The Untold Truth About Kaitlan Collins' Rumored Boyfriend Emilio Madrid

Senior White House correspondent Kaitlan Collins can't escape the rampant rumors about her love life. She sparked the latest flurry of rumors after showing up to the 2026 Grammys with celebrity photographer Emilio Madrid. The two make an incredible power couple as they are both currently thriving in their respective careers. Collins is one of the youngest chief White House correspondents and a CNN anchor for "The Source with Kaitlan Collins." Meanwhile, Madrid is a highly successful celebrity photographer based in New York City.

While the two have not officially confirmed their relationship, their cozy pictures at the Grammys are more than telling. On February 2, 2026, Collins shared an Instagram post featuring photos of herself and Madrid. "It's 75 degrees and Bad Bunny is there? I'm in. Thank you, @grammys, for an incredible evening," she captioned the post. The comments were singing her praises for her elegant Grammy style and her recent work holding President Donald Trump accountable. "Damn, smart and beautiful? Whoever is your guy better not screw that up," one user commented on the post, seemingly referring to Madrid. 

While Madrid is not as famous as his photography subjects, he is now finding himself caught in the spotlight. His public outing with Collins at the biggest music industry award show has caused quite the stir, especially since the famous journalist has been reportedly single since calling it quits with Will Douglas, a Texas pharmacist and entrepreneur. With public curiosity growing around Madrid, people want to know more about his personal and professional history. Despite things being all smiles on the surface, Madrid's shady past reveals that there is a lot to still be uncovered about this new suitor. 

Emilio Madrid has enjoyed a lavish life. As a professional celebrity photographer, he regularly attends upscale events in the fashion and entertainment industries. He has worked for major magazine clients like Vogue and Vanity Fair and has had the privilege of working with highly sought-after luxury brands like Dior and Calvin Klein. He has photographed some of the industry's biggest celebrities, including George Clooney, Dwayne Johnson, Mark Ruffalo, Jon Stewart, Scarlett Johansson, and the late Catherine O'Hara. Given his line of work, it is no wonder that he was photographed attending the 2026 Grammys. 

This cushy job as a celebrity photographer has fueled Madrid's elevated lifestyle. According to his website, he is "an editorial and commercial photographer specializing in entertainment. He was formerly a staff photographer at Broadway.com from 2016 through 2020. His studio is based in New York and available for hire worldwide." He owns a rental studio called Corner Studio in the Chelsea Art District, a pricey and affluent neighborhood in Manhattan, New York. Living and operating out of a workspace in the Big Apple is no cheap feat, indicating that Madrid must be making decent money in his field to afford his residence. 

While it is still unclear if CNN's Kaitlan Collins is single and ready to mingle or is now linked up with Madrid, it is clear that his lavish lifestyle is capable of keeping up with her. As a hardworking and leading CNN journalist, Collins needs someone with a busy lifestyle who is also able to rub elbows with the rich and famous, given the powerful social and professional circles she is a part of. The pair's complementary and luxurious lifestyles can make them a force to be reckoned with if they team up. 

In September 2019, Emilio Madrid went public with his new girlfriend, Sophia Anne Caruso. The news was controversial, since Caruso had only turned 18 years old just three months before they went public. Meanwhile, Madrid was already 24 years old at the time. While six years may seem like a less significant age gap for older couples, the difference is much more staggering at the age they got together. To add to the controversy, Caruso was only 17 when they first met and started working together. At the time, Madrid was working as a staff photographer for Broadway.com while Caruso was pursuing her acting career. 

Despite the odd timing of their relationship, the duo proudly stepped out together at Celine's Paris Fashion Week show in September 2019. At the time, some fans did not seem to mind the new age gap relationship. "my king and my queen. dripping Celine. amazeen," one Instagram user commented on Madrid's post with Caruso at the event. The couple was not private about their relationship following their debut. 

A year later, in September 2020, Madrid posted a photo of the couple sitting in front of the new house he bought in the Catskill Mountains. "Homeowner (Me, not her, Sophia simply does the interior design, and is the prettiest thing in this photo) And yes, you can all come visit someday," Madrid captioned the Instagram post. In July 2021, he shared a touching Instagram post in honor of Caruso's birthday featuring several portraits he took of her. His final Instagram post with her was in October 2022 at an after-party for the premiere of Caruso's new film "The School for Good and Evil." The couple later parted ways, but the reason is not publicly known.

Emilio Madrid's career has not been limited to his own celebrity photography brand. From September 2015 to January 2016, he was an intern on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah." He was an intern for 39 episodes, which offered him professional experience working on a popular comedy series. Right after leaving the Comedy Central show, he became a photo intern at "Saturday Night Live" in January 2016. He was an intern for a short five months before leaving the live sketch comedy show in May 2016. 

After his short stint in broadcast comedy, Madrid became a staff photographer at Broadway.com in May 2016. His time on "The Daily Show with Trevor Noah" and "Saturday Night Live" undoubtedly prepared him for this new role and helped him get hired at Broadway.com. He worked for the outlet for four years, eventually leaving in 2020 to focus on his own namesake photography brand, which he began in 2011. This career path proved lucrative for Madrid, who is now a seemingly successful celebrity photographer.