Joaquin Phoenix has once again fueled the rumor mill about his relationship with colleague Rooney Mara. Have the two of them been married for a long time?
In 2017, Joaquin Phoenix (49) and Rooney Mara (39) appeared together as a couple for the first time, but not much is known about their relationship. There is even more speculation as to whether the two may have secretly entered into a marriage bond long ago. Now the Oscar winner gave new fuel to the rumors.
It sparked speculation as early as 2022
The trigger: During one of his rare podcast appearances, which, among other things, was about his acceptance speech at the Oscars in 2020, Phoenix referred to Mara as his wife. On the Sept. 29 episode of “Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso,” the actor revealed that he ultimately found the inspiration for his words while “talking to my mom and my wife.” In his conversation with Fragoso (30), he didn’t go into detail about whether he and Mara were actually legally married – but his description was enough to trigger reports of a secret wedding in numerous US media.
By the way, it’s not the first time that the star of films like “Gladiator” and “Napoleon” has spoken about his partner like this. In an interview with “Hello! Magazine” he referred to her as his “wife” in 2022. However, it is questionable whether there will ever be confirmation of a wedding. Because the couple keeps their private life out of the public eye as much as possible.
At the Berlinale 2024 she showed up with a baby bump
The couple confirmed the birth of their first child in 2020 rather indirectly in a subparagraph of an open letter, which was primarily about the harsh immigration policy of the United States. It is still unclear to this day what the name of the child, a son, is. Apparently the boy is named River – after Phoenix’s brother River Phoenix (1970-1993), who tragically died at the age of just 23.
One can only speculate about the beginning of the relationship. It is said that they met on the set of the film “Her” in 2012. In May 2017, they appeared publicly as a couple for the first time at the Cannes Film Festival. We also found out that baby number two was on the way almost by chance when Mara was a guest at the Berlinale in Berlin in February 2024 and walked on the red carpet with a clearly visible tummy.
Source: Stern

I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.