It’s been a tumultuous few months for Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart. The couple has been on and off for years, and it wasn’t until recently that they seemed to make a concerted effort to work things out. While they were largely seen as a done deal, it turns out that life is never so simple. The two have now admitted that they are still dating, but they aren’t about to make their relationship public. Here’s what you need to know about Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, and whether or not they’ll be back together.
The Backstory
Kristen Stewart and Robert Pattinson had been paired together since before they even debuted as actors. The Twilight franchise made them a household name, and their on-screen chemistry was apparent from the very first moment. The audience was drawn to their forbidden attraction, and the young couple was able to capitalize on that with a number of steamy kissing scenes. It wasn’t until 2018 that the couple finally decided to take their relationship public. At the time, they were both 29 years old, and had been dating for about three years. It wasn’t long before the relationship began to take its toll on both of their personal lives, with Stewart revealing that they had been spending up to 16 hours a day together. This was clearly not sustainable, and it appeared as though the couple was on the road to splitting up. Finally, in December of that year, the two made a pact to work harder at being together, and fans of the movie got a taste of their blossoming romance when they were spotted holding hands as they arrived at a London theater on Dec. 6, 2018.
Since then, the two have mostly kept their relationship under wraps. While Stewart has been a regular face at Pattinson’s promotional events and starred alongside him in a campaign for Burberry, the couple has mostly evaded the paparazzi. They didn’t appear to have stepped out together until late April this year.
Where Are They?
It’s been a busy 2019 for the Twilight alumna and her beau. Not only have they been keeping their relationship under wraps, but Stewart has also been busy promoting Pattinson’s upcoming projects. First, she appeared alongside him in The Outer Banks, a thriller about a family trapped in a home with a deranged, armed psychopath. Then, in May, Stewart was seen sporting a new (albeit subtle) diamond earring, which promptly caused speculation that the two were back together. In June, she was photographed wearing a custom-made white-and-gold gown alongside Pattinson at the Cannes Film Festival. While neither of them have confirmed that the two are back together, it doesn’t seem like a coincidence that Stewart has been acting more frequently and wearing glam outfits, as she and Pattinson were seemingly working hard to repair their public image. Since then, they’ve kept a low profile as news outlets have continued to speculate about their current status. Last week, a paparazzi crew reportedly caught the two holding hands as they arrived for a movie premiere in Venice. It didn’t take long for fans to notice, with one tweeting “Kristen and Rob are holding hands as they arrive for the premiere of The King. So romantic.” While they’ve been spotted holding hands several times since, this is the first time that they’ve been seen out together in public, and it seems as though the speculation is about to end.
Robert Pattinson And Kristen Stewart Are Still Dating
While news outlets have been quick to label their on-off relationship as “romantic” or “rekindled,” the truth is a little more complicated. According to sources close to the couple, they’re still dating and have been for the past three months. However, they aren’t about to make their relationship public. “They want to continue to keep a low profile and not rush into anything just to attract attention,” one source told E! News last week. “They both want to be absolutely sure that this is what they want before they do anything. They are very, very conscious of how much this can hurt them. They don’t want to put themselves in a situation where they regret something later.”
While Stewart and Pattinson have been spotted holding hands and departing cinema theatres side-by-side, it isn’t exactly clear what their relationship status is. While we know they are still seeing each other and have been for some time, they haven’t been entirely open about their commitment to one another. Pattinson even went so far as to hide his phone number from fans in case they called and harassed him about his relationship with Stewart. At one point, Pattinson reportedly blocked his girlfriend on Instagram, which she later addressed in a post. In addition to this, Stewart has been noticeably absent from the promotional trail for Pattinson’s projects, which some have speculated could be because she is trying to keep their relationship a secret.
Why Are They Keeping Their Relationship A Secret?
The couple has been together for quite some time and have known each other since they were 14 years old. While they ostensibly grew up in relative privacy, their celebrity and connection to one of the biggest franchises of all time means that they will almost certainly always be linked. Just last month, Stewart admitted that she isn’t immune to the celebrity pressures that come with her role in Twilight, and she doesn’t want to put herself in a situation where she isn’t comfortable. “I don’t like living my life in black and white,” she said in an interview. “I want to be able to make mistakes once in a while. I want to be able to be with someone I love, who I trust, who is also famous. I don’t want to put myself in a position where I feel like I can’t be myself around my friends or my family.”
Pattinson also took some time out from his busy schedule to address these issues. In an open letter to his fans, which he published on his website in January, he wrote that he is “not perfect” and “have made many mistakes in [his] life.” He continued:
“I want you to know that I’m not perfect and I’ve made many mistakes in [my] life. I didn’t become the person and the artist that [you] know [me] as, nor will I ever. I want [you] to be able to see past the facade and into the real me.”
Pattinson went on to list a number of his mistakes, including a drunk-driving charge that he said nearly ruined his career and nearly cost him his freedom. He also revealed that he had been carrying around a half a million dollars in debt for most of 2018, which he attributed to “a series of bad luck and unfortunate choices.” However, he said that these are things that he is working hard to put right, and he wants to continue making a positive impact on the world. In order to do this, he is putting in the extra effort to make his relationship with Stewart work. “This is who [I] am and always will be,” he added. “[I] will love you, support you, fight for you, and cherish you, as you should be able to love and support me.”
Pattinson isn’t the only celebrity that Stewart has kept quiet about her relationship with. The couple has also kept their distance from the media, which hasn’t stopped a number of rumors from circulating. In the past few months, Stewart has been linked to a series of very famous men, including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Chris Hemsworth. While some of these rumors have undoubtedly been sparked by Stewart’s public persona and the fact that she is a Hollywood star, it seems as though she has her reasons for keeping things quiet. In the end, it’s not necessarily about the men she’s been linked to, but about what she wants out of life at this stage in her career. “I just want to continue to better myself as both a person and an artist,” she told Vanity Fair in an interview last year. “I want to show people my real side, the side that isn’t always Photoshopped, the side that isn’t always perfect.”
As exciting as 2019 has been so far, with the advent of a new year, comes new challenges. Will Stewart and Pattinson’s relationship end in 2019, or will they strive to make it last? Only time will tell. For now, fans have been given a new appreciation for the work that these two have done, and an inkling of the bond that they share. Despite all of the rumors and headlines, it seems that Stewart and Pattinson are truly committed to one another and are prepared to fight for their love.