Inside Adam Levine's Relationship With Behati Prinsloo
Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine and model Behati Prinsloo got married in 2014, but by 2022, their relationship was tested in a very public way. In September of that year, Instagram model Sumner Stroh took to TikTok to share that Levine sent her flirty messages through Instagram DMs. Stroh even shared screenshots of their conversation which revealed that the musician suggested he wanted to name his unborn child after her. TikTok users weren't happy with the Instagram model and left messages that criticized her for suggesting she was a victim in the situation. "It's no secret he's been married for a decade," one user wrote. "The only victim here is his wife and children." After this video went viral, other women came forward to claim Levine had sent them suggestive messages as well.
The rocker later issued a public apology to his wife in which he denied cheating on Prinsloo. "I did not have an affair; nevertheless, I crossed the line during a regrettable period of my life," Levine penned in part in the statement shared to Instagram Stories (via BuzzFeed). "I take full responsibility. We will get through it. And we will get through it together." The timing of this scandal was especially tough given that Levine and Behati, who share two children, had just announced they are expecting a third.
So, how did we get to this drama? Let's take a look inside Adam Levine's relationship with Behati Prinsloo.
The couple started their relationship over email
Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo's relationship started rather unexpectedly. Prinsloo revealed to Net-A-Porter that she began talking to the musician after she was contacted about working with Maroon 5. "Adam was looking for a girl for a music video that could do some action stuff, and our friend was like, 'You should meet Behati because she's a total tomboy and down for anything,' so he emailed me asking if I could do it," she explained. "I ended up not doing it, but we kept emailing each other." The former Victoria's Secret model went on to explain that the couple deepened their romantic connection over email and had an awkward encounter when they first met in person, but they ultimately hit it off.
The couple was first spotted out and about in New York City in July 2012, per People. Both Bahati and Levine were all smiles and even held hands for the camera, so it seems that they were ready to reveal their relationship to the world at this point. Still, the duo didn't make their first official appearance as a couple until October 2012 when they attended the GQ Gentlemen's Ball. An anonymous source who attended the event told Us Weekly, "They seemed very cozy at dinner, cuddling up a few times." It appears that Levine only had eyes for Prinsloo in the beginning, but as we've learned through his recent cheating scandal, we never really know what goes on behind the scenes.
Adam Levine dated Behati Prinsloo's friend
Before Adam Levine met Behati Prinsloo, he had a history of dating models. In fact, he had been dating Victoria's Secret model Anne Vyalitsyna right before he started talking to Prinsloo. Per Us Weekly, the two models were reportedly friends before Levine came into the picture, but a Harper's Bazaar source claimed Prinsloo was secretly interested in the singer from the beginning. "Behati always had a crush on Adam, and she was a little jealous of Anne," the tipster said. Even though Prinsloo may have had eyes for Vyalitsyna's boyfriend, it seems there were no hard feelings.
After Levine and Prinsloo got engaged, Vyalitsyna addressed the news on an episode of E!'s "Fashion Police" (via Us Weekly). "Who cares? I'm such a believer in love," she said of her ex's proposal. "I will love him forever. He is such a wonderful guy. But we didn't work out." The model went on to share that she and the rocker weren't on bad terms. "We still care about each other," she said. "He fell in love with someone else. I'm so happy for him." Vyalitsyna had previously opened up to Us Weekly about her split from Levine, and it seems that there wasn't any bad blood between the two even back then. "We still love and respect each other as friends. I wish him all the best," she told Us. All that said, an anonymous source told the outlet that Levine wasn't expecting the breakup.
Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo's ups and downs
Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo seemed perfect on the outside for years. The supermodel has even been featured in a number of Maroon 5 music videos, including the clip for "Girls Like You," which depicted the celeb couple as a wholesome family. Behind the scenes, though, they have had relationship troubles from the start. The couple briefly split in 2013, and Levine didn't hesitate to move on with yet another stunning catwalk stomper. According to Newsweek, the musician dated Sports Illustrated model Nina Agdal after he and Prinsloo temporarily parted ways. Though Agdal and Levine didn't last long, their relationship seemed serious enough at the time. For starters, the model even joined her then-boyfriend on the set of "The Voice." That said, a source told Us Weekly that the musician apparently had no intentions of staying with Agdal for long. "The Nina thing was not that serious and was not going to last," they said.
