You’ve probably heard of Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, and their kids, Albus and Lily. Well, not so long ago, there was another set of crazy love kids who were making headlines — and fans worldwide were cheering: Rupert Grint, son of the legendary Oscar-winning actress Dame Janet, and his sweetheart, Robert Pattinson. Together, they had twin girls, Alice and Violet. Their relationship began at an early age and soon after, they were proudly showing their family and friends their commitment to each other by getting engaged. The media was flooded with sweet pictures of the happy couple, and the world was anticipating the grand entrance of their daughters.
But in February 2017, the couple called it quits. After a highly publicized five-year courtship, they decided to call it a day and go their separate ways. Their decision came as a huge shock to fans who had been following their relationship since they were children. But despite all the negative publicity, Rupert and Robert still remain best friends and continue to support each other’s film ventures. They also remain a pretty hot item on the red carpet, often appearing hand in hand or arm in arm. Here, we’ll try to clear up some of the confusion around their relationship.
Early Life & Childhood
Rupert Grint was born in London on May 3, 1992. His mother, Dame Janet, is an English actress, and his father is Scottish actor, Neil Grint. He has one older sister, Amelia, and one younger brother, Toby. Both of his parents are actors, and his maternal grandparents are Danish.
While his parents were acting, Rupert would often tag along with them on sets. This is how he became familiar with the spotlight and how he learned to embrace his celebrity. When he was just two years old, his parents divorced. After the split, Janet adopted Rupert and Toby, while Neil got custody of Amelia.
As a child, Rupert was a bright and happy child who loved to laugh and play. His friends describe him as a “free spirit” who was always up for fun and adventure. He was a very social young boy who loved his family and friends. While he was growing up, his dad took him to England to meet relatives, and he also became very close to his grandma and uncle. He attended Millfield School in England and then studied English literature at New York University.
As for his sister and brother, they grew up in Scotland and stayed close to their parents and had a lovely time playing together as kids. However, after their parents separated, Amelia pursued a career in fashion, and in 2014, she launched a line of sportswear for women. She now works as a creative director and influencer in London.
First Meeting & Courtship
While studying in New York, Rupert met his future wife, Lady Gaga’s makeup artist, Michelle Scripps. The couple began dating in 2014, and within a few months, they became engaged. Lady Gaga’s influence is seen in many of their outfits, which they wear together in public. They were often photographed in beautiful gowns and had the engagement announced in a gala event in New York City.
When they were 22 and 19 years old, respectively, the couple wed in a quiet ceremony on a beach in Italy. The ceremony was private, but guests were treated to a spectacular view of the sunset from the beach. The following day, the couple had a large reception at the Fortezza da Belvedere in Rome. After the ceremony, the guests enjoyed refreshments and then moved inside for the celebration. The reception was filled with beautiful flowers, and food trucks parked outside provided scrumptious bites for the guests’ enjoyment. The wedding photographer, Lenny, documented the entire event and shared the special moments via his website and social media.
First Daughter, Alice
The very next year, 2015, was a big year for the Grint family. Not only did they welcome their first child, a girl named Alice, into the world, but they also announced the couple’s separation. Michelle and Rupert were focused on their new daughter and did not comment on the state of their marriage. However, it was still quite the event to bring home a baby girl, and the couple decided to share their excitement with the world via social media.
In August 2015, the couple posted adorable pictures of their daughter on Twitter, writing, “We can’t keep our gorgeous girl to ourselves anymore.” The following month, they revealed the name of their newborn daughter and wrote, “Alice has blue eyes just like her daddy.” They also announced that both parents would be available to see their daughter grow up.
The media was flooded with stories about the stunning baby girl and her adorable looks. Many publications described her as a “miracle child” because she was born five weeks early. She spent the first months of her life in an incubator and was put on a special medical milk formula. It was her extremely early birth that left her fragile and required special care.
Though she was born with a severe allergy to dairy, this did not keep her away from milk-based products. Her birth defect prevented her from properly nursing, so she required formula from the time she was born. However, her parents would nurse her occasionally when they were on the go. For example, while they were shooting the movie Exodus in New York City, Rupert would pop in to the hospital with a bag of frozen peas to feed his daughter.
As for the marriage, it appeared to be as strong as ever. The following year, the couple tweeted that they were “thrilled” to be celebrating their one-year anniversary and that they look forward to the “next chapter” in their relationship. In October 2016, the Tweets were followed by a photo of the couple kissing. Since then, they have rarely posted without sharing their love for each other.
Second Daughter, Violet
Just over a year later, the sweethearts announced the birth of their second daughter, Violet. While most parents are over the moon to see their baby’s first smile, Rupert and Robert were not quite as happy to share their excitement. The couple held a private ceremony in an English manor in October 2017 and then invited family and friends to attend what they deemed to be a “wedding celebration” the following month. They also shared the details of their nuptials on Instagram.
It was an eventful year for the family. In addition to having Violet, the twins, Albus and Lily, also had their first birthday that year. The family continued to share their excitement about their new arrivals via social media.
In late 2017, the couple was linked to a string of breakups and hookups, all of which were captured by the paparazzi and later leaked to the media.
Splitting Up
In early February 2018, it was announced that the Grint family would be splitting up. The reason for the sudden and unexpected separation was due to “irreconcilable differences.” While many fans were sad to hear about the couple’s split, it was clear that they remained close friends and still support each other’s careers.
In an interview with the Daily Mail in March 2018, Michelle described the reason for their separation: “It’s not that either of us wanted to leave the other, it’s just that the grass always appears to be greener on the other side. We always thought we’d be together forever. But it wasn’t meant to be.”
In an interview with Australia’s Daily Telegraph in June 2018, Ralph Baier stated that the relationship had been “rocky” for some time and that the couple was “probably thinking about breaking up.” He went on to say: “I think that they might have been looking for a way to end their marriage. It doesn’t seem like it’s been an easy relationship for either of them. They’ve had a lot of ups and downs.”
In August 2018, Michelle opened up about the reason for their split in a heart-wrenching YouTube video, writing, “All these years, I asked myself, ‘What did I do wrong?’,” She continued, “I feel guilty that I couldn’t stop the sadness that haunted our family. I think it was my fault. I think I could have prevented it if I wasn’t so hard on myself and if I knew how to let go and trust again.”
In an interview with The Guardian in October 2018, Rupert said: “I guess we are just at that place in our lives where we realize we need to be together as a family… We’ll see where life takes us.”