Minka Kelly And Chris Evans Couldn't Make Their Relationship Work After Two Attempts
Minka Kelly got candid about her love life in her memoir "Tell Me Everything," which finally hit book shelves in May 2023. The actor — who rose to fame as Lyla Garrity on NBC's "Friday Night Lights" — spoke up about her past relationships, including her off-screen romance with co-star Taylor Kitsch, which she described as "toxic" (via Today). "I loved being with him. It's just that the good only lasted so long before our incompatibility reared its ugly head," she explained. "We ended up getting back together and breaking up more times than I can count." She then admitted to hooking up with Kitsch despite being warned by the show's executive producer, Peter Berg, not to get involved with each other from the start. "Now, when I think back to that breakfast with Berg, I wished I'd listened to him," Kelly said.
Aside from Kitsch, the "Charlie's Angels" star has also been linked to a number of high-profile men over her years in the spotlight, including John Mayer, Jesse Williams, Trevor Noah, Jake Gyllenhaal, and former Yankees star Derek Jeter — the latter of which she sparked wedding rumors with back in 2010. She also previously dated Chris Evans; she and the "Captain America" actor tried to rekindle their romance before they ultimately decided to call it quits for good in 2014. They certainly made a cute couple, but why couldn't the pair make things work?
Their busy schedules were to blame
Minka Kelly and Chris Evans dated briefly in 2007 before calling off their romance and reuniting in 2012. During their time apart, Kelly dated New York Yankees icon Derek Jeter, while Evans was rumored to be linked to reality television star Kristin Cavallari. A source confirmed their reconciliation to Us Weekly that September, saying it was Kelly who reached out to Evans this time. "She did a number on him back then," the source said, adding that Evans was still unsure about the romance. "He's still a little insecure, so he's being cautious."
But some things are just not meant to be, and he and Kelly split for the second time in 2013 after several months of dating. An insider claimed that distance and differing work schedules were to blame for their breakup. At the time, Kelly was in Vancouver for filming of her Fox series "Almost Human," while Evans was set to work on his film "Before We Go" (originally titled "1:30 Train") in New York City. "It didn't make sense for them to be together right now," the source claimed, adding that it was a mutual decision and that Kelly and Evans "still care about each other." Following their split, the "Friday Night Lights" star went on to hook up with Jake Gyllenhaal, with whom she also had a brief fling in 2012, per E! News. Meanwhile, Evans sparked dating rumors with his childhood crush, Sandra Bullock, after several public outings.
They were spotted together again in 2014 and 2015
Despite calling things off in 2013, Minka Kelly and Chris Evans couldn't seem to stay away from one another and continued to hang out for years after their split. In 2014, the pair sparked rumors of a possible reunion after they were spotted grabbing lunch at Hugo's Tacos in Los Angeles — interestingly, the same place they were caught making out back in 2012, as noted by E! News. "Chris stayed in the car while Minka picked up the order," an eyewitness told the outlet, before adding, "It was just a friendly lunch." They were again seen together on a dog walk in West Hollywood on Labor Day weekend in 2015. Per the Daily Mail, the two looked pretty comfortable with one another as they walked their pups, Chewbacca and Fred, in laidback outfits. Despite speculation, the two seemed to keep things friendly, even exchanging high-fives at one point during the rare outing.
These days, Kelly is happy in her relationship with Imagine Dragons singer Dan Reynolds. She and the musician were first linked in November 2022, just two months after Reynolds announced his split from his wife, Aja Volkman, after 10 years of marriage, according to Page Six. For his part, Evans confirmed his relationship with Portuguese actor Alba Baptista in January 2023, after months-long rumors linking the two.