After Agdal and Levine's relationship came to an end, Levine and Prinsloo picked up where they left off. "We broke up for two months, realized that it was the worst decision, then got back together, got engaged and got married," Prinsloo said in Net-A-Porter. "It was a wild ride!" A source told Page Six that Levine supposedly texted Agdal to let her know he and Prinsloo were affianced.
Adam Levine got down on both knees
Behati Prinsloo and Adam Levine's engagement was unconventional for a few reasons. As previously mentioned, the Maroon 5 frontman had just gotten out of a relationship with another model when he proposed to Prinsloo. It seems that the time Levine spent apart from his now-wife led him to reevaluate their relationship and consider that he may have taken things for granted. A source told Us Weekly, "After Adam broke up with Behati, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He realized he really loved her and wanted to be with her."
When Levine was ready to pop the question, it sounds like it was not his smoothest moment. During an appearance on "Live with Kelly and Michael," he revealed that his nerves took over in a big way and almost derailed everything. "I'm a confident person, but I got down on that knee and everything changed immediately," the musician shared. "I lost my equilibrium. I had to get on the other one." The "Payphone" singer went on to admit that he was so anxious that he began grasping at straws in an effort to make the awkward moment more romantic. "But the one thing that I will say is that I did say at one point, 'Both knees. Like look, I got on both knees,'" the rocker recalled. "And it didn't sound charming at all. Both knees and she was like, 'What?'"
Behati Prinsloo has a tattooed wedding ring
Even though she happens to be a wickedly successful model who happens to be married to a wickedly successful musician, one of Behati Prinsloo's nuptial-related rings is a lot less pricy and eye-catching than you might expect. The model revealed to Yahoo! Style that she has a tattooed wedding ring — that way, when she decides she's not going to wear her massive vintage diamond ring, she's still wearing a symbol of their love. "It means being one with the earth," Prinsloo said of the ink. "And I just wanted it on my ring finger so when I take it off, it's still there!" The subtle tattoo doesn't resemble an actual ring, and there's a reason Prinsloo picked a more unexpected design. "I wanted a ring but everybody does the ring so I got the three dots," the model told Yahoo! Style.
Levine also has a tattoo dedicated to his wife. In 2017, the "Animals" singer took to Instagram to reveal he had gotten the words "True Love" tattooed across his fingers. He shared a photo of the new ink in which he grabbed the butt of a woman whose face isn't shown, so we can't confirm her identity, but hopefully it's Prinsloo.
Adam Levine admitted to cheating in past relationships
The Instagram DM scandal of 2022 was not the first time Adam Levine's loyalty to Behati Prinsloo was brought into question. A particularly relevant Cosmopolitan interview from 2009 resurfaced after these cheating rumors came to light, and some of his answers indicated that this behavior might not be so new for Levine. When asked about infidelity and why men step out, the star responded, "Instinctively, monogamy is not in our genetic makeup. People cheat. I have cheated. And you know what? There is nothing worse than the feeling of doing it."
When the magazine pointed out that his lyrics suggest a certain level of self-awareness and emotional maturity, Levine maintained that he isn't always so smooth in his personal relationships. "In real life, I am emotionally confused, which enables me to write songs," he said. "I'm a Pisces, and they say that Pisces are very sensitive. If men were just honest with themselves, they would see that they all have that side."
Their family continues to grow
As previously mentioned, Behati Prinsloo announced she was pregnant with their third child shortly before husband Adam Levine's cheating scandal broke in 2022. The rocker and the model have always wanted a large family, but they've tried to be mindful of timing. Prinsloo told ET in 2021, "So I think for me in those two years, when I had two babies under the age of two, I was just like, 'Don't even think about it!' But I do also want five kids, but don't even think about it." Prinsloo went on to explain why she and Levine began to consider trying for their third child. "I think it's just kind of where we are in our life," she shared. "I was just seeing [the kids] together, I'm like, 'Maybe we should have a third just to have more kids,' because it was so sweet to see [them together]."
