already in his 30s, which didn't sit well with online commenters. "I wouldn't have cared much if they started dating if her age was 28 or something but she was like 19 so that's [sic] makes it creepy," one Reddit user wrote below a photo of the couple. That sentiment was echoed throughout the discussion. "It looks like dad and daughter out for some family bonding time ick," another user shared.

Sweeney hasn't commented on the age gap, which seemingly hasn't had an impact on the couple. On the other hand, she had plenty to say about the media's coverage of their relationship. "What I've noticed about the idea of celebrity is people really love to build someone up, and then tear them down," she told Glamour U.K. 

Sydney Sweeney and Glen Powell's onscreen chemistry on "Anyone but You" was so strong that movie buffs had a hard time believing their romance wasn't real. The actors themselves are partly to blame for that. In an April 2024 interview with The New York Times, Powell hinted that Sweeney fueled the rumors because it was good for publicity. "That's people wanting what's on the screen off the screen, and sometimes you just have to lean into it a bit — and it worked wonderfully. Sydney is very smart," Powell said.

Sweeney didn't go so far as to admit she promoted the rumors, but she had previously said she wasn't exactly anxious to squash them either. "They want it," she told Variety in August 2023. "It's fun to give it to 'em." But as Glen Powell slammed the Sydney Sweeney cheating rumors, he also revealed how the drama weighed on him. "It felt disorienting and unfair," he told Men's Health in November 2023. "But what I'm realizing now is that's just a part of this gig now."

Sweeney also denied having an affair with Powell in her "Saturday Night Live" monologue in March 2024. "That's obviously not true," she said, pointing out she was still going strong with Davino. Plus, he literally worked on the film. "Me and my fiancé produced the movie together and he was there the entire shoot," she said.

A year after news of her engagement broke, Sydney Sweeney didn't seem eager to walk down the aisle. "I'd be crazy if I had a kid or got married before I'm 30," she said in the December 2023 Glamour U.K. interview. That same month, she confirmed again that she was in no rush to wed because she was focused on her career. "I am so busy working! I'm a workaholic and I love it, I love it," she told ET.

But Sweeney won't say no to wedding bells if the right opportunity arises. While she's a planner, "The Handmaid's Tale" actor knows some things in life are beyond her control. "I've gotten to that point where I think that whenever it's going to happen, it's supposed to happen. It's like that one thing in life that maybe you can't plan — the perfect timing," she told Glamour.

However, Sweeney was spotted seemingly shopping at a bridal store in April 2024, E! News reported. Not only that, she walked out holding a long bag that conspicuously resembled those used to carry dresses. Not very many people we know purchase bridal gowns years in advance, but maybe Sweeney does. After all, she has been planning her dream wedding since she was a little girl. "I started making [a Pinterest board] when I was like 10," she said in the Glamour interview. Or maybe she was shopping for someone else. Who knows?

Despite Sydney Sweeney and Jonathan Davino dating for years, but the public had little evidence of the relationship. The couple was first seen together in September 2018, when Davino was Sweeney's plus-one at Hulu's Emmys party at NoMad Hotel in Los Angeles. A month later, they attended the InStyle and Kate Spade dinner, confirming Sweeney had a special person in her life. However, it would be another year before the two were seen together again.

The pair's next outing came in October 2019 when they sat courtside at a New York Knicks game. Another year would go by before they gave the public another glimpse of their relationship, but this time they went all out. In November 2020, Sweeney and Davino packed on the PDA during a Hawaiian getaway. Their public outings seemed to increase after they became engaged. Throughout 2023, they were seen grabbing dinner in New York City, attending the Cannes Film Festival, and the Venice Film Festival.

The outings continued into 2024, with strolls through the Big Apple proving to be a mainstay of their romance. But Sweeney still prefers to keep her relationship private. She won't even post Davino to Instagram because she wants to keep her personal moments to herself. "Because they're mine," she told Who What Wear in March 2024. "I signed up to be an actress so I could give people characters and stories. I didn't sign up to give them Sydney Sweeney." 

Jonathan Davino has many attributes and being a regular guy is one of them. Sydney Sweeney would probably not have given him the time of day had he been famous. "I don't date people in the spotlight. I don't date actors or musicians or anyone in entertainment," she told Cosmopolitan in 2022. That's the type of relationship she needs to flourish. "Because I can just be normal Syd that way and it's easiest," she said.

This arrangement also avoids potential resentment about what Sweeney does for a living. "I have people who will battle for me and allow me to be on the pedestal and shine without making me feel like, Oh no, I'm shining too bright and I need to step back," she added. Sweeney attributes the success of her relationship to the relative anonymity of her partner. "I've been in a steady relationship for a really long time, which is not normal in this industry and not normal for my age," she told Glamour U.K.

In the Cosmopolitan interview, Sweeney said she values friendship in her relationships above all else. "I need to be able to be with someone who I can literally hang out with 24/7," she said. She seemingly found that in Davino. She feels so comfortable around him that she had no hesitations about bringing him into her production venture. "I mean, who doesn't want to be with their best friend all the time?" she told Glamour.