A Timeline Of Jason Momoa's Relationships
It's safe to say that no one could have played Khal Drogo from "Game of Thrones" quite like Jason Momoa. The Hawaiian actor took the character from brutal to lovable, thanks to the patient encouragement of Emilia Clarke's Daenerys Targaryen. It was TV magic.
Momoa struck a chord with audiences everywhere since his HBO breakthrough, and has become a major player in Hollywood, due in part to appearing to be very likable. One Twitter user put it perfectly: "jason momoa rules because most of his roles are just like 'what if there was a dude who was f***ing rad as hell' and you don't really need range when you do that better than anyone." Though, looking at his movie credits, he certainly does have range. Momoa is also popular because, to put it frankly, he's very attractive. When John Legend was named "Sexiest Man Alive" by People in 2020, he told Insider that Momoa was more deserving. "I'll just go to my Twitter and look at all the people that people said should have beat me," Legend joked. "I got a lot of Jason Momoa, so maybe he should be next." We're inclined to agree.
Naturally, a part of being so easy on the eyes is that everyone wants to know Momoa's relationship status. He's been with Lisa Bonet for a while, though the couple announced their separation in January 2022. While the news of their split surprised many, it is but one piece of Jason Momoa's relationship timeline.
Jason Momoa and Simmone Jade Mackinnon were engaged
Jason Momoa met Simmone Jade Mackinnon on the set of "Baywatch" in 1999, per PopSugar, when the series filmed in Hawaii for a period of time. Mackinnon played the character Allie Reese and was on the series from 1999 to 2000, according to her IMDb. Momoa played Jason Ioane and had a slightly longer stint on the classic TV show, staying until 2001, per his own IMDb. The two clearly struck a chord because they began dating and in 2004, they got engaged. However, they ended their relationship in 2006.
Despite the breakup, Momoa has stayed amicable with Mackinnon. In December 2013, the Daily News shared a photo of the two greeting each other in Beverly Hills outside of a party. They hugged and she gave him "a very amiable kiss on the cheek." A source told the Daily Mail that the woman was indeed Momoa's ex-fiancée. "It was Simmone, they're still good friends," they said.
The timeline is a little more difficult to determine when it comes to Momoa's relationship with Lisa Bonet. The latter told Net-A-Porter that she met Momoa in 2004: "I can't say it was full-on from the moment we saw each other, but we have been together from the day that we met." Maybe she and Momoa were just friends early on while he sorted out his relationship with Mackinnon, since they were apparently together the year he met Bonet.
Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz's history
Before we carry on with Jason Momoa's timeline, we should talk about his next love interest's romantic history. Lisa Bonet met Lenny Kravitz at a New Edition concert and they tied the knot in 1987 before welcoming daughter Zoë Kravitz in 1988, per Men's Health.
Lenny opened up about the impact of his relationship with Bonet. "It was the first time I'd opened up like that, and had known love like that, and freedom," he recalled. "And watching her do what she did, how she maneuvered, in her artistic life — it was that last thing I needed, on this road. This sound, this message, this movement that I was looking for — I heard it in my head." Bonet was artistically influential and co-wrote some of the songs on his 1989 album, "Let Love Rule."
For Bonet, she spoke with Net-A-Porter about the impact of their 1991 separation. To survive it, Bonet said that she had to go through "a very accelerated time, spiritually and intellectually." This was primarily to protect their daughter. "I didn't want to pass on those heirlooms, and this fresh wound of a divorce," she added. It was a real chance for strength. "I think there are probably times when these thresholds can either sink you," she explained, "or you can see who you are and rise and dust yourself off." The two remain close and Lenny said he's also "tight" with Momoa.
Lisa Bonet was his 'childhood crush'
Jason Momoa grew up watching Lisa Bonet on "The Cosby Show" and admitted (much) later that when he was small, he told his mom that she was the one for him. When James Corden asked Momoa on "The Late Late Show" if it "was love at first sight," Momoa had an intense answer. "It was more than that 'cause ever since I was like eight years old, I saw her on the TV and I was like, 'Mommy, I want that one.' I'm like, 'I'm going to stalk you for the rest of my life and I'm going to get you.'" Momoa joked with Corden, "I'm a full-fledged stalker."
Did Bonet know this early on? Heck no. We doubt she would have stuck around if she did, and Momoa apparently figured the same. "I didn't tell her that until we had two babies," he explained. "Otherwise it would be creepy and weird." Momoa went on, "I've always wanted to meet her and she was a queen, always."
