A Timeline Of Sandra Bullock And Bryan Randall's Relationship

It's hard not to love Sandra Bullock, the super talented movie star who always comes off as relatable despite her A-list status. The Arlington, Virginia, native has had a successful career in Hollywood as both an actor and producer, that has spanned almost four decades. Yet, Bullock has managed to keep most of her personal life pretty private over the years, even though she's dated a slew of famous men, including Matthew McConaughey and Ryan Gosling. Her marriage to former "Monster Garage" host, Jesse James, unfortunately did make its fair share of headlines in 2010, though, after he infamously cheated on her with several women.

Bullock was apparently done with dating fellow celebrities after that: Five years later, she moved on with Bryan Randall, a photographer from Portland, Oregon. While Randall did once work as a high-end model, he was seemingly living a low-key life behind the camera. He appeared to be the perfect fit for Bullock, who once explained in a 1999 interview republished in 2013 by Entertainment Tonight that she was looking for authenticity in a partner. "Somebody you can admire and be proud of and sit back and go, 'This is my man.' Whether or not he's a millionaire or ... somebody who just shucks clams," she said.

Bullock seemed to find all of that in Randall. The two were together for eight years, up until his shocking death in 2023. So let's dive into a timeline of their love story.

Sandra Bullock's son, Louis, brought her and Bryan Randall together in a way, seeing as the couple met at his fifth birthday party in January 2015. Bullock had hired Randall to photograph the event, and they apparently hit it off. The "Bird Box" star reflected on that time on "Red Table Talk," discussing how she was in the process of adopting her daughter, Laila, when she and Randall began dating. "We hadn't been together that long and I go, 'Remember that NDA you signed when you photographed my son? ... His whole life had been unraveled because of me ... I said, 'You know that still holds ... because I'm bringing a child home,'" she recalled.

While things seemed to move quickly for Bullock and Randall, they weren't linked until they attended Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux's wedding together that August. Not much was known about Randall then, other than that he was a photographer who was more than just her date — was also her new boyfriend. As a source put it to Us Weekly, "[H]e's super hot but also super normal. She's clearly happy with him."

The twosome continued to fuel rumors they were an item when photos surfaced of them "walking arm in arm" in Los Angeles, and later spotted out on a double date at a restaurant with Aniston and Theroux. A witness told People, "They seemed to know each other very well, and seemed quite close."

For Sandra Bullock, involving Bryan Randall in her work life didn't take long. The couple made their red carpet debut in October 2015, attending the premiere of her film "Our Brand Is Crisis," and were even photographed holding hands. This seemed to indicate that Bullock was serious about their relationship because she tended to keep most of her romances out of the spotlight. Randall later joined her at the 2018 London premiere of "Ocean's Eight" too, which proved he didn't mind showing his girlfriend support, either. 

Yet, Randall did more than just support Bullock's work. He was actively part of it at one point, too, photographing her and her children, Louis and Laila, for a 2015 cover of People magazine. The publication was doing a feature on Bullock's family because she had just adopted Laila. "My family is blended and diverse, nutty, and loving and understanding. That's a family," she said.

It seems Randall became a key part of Bullock's family soon after, especially considering that she was pleased with how he handled the delicate situation of taking photos of her kids. "He's a patient photographer who was working with three subjects who hate the camera," she later told InStyle in 2018. She added, "Plus, I had to figure out how to hide the kids' faces because there was a bounty on our heads."

By July 2016, it was obvious that Sandra Bullock had found love with Bryan Randall, so much so that there were rumors the couple was engaged. By that point, they had been dating for about a year, and appeared to be spending a lot of time together. For example, in November 2015, Randall even accompanied Bullock on a trip to New York, where they were spotted going on romantic strolls and dates.

Later in June 2016, E! News reported that the lovebirds wanted a future together, even if there weren't wedding plans just yet. An insider revealed, "Sandra is the happiest she has ever been." However, that summer, it was still widely reported that Randall had popped the question. Bullock commented on the rumors through her representative, who told People, "Sandra Bullock is not engaged, and there is no wedding. There's no truth at all in those rumors."

What was true, though, was that Bullock and Randall were pretty serious about each other. A source explained to E! News. "They are pretty much married the way they act around each other and the amount of time they share with one another." Yet, that particular insider didn't rule out the possibility of marriage entirely, either, adding: "Marriage will come with time, but if they do get married, it will be private and under the radar. That's just the kind of couple they are."

Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall may not have been pronounced husband and wife in 2016, but Randall did take on another role for Bullock and her two children. In 2017, a friend of the couple told Us Weekly, "Bryan has fully stepped up and embraced the dad role," adding, "He is 100% there for Louis and Laila and wonderful with them in every way." Months later, Randall showed that off when they were spotted enjoying Disneyland together, and Randall was seen carrying one of the kids on his shoulders.

Just months later, Bullock also revealed to InStyle that her children were very taken with her boyfriend. "He's super kind. For the kids he's sort of No. 1. and I'm No. 2. But I get it because he's more fun and has better treats," she said. It's worth mentioning that Randall had some experience with raising children before dating Bullock too because he has an adult daughter, Skylar, from a previous relationship. 

