Inside Chris Evans' Love Life
Chris Evans became a heartthrob to teen girls everywhere in the 2001 parody Not Another Teen Movie, but little did they know that he would eventually become one of the most recognizable stars in the history of cinema. After a decade of kicking around in not-so-great movies, Evans' life changed in 2011 when he donned the iconic uniform and shield of Marvel's Captain America. From that day forward, the man you recognized from the bad Fantastic Four movie (er, the first of three bad Fantastic Four movies, rather) was America's greatest superhero and its most eligible bachelor.
Evans has dated many Hollywood beauties over the years, so if you're looking to stand in line, we'll let him tell you what he's looking for in a potential partner. "I'm the one who fears being enveloped," Evans told The Hollywood Reporter. "I was always a really autonomous guy my whole life. Camping by myself is one of my favorite things. I really like to be with someone who also has their own thing to do as well, you know?" You can like camping, but not too much. "If I'm with someone who just kind of adopts my life, that can feel a bit suffocating," he explained. We're just trying to help you out here, guys.
But enough of that. Let's assemble and take a deep dive into the Chris Evans Dating Universe.
Chris Evans never runs out of options
Chris Evans. Certified ladies man. He played the Human Torch once, but in real life, he's a human chick magnet. The Captain America: Civil War star has been linked to several Hollywood beauties over the years to varying degrees of love connections. The list is long: According to US Weekly, Evans has romanced Kate Bosworth, Emmy Rossum, Christina Ricci, Amy Smart, and Lily Collins, and more.
"It's just the beginning stages," a source told Us Weekly about Evans' fling with Collins in 2015. "But they're having a lot of fun and seeing where it goes." And that's the last we heard of that romance. What can we say? The man moves quickly. But what exactly is the Avengers hunk looking for when it comes to love?
"I definitely want children. I definitely want a family. But you cannot put the cart before the horse," he told USA Today in 2017. "The family only works if it's built off the extension of the love you feel for a person. If you all of a sudden want the kid more than you want the relationship, you may be on shaky ground." Has anyone made the cut? Let's investigate.
Jessica Biel called Chris Evans 'a keeper'
According to Esquire, Chris Evans dated fellow actor Jessica Biel "off and on from 2001 to 2006" and the pair co-starred in two movies together (Cellular & London) during their relationship. Biel told Cosmopolitan in 2005 that Evans was a big, romantic softie. "When I turned 21, I actually awoke to find my bed covered in rose petals. In the middle of the night, he had pulled apart at least 24 roses in all different colors and sprinkled the petals everywhere," she said, adding, "He's definitely a keeper." Aww, can we get some heart emojis in the chat?
Biel explained that she loved "to take photographs of him and his dog" and taking care of him. "And I cook for Chris when he's working hard. When he comes home, I'll have dinner ready," she said. "It's old-fashioned and fun, and I feel kind of homemakery (sic) and great doing it." Hey, whatever you're into.
The Sinner star revealed the pair regularly talked about marriage and having children but had yet to take to the plunge. Biel began dating Justin Timberlake two years later and the rest, as they say, is history.
Chris Evans and Minka Kelly will always be friends
According to People, Chris Evans and actor Minka Kelly "briefly dated in 2007." Evans and the Friday Night Lights star got back together in 2012 but called it quits for good in 2013. The pair have never discussed their relationship publicly, so not much is known on why they split. They have been spotted together multiple times since, so it appears they have remained friends over the years.
And considering what Evans told Elle in 2017, that appears to be the case. "It's very rare. But I've had no bad breakups in my life," he said without mentioning Kelly specifically. "Typically, if I see an ex, I give a big hug, and it's wonderful to catch up. If you're ever fortunate enough to love someone and have them love you back, it's worth protecting that. It's rare that someone can truly know you. And if you've broken through that kind of wall, I think it's important to value that."
Kelly, who is particularly tight-lipped with the media in regards to her relationships, told Power 106's J Cruz and Krystal Bee that whatever people believe about her love life doesn't really concern her. "Look, if it's true and it's out, then it's true and it's out," she said (via E!). "When it's not true and it's out, it's really frustrating. You just have to find the comedy in all of it."
Chris Evans had a good time with Ashley Greene
After Twilight star Ashley Greene moved on from Joe Jonas in 2011, Chris Evans had no issues sliding into the picture. Or the DMs (we're not exactly sure how it happened). But according to a report in E! News, Greene and Evans were spotted being very friendly with each other at Trousdale in Hollywood. "Ashley was all over [Chris], and he certainly didn't mind," a source told the tab, adding, "They were dancing together very closely. It looked like they had a lot of sexual chemistry."
