Last month, on October 14, Robert Pattinson returned to Instagram to share a touching moment at the New York premiere of his new film, Life. In the picture, the actor, who is separated from his actress partner, Kristen Stewart, is seen embracing the 26-year-old actress, who is wearing a white dress and holding a white rose.
The image was captioned:
“The answer to whether or not Rob and I are still together is: yes. We are still very much in love and have not stopped having sex since we split. It’s just been on camera hasn’t it?” -Kristen Stewart
The question on everyone’s mind was: What happened between these two heartthrobs? Did they get back together? Do they still have romantic feelings for one another?
As the months passed, the mystery deepened. While Stewart remained silent about her romantic feelings, multiple sources confirmed to Us magazine that the former couple is still together and that they are focusing on their children, Violet, 12, and Abel, 9, while working through their separation.
A Brief History
According to E! News, the couple began their relationship in 2014 after meeting on the set of the film Friends With Benefits. The outlet also reported that during an early morning call, the 51-year-old actor asked the 25-year-old actress to marry him. Stewart turned him down, but the two remained together. In January 2016, they broke up and then got back together a month later. The next month, they announced they were separating once again. After filing for divorce in July 2016, they remarried in December of that year. In April 2017, Stewart and Pattinson announced that they were divorcing for the fourth time.
While their relationship has been a topic of public fascination for years, Stewart and Pattinson have mostly stayed out of the public eye since 2016. During a break from filming Camping, the actor’s love interest, Bella Hadid, 22, made an appearance at the 2018 Golden Globes to present an award. The former couple and Hadid were seen hugging and sharing a kiss. Soon after, Stewart and Hadid’s rep confirmed to Us that they were dating and that their relationship was “new and exclusive.”
Although they have been quiet about their relationship since then, it’s been made clear that the split between Pattinson and Stewart is much more complicated than just a friends with benefits situation. Both actors have acknowledged that the story is much more interesting than what it seems, and that they are still trying to work things out. In an attempt to shed more light on their relationship, we turn to their respective publicists, who provided the following statements.
Robert Pattinson
“Robbie and Kristen have always been best friends. It wasn’t until later, when they became more than friends, that their relationship blossomed,” a rep for the Dark Shadows actor told E! News. “They started dating each other after Camping, and things just naturally progressed from there.
“They both share a strong romantic sense of loyalty and trust for each other, which has made the journey so much more interesting. They want what’s best for each other and their relationship, and they’re both extremely happy to have found a partner who shares the same values.”
Kristen Stewart
While Stewart’s rep declined to comment on her relationship with Pattinson, she did share her thoughts on their relationship with New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd in a September 2018 interview. “He treats me like an angel,” Stewart said of her estranged husband. “I always knew that he was going to be wonderful, but maybe I didn’t realize how wonderful until recently. We’re together all the time now, so I get to enjoy it more.”
As for the future of their relationship, the actress’ representative said: “It depends on how they want to handle the situation. Right now, they’re taking it one day at a time.”
The Ultimate Reveal
Over the years, it’s become clear that fans and members of the media have been curious about the nature of Stewart’s and Pattinson’s relationship due to the actor’s magnetic on-screen presence and the enduring pull he has on his actress partner. While the couple has kept the details of their personal lives under wraps, the sheer intensity of their romance was impossible to ignore. Especially since it began so early on in their careers (Pattinson had just finished filming X-Men: Apocalypse while Stewart was just beginning her run on Twin Peaks).
As the months passed, the curiosity only grew. While the pair stayed silent about their relationship, fans began to wonder if perhaps they had gotten back together. Rumors even circulated that Stewart had ended her longtime romance with actor Paul Bettany to rekindle her relationship with the English model. Then, in October 2018, Stewart and Pattinson’s respective reps confirmed that the two were still together and had just been keeping their private lives under wraps due to their children’s privacy concerns.
The news was met with a collective sigh of relief from fans who had hoped that the two would get back together for good. While the nature of their relationship has at times been controversial (Bettany’s ex-wife even went so far as to call Stewart a “gold digger” due to her reported interest in the 56-year-old actor), it’s been made clear that Stewart and Pattinson are committed to one another and want what’s best for each other. In a January 2020 interview with Vanity Fair, Stewart acknowledged that their split is “harder than people think.” “We want what’s best for each other and our children,” she said. “The love we have for each other is undeniable. It’s just sometimes hard when you’re dealing with kids and custody.”
Whether they’ll ever admit it or not, it’s been a rough stretch for Stewart and Pattinson. Throughout their relationship, they’ve been dogged by rumors and speculations about their personal lives. From their very first encounter on set all the way through to this present day, their romance has been the subject of a never-ending stream of tabloid headlines and paparazzi pictures. But in the end, it’s always been about the craft for these two very talented and driven individuals. And now that their personal lives are on the right track, perhaps it’s time for them to focus on what they do best: making movies!