The Weirdest Things About Eva Mendes & Ryan Gosling's Romance

Hollywood can be a true gauntlet for young couples in love, what with the pressure of popularity and the heat from the media spotlight. However, Ryan Gosling and his longtime love, Eva Mendes, have managed to make their beautiful romance work for over a decade while raising two children and enjoying a slew of career successes. Together, Gosling and Mendes have forged a lavish, happy life together that has weathered the storms of speculation and rumors which have sunk so many other relationships.

To this end, Gosling and Mendes have lived intensely private lives and kept their family out of the spotlight as much as possible. They've been so successful at compartmentalizing their private and personal lives that fans aren't even sure if the pair are married or not, and Mendes managed to keep both of her pregnancies under wraps until welcoming both of their daughters – Esmeralda, born in 2014, and Amada, born in 2016.

Because of this desire to keep their kids away from the pressure of Hollywood, Gosling and Mendes have established an air of mystery around their romance which can sometimes seem a bit weird – especially for a celebrity power couple. From not walking any red carpets together to not posing together for social media posts or family photos, to changing their career trajectories, there are some undeniably unusual elements to Gosling and Mendes' idyllic romance.

Despite being one of the most famous celebrity couples in show business, it's still not clear whether or not Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling are actually married. Reports have varied, with some outlets claiming they tied the knot as far back as 2016, but their reps denied those claims at the time. Then, in 2022, Mendes herself seemingly confirmed they had indeed gotten married when she appeared on "Today" in Australia.

"Everyone is so welcoming here, and my husband Ryan is here, and we are having the best time," she said during her appearance, while Gosling was also in Australia filming "The Fall Guy" (via Elle). Mendes has also taken to Instagram to flaunt a wrist tattoo she got some time ago that reads "de Gosling," which translates to "of Gosling," and is the traditional way women in some cultures change their last names when they get married. However, it's never been formally confirmed that the pair legally tied the knot, or if Mendes simply referred to Gosling as her husband offhandedly.

After Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes first sparked their romance on the set of "The Place Beyond the Pines" in 2011, the pair walked the red carpet together at the drama's Toronto International Film Festival red carpet premiere. Then, they were never really spotted on any high-profile red carpets ever again. Even after Gosling directed Mendes in "Lost River," his surreal 2014 directorial debut, they didn't pose for any promo shots.

Mendes also hasn't been by Gosling's side at any of his major film premieres or awards shows. They didn't appear together at the Oscars any of the times that Gosling was nominated since they've been together – first in 2017 for "La La Land" and then in 2024 for "Barbie," where Gosling also performed. Mendes has addressed her absence in the past on Instagram after a fan explained how excited they were to see Mendes and Gosling light up the star-studded "Barbie" carpet during the press blitz. Mendes thanked the fan for the compliment, but explained, "We don't do those things together" (via Today).

Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling have stated time and time again that they are dedicated to maintaining and protecting the private lives of their two young daughters. In doing so, they've made sure to keep their kids off social media to shield them from the prying eyes and camera lenses of the paparazzi and random fans. To this end, the pair even moved out of Los Angeles to get their kids away from the trappings of Hollywood.

An unnamed source told People in March 2024 that Gosling and Mendes moved "a bit further north, away from Hollywood" specifically because they "didn't want the girls to grow up around other celebrity kids." But it's not just tabloids and the children of other stars they want to avoid. Gosling and Mendes also don't want to expose their children to the dangers of the internet and social media until they are much older.

"In my house, children do not have access to the Internet. It's too dangerous," Mendes wrote in a comment on Instagram in August 2023 (via Buzzfeed News). "Just like drinking or voting or getting a driver's license (etc.) isn't allowed for children, the Internet falls under that category for me, especially social media." This plan may work while their kids are young, but time will tell what sort of presence their kids have online when their daughters become teenagers in just a few years.

While Ryan Gosling doesn't appear to have any social media at all, Eva Mendes has a very active social media presence, which she uses to promote both her work with Skura Style — an antimicrobial sponge and cleaning product brand she co-owns — as well as share some of her fashion picks and occasional throwback posts.

She also, on occasion, uses her platform to celebrate her husband, as well as his current projects –- like when she shared a snapshot from an interview Gosling did in April 2024, when he sported a T-shirt featuring the name of her debut children's book. Mendes captioned the post, "Feeling the love from my Cuban Papi!"

However, Gosling never really appears in any photos with Mendes, except for the occasional #TBT post from their time on set or some fan-made montage of paparazzi snaps from the early days of their romance. In April 2020, Mendes addressed who takes all her Instagram pics and why she doesn't share pictures of Gosling or her kids. "As far as Ryan and I, it just works for us this way to stay private," Mendes explained (via Us Weekly). "I have always had a clear boundary when it comes to my man and my kids. I'll talk about them, of course, with limits, but I won't post pictures of our daily life."

In the years since they sparked their heartwarming love affair, Eva Mendes and Ryan Gosling have experienced some dramatic changes in their respective careers. Gosling has gone on to become a bankable box office megastar, with multiple leading roles in major blockbusters and awards season darlings. Mendes, however, has seemingly hit the pause button entirely on her acting career and has turned her focus toward their two daughters.

"It was like a no-brainer," Mendes told "The Today Show" in March 2024, explaining that she hasn't stopped working, just acting, because of the travel demands that acting places on performers who often need to be on-location for shoots. That hasn't kept her from redirecting her efforts to other areas, however. She's a co-owner of Sakura Style, lent her voice to a character on the beloved animated kids' series "Bluey," and penned a children's book, "Desi, Mami, and The Never-Ending Worries."

However, Mendes isn't against the possibility of acting again in the future, although she told "The View" in May 2022 that she would be much more discerning about her roles. "I have such a short list of what I will do," Mendes said (via Entertainment Weekly). "Before kids, I kinda was up for anything. I mean, if it was a fun project. But now I won't do violence, I don't want to do sexuality, the list is short."