However, other spies close to the two said it was just a fun night out. "Ashley is newly single. She's hot, of course, she's going to be out having fun," one of Greene's friends told the publication. And Evans' pal said the Captain America: The First Avenger star "is a really fun guy and loves girls" and to not misconstrue his flirting as a sign he wants to date.
This is the last we heard from Chris Evans and Ashley Greene, but we raise our glass to what might have been.
Dianna Agron kept it in the Captain America family
After her horrible break up with I Am Number Four co-star Alex Pettyfer, Dianna Argon was spotted at a 2011 pre-Oscar party in West Hollywood cozying up to Chris Evans. "They were flirting and deep in conversation for a while before they swapped numbers," a source told Page Six.
"They were definitely flirting," a person at the party told Us Weekly. According to the fellow partier, the pair was cuddled up for "half an hour" having a deep conversation when "Chris grabbed Dianna's hand and kissed her knuckles." Did Argon see sparks? Not really. "It seemed like Chris was more smitten than Dianna," the source said.
Three months after Agron reached ... the end of the line with Evans, she began dating his Captain America: The Winter Soldier co-star Sebastian Stan. However, the pair split up in December of that year due to the stresses of their bicoastal romance. "Long-distance wasn't working," a source told Page Six.
Sandra Bullock and Chris Evans. Were they or weren't they?
"I used to be in love with Sandra Bullock when I was growing up. Sandy B. was my girl," Chris Evans told Playboy in 2012 about his first experience watching her in Speed. Evans met his boyhood crush earlier that year at a Vanity Fair Oscar party and the pair seemed to hit it off.
Two years later, it appeared his childhood self was high-fiving his adult self when rumors about his potential romance with the Oscar-winner started to heat up. "They are not in a relationship, but they are definitely hanging out and are in the early getting-to-know-each-other phase," a source told E!. "They haven't put a title on it, but they really like each other." The buzz about the budding boos heated up when they were later spotted having a meal together with a group of celebrity friends.
However, in typical Bullock fashion, she jokingly shot the rumors down. "You guys are a little behind," Bullock joked when asked by Entertainment Tonight if she was dating the Marvel superhero (via People). "We've since married and it started breaking apart, so we separated. We filed for divorce, and I hope everyone can respect our privacy. But we're going to remain friends and share responsibility of the farm animals we've taken on, because you just can't abandon the animals." Oh, Sandy B. Gotta love her.
Chris Evans found love with Jenny Slate
Actor and comedian Jenny Slate split from her husband then starred in Gifted alongside Chris Evans. We didn't need a crystal ball to know what would happen next, folks. "I didn't know what to expect when I met Chris. I was a little scared because I kind of felt like, 'Well, I don't know him and he's a giant man with huge muscles and he's Captain America. How could we ever connect?'" Slate said on Anna Faris' Unqualified podcast in 2016. However, she quickly she'd errantly "pre-judged" him. "The first night that we hung out, I was like, 'Oh, I could hang out with Chris for, like, 90 hours,'" Slate revealed.
And that she did. Unfortunately, the pair amicably split in February 2017 after almost a year together. "We're not on bad terms, but we haven't really seen each other, spoken a lot. I think it's probably best. I'd love to be his friend one day, but we threw down pretty hard. No regrets, though. Ever," she told Vulture.
The pair tried to give their romance a second try later that year, but by March 2018 the couple was done for good (via The New York Times). "You know, relationships are tricky, there are lot[s] of moving pieces," Evans told USA Today in 2017. Continuing Evans' and Slate's apparently never-ending love fest, he added, "But I am endlessly grateful for having met her. She will be in my life always."
Are Chris Evans and Lily James more than an ice cream date?
Downton Abbey star Lily James ended her five-year romance with actor Matt Smith in late 2019, and six months later it appeared she possibly moved on Chris Evans. In July 2020, the Daily Mail published exclusive photos of James and Evans enjoying ice cream together in a London park. According to the publication, the pair "fawned over each other while lounging on the grass." And that wasn't the only time they were spotted together.
A few days prior, the British tabloid spotted the pair headed to a hotel, The Corinthia, after partying at Mark's Club in Mayfair. Cinema Blend notes that Evans was in London filming Little Shop of Horrors but under the United Kingdom's COVID-19 rules, all travelers into the country must enter into a mandatory two-week quarantine period. This prompted the outlet to ask: "Is Chris Evans in Lily James' bubble?" And if so, are we talking about a work bubble or a love bubble?
Neither actor has publicly commented on their possible relationship at the time of this writing, so it is all speculation at this point. Maybe it's just a little ice cream and partying at nightclubs between two hot friends.