From flirting to love: five actresses who met their partners online

Would you classify yourself as a film fan? In the UK alone, cinemas sold 117 million tickets last year, so this is a hugely popular leisure activity. If you’re single, do you ever look at the stars on the big screen and wonder what their lives are like away from the cameras? Here’s another fact that might surprise you – online dating is growing in popularity among today’s movie stars. So how has his situation developed? And which screen icons first met their partners after flirting online or on a dating site?

The role of online presence in modern dating

So, why would celebrities feel obliged to give up on the traditional matchmaking routes –after all, these have served Hollywood’s star actors and actresses for decades. The easy answer to that is to compare the two scenarios. Offline, these individuals are often invited to red-carpet events during movie launches or film festivals. Award shows will allow a range of people to congregate. After-show parties will be a ‘who’s who’ of famous faces. But, the downside of these get-togethers is that gossip columnists and paparazzi are always on the prowl, checking out who is getting up close and personal with which co-stars. Which screen couples seem less amorous towards each other? More and more stars are choosing to flirt on various online platforms like Twitter or Instagram and some even join dating services to take advantage of discreet opportunities for free flirting. These sites are platforms where they can get to know a cross-section of other singles, away from the pressures of constantly being in the limelight. Downloadable app versions make it easy to connect with other members, and stoke a sense of chemistry, no matter where they happen to be filming, rehearsing, or just generally relaxing. So, which celeb couples have done just that?

Movie stars who found relationships on the internet

Mandy Moore and Taylor Goldsmith

New Hampshire-born Moore initially found fame as a singer, her debut single ‘Candy’ entering the Billboard Hot 100 upon its release in 1999. Perhaps her next step in her meteoric rise was taking advice about forging a career in the movie industry. Since then, she has been featured in several acclaimed films, including A Walk to Remember, Racing Stripes, and Midway. She was also the voice of Rapunzel in the hit Disney animated musical, Tangled. Guitarist and songwriter, Goldsmith, has played in post-punk and folk-rock bands, some of his music being likened to US folk-rock legends, Crosby, Stills, and Nash. Like so many modern couples, they met online – after swapping DMs on Instagram.

Priyanka Chopra and Nick Jonas

Indian actress and film producer Chopra, one of her country’s highest-paid celebs, has been listed in Forbes amongst the 2100 most influential people in the world. Nick, the youngest of the Jonas Brothers met Chopra after sliding in her Twitter DMs.

Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas

Turner, from Northampton, England, shot to fame (and Emmy Awards) for her portrayal of a victimised princess in Game of Thrones. She has honed her acting skills in a range of titles, such as the psychological thriller, Another Me. Joe Jonas achieved celebrity status as a member of the sibling trio, Jonas Brothers, who figured prominently on the Disney Channel. The power couple got together via (you’ve guessed it!) DMs on Instagram got married, and now have two daughters.

Sarah Paulson and Holland Taylor

Paulson has received numerous accolades for her performances and was a stalwart of the ensemble cast appearing in American Horror Story. Taylor, 32 years her senior, has been a successful actress since appearing in Broadway shows from the 1960s onwards. Although their paths did cross in various settings, including Hollywood parties (once prompting Paulson to describe Taylor as the most exquisitely beautiful woman she’d ever seen), the couple didn’t connect emotionally until doing so via social media in the 2010s.

Laverne Cox and Kyle Draper

Alabama-born Cox gained plaudits (and a Primetime Emmy Award nomination) for becoming the first trans person to be recognised in this way. Draper has been a TV broadcast professional for over two decades. They got to know each other on a dating app, and as Cox described this, “It’s really dumb luck that we met and clicked.” Dumb luck, but statistically, given the thousands of singles who use dating apps successfully every day, no surprise!