Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Relationship Timeline
A Complete Timeline of Rita Ora and Taika Waititi's Romance
Rita Ora wasn't always sure that her relationship with Taika Waititi would work, though all the signs were there from the start. "We clicked straight away," Ora recalled in a July 10 interview with The Line of Best Fit, referencing when they first met. "We just really connected on our families and our work ethic. It was like there was no one else at the party, and then it was like, 'Oh my gosh, the sun's coming up. What's going on?'" Still, the pair didn't get together until years later. "We remained really good friends, but I had butterflies — it was a surprise, but I felt comfortable. Safe," she continued.
Eventually, though, they found their way to one another, and today, they seem to work well creatively in addition to romantically. In July, Waititi directed Ora's music video for her song "Don't Think Twice," which Ora said "is about not thinking twice and just jumping in, romantically. You only live once." She added, "So it's really about seizing the moment, and not being held back by thoughts of what might or might not happen."
Back in January, Ora confirmed her marriage to the "Thor: Love and Thunder" director, who has two children from a previous relationship, after sparking rumors of their nuptials in August 2022. She showed off her emerald wedding ring during a Feb. 1 appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon."
The two first met in 2018 and began dating in 2021, when they were both filming in Australia, per an August interview with Vogue. They then went public with their relationship in April 2021. Since then, they haven't shied away from flaunting their love at red carpet appearances, award shows, and in sweet social media posts.
The two generally didn't speak much about their romance in its early days, and it took five months for Ora even to confirm their marriage, but it seems they've slowly become more open about sharing details about their relationship. In May, Waititi complimented his wife in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "I love working with her," Waititi said, reflecting on collaborating with Ora on the "Don't Think Twice" video. "It's just a good laugh. It's nice being married to and working with someone who's extremely talented. We've got a similar sense of humor and we listen to the same stuff."
Previously, during a Feb. 6 appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show," Ora said of their marriage, "I can't believe I can say it. It's so interesting to me because I loved the whole experience but I kept it super private for a little bit, just kept it to myself. So it's nice to share it and just be open about it. It feels great."
The singer, whose new album "You & I" dropped on July 14, teased that she and Waititi, 47, met each other "long before we decided to ruin everything," revealing that they were friends for six years before their romance blossomed. According to Barrymore, the couple "refound each other" later in life when Ora was working on "The Voice" in Australia and Waititi was working on his Marvel film.
"I don't even know how to explain. Everything just went . . ." Ora said, motioning her hands colliding with one another. "It genuinely just went like that," she added, snapping her fingers. "I mean, honestly, he put his hand on my back and then — low back — and that's when I knew, this is a different type of stroke."
Ahead, read everything we know about Ora and Waititi's relationship timeline.
1 2018: Rita Ora and Taika Waititi First Meet
2 April 21, 2021: Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Spark Dating Rumors
3 Aug. 2, 2021: Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Make Their Red Carpet Debut as a Couple
4 Aug. 18, 2021: Rita Ora Celebrates Taika Waititi's 46th Birthday
5 Sept. 12, 2021: Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Attend Their First Met Gala Together
6 Jan. 10, 2022: Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Appear on "The Tonight Show"
7 Aug. 12, 2022: Sources Reveal Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Are Married
8 Nov. 13, 2022: Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Co-Host the 2022 MTV Europe Music Awards
9 Jan. 27, 2023: Rita Ora Confirms She and Taika Waititi Are Married
10 June 30, 2023: Taika Waititi Directs Rita Ora's "Don't Think Twice" Music Video
11 Aug. 4, 2023: Taika Waititi and Rita Ora Celebrate Their First Wedding Anniversary
