Here's How Sandra Bullock Met Her Longtime Partner Bryan Randall

Sandra Bullock is mourning the loss of her partner, Bryan Randall, after his tragic passing on August 5, 2023. The 57-year-old photographer passed away after privately battling ALS for three years. On August 7, Randall's family shared a statement with People that read in part: "It is with great sadness that we share that on Aug. 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS. Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request."

The devastating news is heartbreaking to Bullock's millions of fans all over the world. Due to the couple's understandable tendency to keep their private lives private, many folks don't know much about their incredible relationship. As it turns out, though, this couple were together for almost a decade, and they built a beautiful family in that time. While Bullock didn't speak publicly about her relationship and family often, it's easy to see just how happy they both were.

In 2010, Sandra Bullock adopted her son, Louis. She met Bryan Randall when Bullock hired him to photograph Louis' birthday party in 2015. The pair started dating just a few months after they met. They were first seen in public at a high-profile celebrity wedding: Jennifer Anniston and Justin Theroux's nuptials. They were later spotted out in public on a double date with their fellow A-listers. 

For any celeb couple, the red carpet debut is a monumental occasion in a relationship. In October 2015, Bullock and Randall hit the Los Angeles premiere of "Our Brand Is Crisis" hand-in-hand. While the couple kept things relatively low-key, they were seen out together many times over the years. Potential wedding bells were often speculated about, but Bullock always shot those rumors down. 

"I am someone who went through the divorce process," Bullock explained when she appeared on "Red Table Talk" in 2021, referring to her divorce from Jesse James, per People. "I found the love of my life. We share two beautiful children— three children, his older daughter. It's the best thing ever," Bullock added, referring to his adult daughter, Skylar Staten Randall. "I don't wanna say do it like I do it, but I don't need a paper to be a devoted partner and devoted mother."

Sandra Bullock's longtime partner, Bryan Randall, had a close-knit relationship with her children, and it's obvious from how she spoke about their sweet home life that they loved parenting together. Bullock discussed how their unconventional family came to be in her "Red Table Talk" interview. "I had Louis first," she confirmed. "Then when I met [Bryan,] we hadn't been together that long and I said, 'Remember that NDA you signed when you photographed my son? You know that still holds ... because I'm bringing home a child when I come back from Toronto.'" 

She did, indeed, bring home a child: the actor's daughter, Laila. Bullock later described Randall as "very patient. A saint. He has evolved on a level that is not human." In 2022, she told People that she was taking a break from acting to spend more time with her family. "I'm not retiring, just going to not spend time in front of the camera for a while," Bullock clarified. "I have beautiful babies. I'd rather look at them ... I'd rather look at them every day and have them be mad at me and annoyed and make memories with them for right now." 

Despite the hardship her family is currently going through, it's comforting to know that Randall was able to spend time with Bullock and their wonderful kids in his final months.