By Jessica Wedemeyer
8:30am PST, Dec 11, 2020
Wonderwall.com is taking a look back at the stars who found love, suffered heartbreak or experienced some other major event in their love lives in mid-December 2020, starting with this duo… Taylor Swift fans have some theories. Many are convinced that the music star just quietly revealed that she and her long-term boyfriend, Joe Alwyn, are either secretly engaged or already married. On Dec. 2, the newly recorded version of Taylor's hit 2008 single "Love Story" debuted in a hilarious advertisement for Match.com produced by pal Ryan Reynolds. (Watch it here.) The track includes one potentially telling lyric switch-up: In the original version of the song, which ends with Romeo proposing to Juliet, Taylor sings, "It's a love story. Baby, just say, 'Yes.'" In the new version, however, she sings, "It's a love story. Baby just said, 'Yes.'" So does that mean she just accepted a marriage proposal from Joe?! On Dec. 10, Taylor sparked more speculation when she released a photo of herself in a very bridal-inspired dress to promote a new song, "Willow," off her surprise album, "evermore," which dropped on Dec. 11. These are exactly the types of Easter eggs the superstar loves!
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During an interview with "Entertainment Tonight" that hit the Internet on Dec. 4, Shawn Mendes said that he and Camila Cabello "absolutely" discuss the possibility of marriage. He went on to say that if he's "not willing to talk about that stuff," he tends to "check out a little bit" from relationships. "I really think when you know, you know," he said. "She's been one of my best friends since I was, like, 15 years old. … At the same time, I know we are really young, so I don't want to jump, like, insanely fast, but I think when you find your person, you feel and you know that you have found your person." A couple days later, during an appearance on the "Zach Sang Show," Shawn said that he's "always thinking" in terms of whether or not a relationship is "a long-term, forever thing." He added that he and Camila — whom he referred to as his "real partner" and "a partner in crime" — "always talk about that stuff." He also noted that his father refers to the former Fifth Harmony singer as his "daughter-in-law." After that, on the Dec. 7 episode of "The Late Late Show With James Corden," the "Treat You Better" singer said that it took him years to "accept" that he was "completely in love" with Camila — and several more years after that before he "decided to do something about it." Concluded Shawn, "The timing worked out. Look at me now! We're good. Everything's amazing." But that wasn't all he had to say about Camila this week…
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During an interview with "Access Hollywood" that popped up on YouTube on Dec. 3, Shawn Mendes dished further on his recent revelation that long before they took their relationship to the next level, girlfriend Camila Cabello inspired several of his biggest hits. "It takes a lot of courage to tell the woman that you love that you love her. I had five years of fear of getting rejected by her that just stopped me from doing it every time. … It just took a lot. It took a long time of preparing. I mean, I had a five-year warmup to finally be able to tell her how I felt," he said. He went on to recall how Camila inspired his song "Ruin." Dished the singer-songwriter, "I heard through the grapevine that she had feelings for some guy — and I'm talking, like, feelings. They're not a thing. They don't hang out. There's nothing going on. Then I go and write a song that's like, 'Darling, I'm not trying to ruin your happiness, but don't you know that I'm the only one for you?' It's like people are listening to these songs where I'm being so dramatic but it's based off of something I heard that might not even be true."
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Over the summer, there was speculation that Ana de Armas had moved in with her boyfriend of less than a year, Ben Affleck. On Dec. 5, People magazine reported that it's official: The "Knives Out" actress put her Los Angeles home on the market, indicating that she's now living with her beau full-time. "Their relationship continues to be strong," said a source.
Us Weekly reported on Dec. 9 that, according to a source, things between Rihanna and A$AP Rocky "changed over the summer and they finally hooked up." Said the source, "They've been together ever since." The insider noted that the rapper "has been very into Rihanna for years" and "was always the instigator" when it came to taking their relationship to the next level, though she "would brush off his advances and kept him in the friend zone" until earlier this year.
On the Dec. 7 episode of Ryan Seacrest's eponymous radio show, Gwen Stefani gushed that she and longtime love Blake Shelton "are meant to be" — though she also admitted it "feels so weird" to say they're engaged. "It's so funny to even say 'engaged,'" she said. "People have been saying it for so long, like five years, 'Are you getting married? Are you engaged?' And now we actually are and it feels like I'm in a cartoon or something." She went on to say that she and the country crooner will be keeping an eye on how things pan out with the coronavirus pandemic before they start wedding planning. "I would say I just want my parents there at this point," she said. "My parents wouldn't come to Thanksgiving because they're so scared, so really, [I] would rather it not be a COVID situation. Like, I would rather not have masks and that kind of thing. … Even when you cut it down to just family, it's too many people for COVID, so we're sort of going to see what happens in the next few months." On Dec. 6, People magazine reported that, according to a source, it "won't be a long engagement" for Gwen and Blake. "There is a reason why Blake proposed now. They are both ready to get married," said the source, noting that the couple "don't want a huge wedding." Added the insider, "They want their family and close friends to attend and that's it."
