Is Renee Zellweger Dating Anyone?
For nearly three decades, actress Renée Zellweger has been in the limelight and Renée Zellweger has been out of the limelight. From her critically acclaimed early turns in 1995's horror film Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation and Empire Records, to her Oscar and Golden Globe wins for Best Supporting Actress in 2003's Cold Mountain, the A-list actress also landed the title role of Bridget Jones in the popular series of films, cementing her star status.
Yet, while the 50-year-old has had her fair share of career successes, including Jerry Maguire and Chicago, Zellweger has also been at the center of numerous high profile relationships over the years. From fan-favorite comedians to a country music legend, Zellweger has been romantically linked to some of the biggest names in show biz.
Who might be on Renée Zellweger's arm these days, you ask? Let's examine the Judy Oscar-winner's relationship history to get a better idea...
Renée Zellweger was once engaged to comedian Jim Carrey
From 1999 to 2000, Renée Zellweger and her Me, Myself and Irene co-star, comedian Jim Carrey, dated each other. Bobby Farrelly, co-director of the movie, told People that Carrey "flipped for [Renée] immediately" during the filming of the comedy. However, Zellweger didn't fall for his "boringly normal" charm until the end of the shoot.
"When the picture wrapped, we'd spoken a couple of times on the phone and then all those rumors came out that I was dating him. I was so mad," Zellweger told CNN. "I said, 'No, it's not true.' And then I went home ... and I went, 'God, I do miss him.'"
But, by December 2000, the pair had parted ways. As director Ron Howard, who worked with Carrey on How the Grinch Stole Christmas, told People in 2001, "the media attention just heightened the pressure" on their relationship. Zellweger, however, claims that rumors about their relationship — including an engagement to each other — were false. "It was all made up," she told Cosmopolitan, noting that the rumors began after she and Carrey had been dating for only three months. "As if I would consider marriage after only three months!"
Zellweger's been married once—and it only lasted four months
In 2005, Renée Zellweger married country singer Kenny Chesney after the two met in January of that year at NBC's "Concert of Hope" tsunami aid telethon. Zellweger's friend told People that the actress had hoped to meet Chesney and planned to "pass him a note" during the event. But before she could, the actor and singer's publicists began talking and exposing Zellweger's intentions prematurely. "When the broadcast wrapped, [Chesney] went over [to Zellweger] and said, 'I hear you are trying to pass me a note — don't let the principal find out,'" the source said.
By May, the two had wed in an intimate ceremony in the Virgin Islands. But, according to People, the whirlwind romance between Zellweger and Chesney came to an end just four months — 225 days, to be specific — after the the couple said "I do." Zellweger filed for an annulment, citing "fraud" as the reason for dissolving this short-lived union.
Unfortunately, the media ultimately misconstrued "fraud" as an indication that Chesney might be gay, forcing Zellweger to release a statement to "clarify that the term 'fraud' as listed in the documentation is simply legal language and not a reflection of Kenny's character." She elaborated in her plea to the public, saying, "I would personally be very grateful for your support in refraining from drawing derogatory, hurtful, sensationalized or untrue conclusions and greatly appreciate your understanding that we hope to experience this transition as privately as possible."
She dated 'Case 39' co-star Bradley Cooper for nearly two years
Despite the fact that Case 39 was primarily filmed in 2006, Renée Zellweger and her co-star Bradley Cooper didn't start dating until 2009 (via People), ahead of the film's 2010 release. The couple remained relatively low-key, keeping their relationship out of the public eye, but the two occasionally gushed about one another during their time together. "I can't say enough about her," Cooper told Entertainment Tonight in 2010 (via Entertainment Weekly). "I just love her. I [loved] coming to work. I love acting with her. I can learn so much from her." Zellweger echoed his sentiments: "[Bradley]'s a great, great actor. I just got so excited, not believing that I was going to go to work with him."
But, according to a source, Cooper's The Hangover success and increased demand was too much for the couple to handle and they parted ways in 2011.
"If I had to pick any possible mistress it would be Brad's career," the source told Us Weekly. "He worked really hard to get into leading man status."
"Renee had to take a backseat. She traveled with him to make it work," they added. "She's accomplished a lot of her professional goals. So Renee took some time out to be a great girlfriend and see if this is what it took to make a relationship work." Ultimately, Zellweger "stopped fighting" because "it wad just not working out."
Renee Zellweger dated Doyle Bramhall II for seven years
Little has been documented regarding Renée Zellweger's relationship with her most recent beau, since the two initially got together during her hiatus from Hollywood, but it turns out the star's time with musician Doyle Bramhall II was her longest relationship to date.
Zellweger and Bramhall originally met at the University of Texas in the early '90s, but the pair didn't begin dating until 2012, two years after Bramhall split from his former wife, Susannah Melvoin. In 2017, Zellweger gushed about her love to Us Weekly while attending the Changemaker Honoree Gala at the Greenwich International Film Festival in Connecticut. "He's a very special person!"
However, E! News obtained 2017 court documents from proceedings related to Bramhall's divorce from Melvoin, which revealed that Zellweger allowed the songwriter to live with her for free. She also paid his credit card bills, totaling between $4,000 to $5,000 a month. According to said documents, the expenses in 2015 alone added up to nearly $60,000.
According to an anonymous source, Zellweger and Bramhall ultimately went their separate ways in early 2019. "Doyle's touring with Eric Clapton, and Renée's been filming in Los Angeles," the source told Radar Online. "He performed at a close friend's memorial service in Austin with his family, and Renée wasn't there to lend support."
Since then, Zellweger hasn't been romantically linked to anyone new. But, as awards season hype begins to dwindle, the Oscar-winner will surely continue her resurgence as she rides the tide of her latest biopic's success. We wish her nothing but the best in both life and love!