Everything We Know About Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin’s Relationship Timeline

You may recognize actress Dakota Johnson from movies like The Social Network and Fifty Shades of Grey. Meanwhile, her longtime boyfriend, Chris Martin (aka the lead singer of Coldplay), has made quite a name for himself in the music space with several chart-topping hits, such as “A Sky Full of Stars,” “Viva La Vida,” “Sparks” and more. 

Despite living high-profile lives, the two have managed to keep their relationship out of the public eye. After meeting through mutual friends, Martin, 46, and Johnson, 34, started dating in 2017. The couple got together a year after the rock singer finalized his divorce from his ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, who’s the mother of his two children, Apple, 18, and Moses, 16.

And now, six years later, Johnson and Martin are still very much in love. From romantic birthday tributes to special show performances, here’s a detailed timeline of Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson’s relationship.

Martin and Johnson made the jump from lovers to working partners when they collaborated on the music video for Coldplay’s 2019 single, “Cry Cry Cry,” which debuted on February 14, 2020 (aka Valentine’s Day) on the band’s official YouTube channel. 

The Fifty Shades of Grey actress, who served as a director on the video, told Marie Claire that she didn’t receive any special treatment from her boo. “I wrote the story and pitched it to the band like every other director did—and they chose mine,” she said, before jokingly adding, “Not because they’re partial to me at all.”

She went on to share how she put her all into the music video. “When I work, I’m constantly thinking about the job. It takes up so much of my brain,” Johnson continued. “Not all of my projects are only good messages but all of them have a little bit of something that makes me feel like it’s an okay thing to pour my heart into.”

OK, this fact puts us in our feels. In October 2021, Martin paid tribute to Johnson while performing with the rest of his bandmates. When it came time to sing “My Universe,” the father of two pointed to his girlfriend (who was standing in the audience) and said, “This is about my universe. She’s here.”

Johnson has attended Coldplay’s concerts many times before. And the Persuasion actress has been so supportive of the group, even behind the scenes. While making an appearance on Conan O’Brien’s Needs a Friend podcast, the lead vocalist revealed that Johnson has taken their concerts to the next level by introducing them to SubPacs, which is an audio system that helps improve sound for people who are deaf.

“Dakota, my partner, gave me one as a gift because she saw someone online experiencing whatever they are experiencing with this. It’s kind of like body armor that you put on. It connects to the bass,” he explained to O’Brien. “So, we started using it and it’s been so amazing and it should get better and better. We have ten or twenty now of those packs. So, if you’re hearing impaired we have an area where you put on the pack and you can feel the show.”

As we mentioned, the Coldplay singer shares two children with his former wife. And the kiddos have accompanied Martin and Johnson on numerous vacations.

Back in December 2021, the couple were joined by Apple, Moses and Paltrow on a trip to Mexico. In photos taken by paparazzi (see here), the foursome were seen lounging on a white sandy beach.

Rewinding to the holiday season of 2019, Johnson joined the family on a trip to Aspen. In an array of photos shared by The Sun, Johnson and Apple are seen bonding and walking the snowy streets while holding a hot beverage.