On the Dec. 7 episode of Nick Viall's "The Viall Files" podcast, Chrishell Stause called her new boyfriend, "Dancing With the Stars" pro Keo Motsepe, "the best." Although she tried to remain tightlipped about their romance, she revealed that he "pursued" her and that they didn't wait long after making their relationship "official" to share their happy news with the world. "I just want to be careful what I say because obviously I'm excited and everything, but, you know, you don't want to squash something by talking about it," she said, adding that although she's "a hopeless romantic," she doesn't "want to add any pressure" to the situation. "It's already hard enough as it is when something is promising," she said. The "Selling Sunset" star also dished on the rumors she had an affair with her "DWTS" partner, Gleb Savchenko, saying that it was "so stressful" defending herself while also holding her tongue about her burgeoning romance with Keo — she couldn't tell the world she was actually seeing someone else because she and Keo weren't exclusive yet. "You can only say so much. [Gleb and I] both said it's definitely not true, and I kind of knew in the back of my head, 'Time will prove this to be true. I just have to know that.' So it's nice now to feel like the truth has kind of come out." Earlier in the week, during a Dec. 3 Instagram Live, Chrishell admitted that she "had a little bit of a hang-up" over the fact that Keo is eight years her junior: "I was worried because he's younger," she said. "But a lot of guys my age and older still don't want what I am looking for." She also noted that they realized during his 31st birthday in late November, "I don't know how much we can hide this for." She then described herself as "just very smitten."
In other "Dancing With the Stars" romance news… During a Dec. 7 interview with Us Weekly, Sharna Burgess revealed that she's "not on the market anymore." After going on "so many social distancing dates" amid the coronavirus pandemic, she hit it off with a man she met through a mutual friend. The romance is "very new," and she and her mystery man are still just "dating, essentially," though things feel "different" with him already, she said. "No one's calling us a relationship yet," admitted the "Dancing With the Stars" pro before musing, "How funny would it be if I actually found the love of my life during a pandemic?" Aside from that, she hopes to keep the romance private: "I thought that when I met someone, I would be like scream it from the mountain tops," she said. "And it's actually, it's almost the opposite. I want to hold it close to me for just as long as I can to stay in this space and just enjoy that human for as much as I can." Sharna also shed some light on what was really going on with the other man to whom she was linked this year: "Selling Sunset" boss Jason Oppenheim. "A mutual friend set us up. We went on a lunch date, and then we were just friends. We got snapped in a photo and I guess he's been asked in interviews [about our relationship], and it's a very, very funny thing," she said. "[He's a] great guy, but there wasn't that connection there. … I am looking for that soulmate stuff — that thing where that something inside you recognizes that something inside them. But Jason is a very cool human, so we're definitely friends."
During an interview with "Extra" that debuted online on Dec. 4, Porsha Williams said that she and her off-and-on fiancé, Dennis McKinley, have not reconciled following their most recent breakup. "I am single, but I'm not single and mingling. I am not dating," she said, adding that she's "still very close" to her ex, with whom she shares daughter Pilar Jhena. "We are family. He will be here for the holidays," she said.
In other complicated "Housewives" romance news… On the Dec. 4 episode of Wendy Williams' eponymous talk show, Kenya Moore said that she and her estranged husband, Marc Daly, are still working on their relationship as they co-parent their daughter, Brooklyn, more than a year after they separated. "We are trying to navigate this whole thing with us being separated and the fact that we have a young child together. Our priority is always going to be Brooklyn. I put her first, and if that means that we have to celebrate Thanksgiving together or Christmas together or throw her birthday parties together, then that's what it'll be because she is everything to me and I would sacrifice anything for her," said the "Real Housewives of Atlanta" star. "We are constantly evolving. We were headed down the road of divorce. And you'll have to watch the show to figure out where we end up. But with Marc, I'll always have love for him because he gave me the most beautiful gift that anyone could've given me in my entire life — and that's Brooklyn. So I will always have love for him. But we just don't always speak the same language. And I was ready for my new life. … And now he's trying to fight for us to be back together and he wants his family back." Kenya added that she's done fighting: "I'm the prize. If a man doesn't recognize that, then please go to the next woman," she said. The reality star also revealed that she once went out on a date with Kanye West. "That was a disaster," she said, explaining that they "ended up going to his house," where she caught him watching "some very explicit things on TV" after he left her alone for a few minutes. "I was just there for five minutes. He left me alone wandering around his house, and then when I followed the noises, he was watching something on TV that he probably shouldn't have been. So that was my exit. As much as I love him, it was just the craziest thing," she recalled.