Back in 2018, Prinsloo opened up to Us Weekly about parent life. At the time of the interview, Dusty Rose was two years old and Gio Grace was under a year. "He's actually stricter than me and I thought I was going to be the strict one," Prinsloo said of Levine. Though she and her husband have careers that not only demand a lot of their time but require being away from home, staying involved in their little ones' lives is a top priority for both of them. "He's a very hands-on dad. It's awesome. I'm lucky," the model added.
Behati Prinsloo struggled with postpartum depression
Behati Prinsloo's first pregnancy wasn't easy. In a 2019 feature for Today, she opened up about her experiences with postpartum depression, noting that Adam Levine was very much there for her during this difficult time. "But my husband was so incredibly supportive and always got me out of it," Prinsloo continued. "I think it's very normal, though, as a young mom and a new mom to feel helpless and to feel overly emotional, you know." She also encouraged anyone going through postpartum depression to remember that you do not have to go through this struggle alone. "I think that the message is just that it's never too little to ask for help," Prinsloo said.
In a separate chat with Net-a-Porter, Prinsloo said her postpartum experience following the birth of their second child was a totally different story. "After my first baby, I had a little postpartum depression and it was difficult to get back into normal life, but after the second one everything felt so much easier," she recalled.
Prinsloo appears to be grateful for Levine's support because she often praises him and his parenting skills on social media. In 2019, she shared a sweet Father's Day Instagram post dedicated to the musician. Alongside a picture of Prinsloo and Levine holding their two daughters, the model wrote, "We love you so much, you always put your family first, me and the girls are so lucky to have you."
They own a business together
Like many celebrity couples, Behati Prinsloo and Adam Levine are not only husband and wife but also business partners. In 2021, the duo launched Calirosa Tequila. Prinsloo and Levine told Travel and Leisure that they were inspired to create their tequila after some quality vacation time. "In Mexico, we relax and drink tequila. I've always loved good tequila and there's no shortage of it when you're in Mexico," the Maroon 5 frontman said. In the same interview, Prinsloo explained why this particular business venture means so much to her and her husband: "We were married there, we celebrated my 30th birthday there — we've shared so many amazing memories together in Mexico over tequila."
The couple launched their tequila company by hosting a house party where they invited friends to hang out and taste cocktails made with their alcohol, according to Vogue. Prinsloo's passion for event hosting made this a perfect way to introduce Calirosa Tequila to the world. "I love to socialize and host events, so to have all of our closest friends and supporters here with us this evening is so special," the model told the magazine. "We haven't been able to do it for so long due to the Pandemic, and to open our house tonight for the first time since we redid it is amazing."
Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo are into real estate
As you might imagine given their success in their respective fields, this couple lives a comfortable and lavish life. Adam Levine and Behati Prinsloo have chosen to spend some of their wealth on stunning real estate, including a house featured in a 2021 Architectural Digest video. The huge Pacific Palisades abode — which is decked out in neutral tones, designer furniture, and eye-catching art work — has high-end features like a home theater and arcade room and priceless views of the Pacific Ocean. The tour also showcased an in-home recording studio that allows Levine to work from home and spend more time with his wife and kids. As luxe as the home is, the A-list couple wanted to make sure it felt like a place where they could unwind. "We didn't want a palatial McMansion," Levine said to Architectural Digest. "That's just not who we are. We were attracted to this place because it felt homey."
Only a few months after they led AD through their home, Levine and Prinsloo were ready to move on. As the Los Angeles Times reported at the time, the couple offloaded the property for $51 million in May 2022. In March of that year, Dirt reported they plunked down $52 million on a Montecito home. No strangers to the high-end real estate game, these are just a few of the luxury homes Levine and Prinsloo have bought and sold throughout their marriage. As for what's next for their relationship and their real estate portfolio? Only time will tell.