Bullock had talked about how being parents of their blended family had strengthened her relationship with Randall when she appeared on "Red Table Talk" in 2021. "He's the example that I would want my children to have," she explained, adding, "Even when I don't agree with him ... But if they can take away from that and that is where they feel drawn to, he's the exact right parent to be in this position."

Bryan Randall once again proved how committed he was to Sandra Bullock in September 2018 when he stood by her side after her beloved father, John W. Bullock, died at age 93. Bullock was devastated by her dad's passing, especially because she had already lost her mother years earlier, in 2000. Yet, Bullock was able to lean on Randall during this difficult time. An insider told Us Weekly, "[He] has been a constant source of support," adding, "Bryan makes her feel safe and completely takes care of her. [He's her] rock."

Randall was also the one who announced John's death by posting a tribute to him on his private Instagram, presumedly because Bullock doesn't have social media of her own. According to Daily Mail, Randall wrote in the caption, "As a father, grandfather and WWII veteran, we #thankyouforyourservice PS: Hey God, we're sending you a live one!"

A few months later, Randall even gave his girlfriend's late father a shoutout on his own birthday, which suggested that he and John had a good relationship too. In the caption of a photo he posted on Instagram of Bullock, captioning it, "Thank you for an incredible birthday. God, I love you! Only thing missing ... Dad." That had to be nice for Bullock to read, considering that she remarked on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" that she had a particularly rough year, between her father's death and losing two dogs.

By November 2021, Sandra Bullock finally seemed ready to open up about her longtime relationship with Bryan Randall, and that's exactly what she did when appearing on "Red Table Talk." As the "Speed" star told the show's hosts, "I found the love of my life." She not only went on to call him "a saint" who "has evolved on a level that is not human" but referred to him as a "beautiful human being," as well.

If that's not enough, Bullock even said that she didn't need to have a wedding to feel committed to Randall. "I don't need a paper to be a devoted partner ... I don't need to be told to be ever-present in the hardest of times. I don't need to be told to weather a storm with a good man," she explained. That seemed to confirm the reports from years earlier that Randall was "the one."

It was also a big step for Bullock, who has been notorious for trying to keep her personal life out of the spotlight throughout her career. Even way back in 1995, Bullock told Vanity Fair, "I am such a privacy freak." Twenty years later, Bullock told Glamour that motherhood and her headline-making divorce from Jesse James forced her to come into her own and deal with any negativity that comes with it. "I let it affect me. I heard it all," she said.

In March 2022, Sandra Bullock announced that she was taking a step back from acting. When promoting her film "The Lost City" that year, the mother of two said that she was ready to take a break from her busy work schedule. She explained to Entertainment Tonight, "I take my job very seriously when I'm at work ... And I just want to be 24/7 with my babies and my family." Of course, her family included her partner, Bryan Randall, even if she had emphasized to People that she wanted to focus on her children.

Bullock also admitted to CBS News that she didn't know how long her break from Hollywood would be, but that it was something that she really needed. "I want to be at home," she said, adding, "I just want to be present and responsible for one thing." It seems now that Bullock also wanted to be more available for Randall in particular, given that he was secretly battling amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at the time.

An unnamed Hollywood producer even told Page Six, "I don't think people knew that Sandra actually took off to care for Bryan." Many people didn't know that Randall was sick in the first place either because his illness was kept extremely private. 

Not long after Sandra Bullock left Hollywood to tend to matters in her personal life, rumors surfaced that she and her longtime boyfriend, Bryan Randall, had broken up. In November 2022, OK! reported that the twosome called it quits because Randall couldn't take the pressure of their relationship anymore. A source claimed that their problems had stemmed from how they parent their children. "A lot of times, Sandra has parented the kids in a way she felt was right without consulting Bryan, so his place in the household was taken down a peg," an insider explained. They were also said to have money issues because Randall apparently grew to resent Bullock for having so much of it when he didn't.

By summer of 2023, Us Weekly also reported that Bullock and Randall were on the outs and had needed to take time apart. As a source said, "The feeling is Sandra might be hoping for some type of miracle — that they'll work things out after this long cooling-off period." That person went on to claim that there was a slim chance they'd be able to overcome this rough patch too.

However, the Daily Mail pointed out that the breakup rumors had probably stemmed from Bullock and Randall not being seen out as much anymore considering that he was privately battling ALS. Regardless, Bullock didn't appear to care about the gossip and didn't make any public comment on it. 

In August 2023, Sandra Bullock's partner, Bryan Randall, died at the young age of 57. His family announced his death in a statement, telling People, "Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS." The news had shocked Hollywood because, as mentioned, not many people knew that Randall was sick. Yet, his family explained, "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."

Bullock is no doubt devastated to have lost her partner of eight years but has yet to speak out on his passing, presumedly because she's taking time to grieve. Her sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, however, took to Instagram to post a tribute to Randall and to praise Bullock for remaining strong for her man until the very end. "[T]here is some comfort in knowing he had the best of caretakers in my amazing sister and the band of nurses she assembled," Bullock-Prado wrote. Bullock's friend and former co-star, Octavia Spencer, also commented on Randall's death, writing in her own Instagram post, "My heart is broken for Sandy and Bryan. Sandy lost her soulmate."

While Bullock and Randall's relationship timeline may have ended far too soon, they nevertheless still seemed to have experienced true love together and made the best of the time they had together.