In still more complicated "Housewives" romance news… On Dec. 6, Braunwyn Windham-Burke opened up about the state of her marriage to husband Sean Burke amid the recent revelation that she's a lesbian and has a girlfriend. Asked a fan on Instagram, "Are you staying married in a relationship with your husband or moving forward with life?" Replied the mother of seven, "We are trying to do both, he's my best friend and family. We know it might be impossible, but we're going to try and make this 'open' marriage work." Two days later, she wrote alongside a photo with Sean on her Instagram Story, "We're figuring it out."
In even more "Housewives" relationship news… It looks Erika Jayne and Tom Girardi's divorce isn't a sham after all. Us Weekly reported on Dec. 8 that back in late November, Tom filed legal documents asking the court to block Erika's request for spousal support. He's also asking that she pay his attorney's fees.
Miley Cyrus is opening up about her relationship with Liam Hemsworth … again. During an interview with Rolling Stone that hit the Internet on Dec. 4, the singer-actress said of tying the knot in late 2018, "I was playing house, which felt really good at the time. Now I have this healthy perspective that I didn't have before. I learned a lot about what I can and cannot be for someone else and what I can and cannot accept for myself. A couple of years ago, it looked like I was living some fairy tale. It really wasn't." She added of saying "I do" shortly after a wildfire destroyed the home she and Liam shared, "In a way, it did what I couldn't do for myself. It removed me from what no longer was serving its purpose. And then as you drown, you reach for that lifesaver and you want to save yourself. I think that's really what, ultimately, getting married was for me. One last attempt to save myself." Meanwhile, "Entertainment Tonight" reported on Dec. 2 that, according to a source, the Australian actor "isn't upset" about his ex-wife's constant comments about their difficult past. Instead, he's focused on his girlfriend of a year, Gabriella Brooks. "Liam was very hurt when [he and Miley] initially broke up, but he has moved on now and is happy with Gabriella," said the source. "He's very traditional and Gabriella shares the same values as him and gets along with his family. Their relationship is easygoing, and they have similar upbringings and backgrounds."
On Dec. 6, former "Parenthood" star Sarah Ramos took to Instagram to announce that she and "Ingrid Goes West" writer-director Matt Spicer tied the knot at Las Vegas's famed A Little White Wedding Chapel back in October. "Love is a wild thing," she captioned a slideshow of photos from her wedding day, noting that they exchanged vows on Oct. 25.
Off again! During a Dec. 7 interview with Us Weekly, "Southern Charm" star Madison LeCroy revealed that she and off-and-on love Austen Kroll are "not together right now." Said the blonde beauty, "I am 1,000 percent single, and so is he. So, ladies, if you want him, you can have him." Said the reality star of their recent split, "I definitely think that quarantine was either gonna make it or break it [for us], and unfortunately, we did not come out stronger. We weren't even in quarantine together. We did [quarantine together] for a short period of time, and then I think we both realized that maybe there was just too many things that had happened in the past for us to actually play house for 14 days or whatever it was. … Austin took his quarantine a little differently than I did — or, a lot different. I had a lot more time on my hands to kind of see what he does in a day versus what I'm trying to do. So I think we're just on two different wavelengths." Madison went on to say that eventually, she'll be able to "get over" the idea of Austen seeing someone else. "I don't think I will like it, but I know that it's going to happen. I mean, he's got to move on and be happy, and I hope the best for him," she said, adding that she doesn't have much hope that she'll meet someone else amid the coronavirus pandemic. "I don't know how that's going to go with the world the way it is. … We will see if I get out of the house," she said. "But for the rest of the year, I think I'm OK. I don't know, maybe something good happens. I'm not going to rush it. I think when you look for it, it's when you don't find it."
In other "Southern Charm" relationship news… Craig Conover's new girlfriend, Natalie Hegnauer, made her "Southern Charm" debut on Dec. 3. During a confessional on the Bravo show, he gushed of the blonde beauty, "I'm pretty sure I love this girl, and I haven't had this feeling since [my ex] Naomie [Olindo]." During an Instagram Live earlier that day, Craig described Natalie as "super supportive" of his reality TV gig and said that he was excited for her to appear on the show because he "obviously wanted to share her with everyone." He went on to say that they've "been together for a while now, and it's been fun."
Less than a month after Savannah Chrisley left the door open for a possible reconciliation with her ex-fiancé, Nic Kerdiles, he hinted they might be back together already. When she took to Instagram on Dec. 7 to celebrate passing her real estate exam, Nic congratulated her by writing, "So proud of you babe! All of the time and hard work was worth it!" In addition to the term of endearment, the professional hockey player expressed his affection for the "Chrisley Knows Best" star by using a kissy-face emoji. Sure seems like they're back on!
E! News reported on Dec. 3 that, according to a source, Malik Beasley's wife, Montana Yao, "filed for a divorce the day she saw the photos" of the basketball star holding hands with Larsa Pippen. "Montana never cheated, and it's not in her character. She's not dating anybody. She's a family person. She's focusing on taking care of her son with her parents. They are quarantining together. Her son is her first priority," said the source. A day earlier, a second E! News insider said that Larsa and Malik "have been texting for weeks now and had been making several plans to see each other." According to the second source, Larsa knew the Minnesota Timberwolves baller was married but was under the impression that he and Montana "were having issues and ending their marriage." Claimed the insider, "She thought Malik was in the process of ending his marriage and she wasn't doing anything wrong by hanging out with him. … Larsa and Malik are still in touch and are planning to see each other again when the news blows over. … [She] likes the attention and doesn't care how this makes her look." On Dec. 9, Montana took to Instagram to share how things have been going since she filed for divorce: "Things have been pretty rough," she wrote. "I'm pretty confused. There has been no private or public addressing of the situation, nor any type of apology [from Malik]."
During an interview with Us Weekly that debuted online on Dec. 7, Karamo Brown revealed that he briefly dated someone earlier this year following his breakup from longtime love Ian Jordan. "We're no longer talking," he said of his rebound romance. "Dating in COVID is a mess, and so that is done altogether. I'm just back to fully being single." Added the "Queer Eye" star of dating, "I'm a hopeless romantic, and so for me, I'm always about, like, how can I find someone who I can spend my moments and my time with? … You have to just find people who are like-minded [and] on the same page." Karamo went on to call his recent breakup an "adjustment." Said the reality star of his ex, "He's my best friend and someone I love. We just had a moment where … our relationship had to shift." He revealed that while attending couples counseling with Ian, he "was able to take the steps and find clarity [and] find happiness."
On the Dec. 8 episode of Whitney Port's "With Whit" podcast, Tyler Cameron said that while he's not on any dating apps, he'll "send some DMs" to connect with women on social media. "I shoot my shot," he said. "A lot of shots don't get made, but my dad always told me, 'You miss 100% of the shots you don't take,' so I'm gonna shoot. Some of them don't hit, some do, and it is what it is." Continued the Bachelor Nation alum of using Instagram to find dates amid a pandemic, "That's kind of how you can date right now. You can't go out and meet nobody, so it's kind of like, you know, it's a Wednesday at 6 p.m. and I see someone [and say], 'Oh, she's pretty,' and I'll send her a message." Tyler has been linked to a number of beautiful women this year.
In other Bachelor Nation dating news… During a Dec. 3 interview with Us Weekly, Becca Kufrin said her love life is "basically nonexistent at this point" following her recent split from Garrett Yrigoyen. "Going through a breakup in the middle of a pandemic/quarantine has really put a crimp on dating," she said. "I haven't actually dated since my breakup."
In still more Bachelor Nation romance news… During an interview with "Extra" that debuted online on Dec. 2, JoJo Fletcher said that she and Jordan Rodgers will tie the knot in May 2021 whether or not the coronavirus pandemic forces them to cancel their big wedding plans again. "Jordan and I have decided, like, if it's not going to work out to have this huge, extravagant wedding that we really have dreamed up, we'll still do it on our own, together," she said. "We've been engaged — it will be five years by our new wedding day. If we have to push it another year — six years, crazy — we will get married no matter what!" Added the former "The Bachelorette" star, "Who knows what the state of our country and this world will look like, [but] I'm hoping at that point we are able to celebrate."
In more Bachelor Nation wedding news… During a Dec. 3 interview with Us Weekly, Bekah Martinez said that she and her boyfriend, Grayston Leonard, are "having conversations about getting married." Said the reality star, who welcomed a daughter in February 2019 and a son in July 2020, "We want to have, like, a massive wedding and can't really do that right now. … We want to take some time just for us. It has been so much about kids in the past three years. We're like, 'OK, maybe we can make something just about us,' but we want to wait until COVID is over."
In even more Bachelor Nation love news… On the Dec. 4 episode of Scheana Shay's "Scheananigans" podcast, Bachelor Nation's Krystal Nielson said that her estranged husband, Chris Randone, has been surprisingly supportive in the wake of the news that she's expecting a child with another man less than a year after they separated. "He texted me and said he thinks I'm going to become a wonderful mother and he's really, really happy for me and hopes that we can become friends and be there for each other," she said, adding that they're "on really good terms" right now. She went on to say that although she initially planned to reach out to Chris directly to tell him about the pregnancy, she ultimately didn't because, at the time, they were "dealing with some kind of legal stuff" pertaining to their divorce and it didn't "feel right to message him." She later said that when she found out she was pregnant while still legally married to him, it caused "a lot of anxiety and worry."
On Dec. 4, Jake Owen took to Instagram to share a slideshow of photos depicting his late-November proposal to longtime love Erica Hartlein. He also shed some light on how exactly he popped the question in a Nashville Christmas tree lot: "5 years ago we went and got our first Christmas Tree together…. at this same spot.. This year, I asked her if she'd like to get Christmas Trees every year for the rest of our lives. Our [daughter] Paris was there to witness the complete surprise. So much of a surprise, Erica didn't have her nails done.. (yes, I now know that's [a] big deal I guess) She said yes in the sprinkle of a Nashville snow, and we celebrated by going to her favorite restaurant [Chick-fil-A for takeout]. She was successful not getting Polynesian Sauce on that bling. Life is good. I love you @ericahartlein," he wrote.
In a Dec. 7 promo for "The Challenge: Double Agents," which filmed over the summer, MTV star Chris "CT" Tamburello revealed that he and his wife of two years, Lilianet Solares, briefly separated earlier this year. "The last few seasons I wasn't in the best place mentally. Marriage was not going well," he said. "We're separated, and I feel like I've been running from problems for a long time, and I feel like they finally caught up with me. I couldn't lie to myself anymore." CT and Lili have apparently reconciled since then. In late November, the reality star captioned a smiley photo of his missus, "Six years later… still thinks I'm funny."
Former "The Bachelorette" couple Ryan Sutter and Trista Sutter took to Instagram on Dec. 6 to mark their 17th wedding anniversary. "More handsome today than he was on this day 17 years ago, but not only because I see him through the eyes of the mother of his children. Because he continually works to better himself…and us. Because he is the most humble, hard-working, generous, sincere, kind-hearted human with the biggest heart and even bigger muscles. Because his bravery and resilience is something I personally strive for. And that smile and those eyes. I mean… they pretty much slay me. Happy anniversary, Mr. Sutter and thank you for giving me the best years of my life. HIF. #mylove #mybestfriend #myhero #mydreamcometrue #happyanniversary," the mother of two captioned a black-and-white photo of her hubby. Ryan, meanwhile, captioned a photo of his wife, "Thank You. For 17 years you've been there for me. Through good times and bad, sickness and health, blue skies and rain. You've stood by me through difficult times, supported me through change and sympathized with me through struggle. You've shown me grace and taught me gratitude. You challenge me and inspire me. You exemplify love and are a wonderful mother. You are my light, my reason and my hero. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me and the love of my life. Thank you. I love you. Happy Anniversary Mrs. Sutter… #love." Tristan and Ryan's anniversary comes amid his recent struggle with a mystery illness.
During an interview with The Daily Beast that debuted online on Dec. 4, Sienna Miller called the summer of 2005 — when her then-fiancé, Jude Law, was caught cheating on her with his children's nanny — "one of the most challenging moments I hope I'll ever have to experience." At the time, the then-23-year-old actress was starring in a buzzy production of Shakespeare's "As You Like It" in London's West End. "With that level of public heartbreak, to have to get out of a bed let alone stand in front of 800 people every night, it's just the last thing you want to do. … It was really hard," she recalled, adding that her situation was made worse by the fact that the paparazzi "knew where I would be every night." She's since blacked out "a whole six weeks of that experience." Said Sienna, "I have no recollection of it. People who came to see me said we had dinner, and I don't remember. I was in so much shock over it all. … But if you get through that, you feel like you can get through anything."