After marrying Bonet in 2017, Momoa felt like he could pretty much do anything. "If someone says something isn't possible," he told Esquire, "I'm like, 'Listen here, I married Lisa Bonet. Anything is f***ing possible.'" Talk about achieving your childhood dream!
Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa met in a cute way
Jason Momoa, despite being a serious contender for the "Sexiest Man Alive" award, doesn't have a long list of relationships. It would seem that — after Lisa Bonet came into the picture — he was done with the dating scene. Bonet was already famous from playing Denise Huxtable on "The Cosby Show," so when she met Momoa in 2004, she was already well-established in her career. She is also 13 years his senior.
The two met in Los Angeles "at a jazz club," Bonet told Net-A-Porter. Momoa was short some wheels and needed a way to get home. Bonet offered a ride and the two stopped for a bedtime snack of "Guinness and grits." While it might be a relatively tame activity, it was enough to spark something huge. "In that moment, love came and it came big, and he did not run as I think a lot of men do," Bonet said of Momoa. "He basically picked me up and threw me over his shoulder, caveman style!"
Momoa also spoke about their first meetup, sharing the story on "The Late Late Show with James Corden" in November 2017: "We just happened to be at the right place, right time." He added that there were mutual friends at the club as well. "I had actually had dreaded my hair almost for her," he shared, describing that "fireworks went off" when Bonet introduced herself.
Jason Momoa's relationship with Zoë Kravitz
Jason Momoa came into Lisa Bonet's life after she welcomed daughter Zoë Kravitz with her ex-husband, Lenny Kravitz. Happily, Momoa and his step-daughter have a close relationship. When he spoke about Bonet in his short film, "Canvas of My Life," he mentioned the "three beautiful, feral kids" Bonet gave him, which included Zoë. He called her "Zo-Zo Bear" in the clip, which is a pretty adorable term of endearment. She calls him "Papa Bear" in return, according to Men's Health. At the time of that particular interview, Zoë was married to actor Karl Glussman and Momoa gave love to him, Zoë, and Lenny, when he gushed, "I love her husband, I love her dad. I hope and pray my daughter is that talented and loving and open and close to her family." Sounds like a happy situation.
Zoë has been clear that she reciprocates the enthusiasm and adores her younger siblings, Lola Momoa and Nakoa-Wolf Momoa. "I always wanted siblings, and I'm totally obsessed with them," Zoë told Net-A-Porter in 2017. "But I still have only-child syndrome. I'm bossy." Hey, it happens!
The drama of his first child's birth
Typical of the excitement we've come to expect from Jason Momoa, the birth of his first child with Lisa Bonet was a wild story. Lola Iolani Momoa was born in July 2007, according to Hollywood Life, while Momoa was working on set in Vancouver, Canada and Bonet was in Los Angeles.
Lola came early, so her birth was a surprise to the actor, who confessed he was fast asleep when he got the message Bonet went into labor. "There was no air-conditioning in these places, so I was sleeping in the front window," Momoa told Esquire. "I missed about seventy calls. And I woke up and freaked the f*** out." He blasted to the airport and was able to convince the flight attendant to let him get off the plane first — even though he was sitting in the back. And he brought that same energy to getting out of the airport. "So I come barreling out of the terminal, like the Predator, like, 'GET OUT OF THE WAY!'" he recalled.
Thankfully, his efforts paid off. "I made it in the nick of time," Momoa shared. "I had about two hours with her in the tub, and my baby girl was born. Oh, and this is the best part! Benjamin Bratt was on the plane! He was in first class. And when I ran past him, I'm like, Oh, s**t Benjamin Bratt! And he was like, 'Go, go, go.'" Quite the story!
Having a family changed Jason Momoa
Becoming a father was a transformative experience for Jason Momoa and even shaped his relationship with himself. "I really can't tell you what the hell I was doing before I had kids," he told Men's Health. "Just f***ing off. Wasting time. I think I was pretty reckless and definitely a bit out of control. Now I'm more focused. I probably love myself more and take care of myself more because I want to stick around."
Momoa, as he said in "Canvas of My Life," "was raised by a strong, single mother." And when he himself became a parent, it felt all too natural. "I found my place," he expressed.
The experience of parenthood often leads to the question of legacy, and this is no different for Momoa. He spoke to Men's Health about how "the greatest thing I ever do" would be to "make good humans," a worthy goal if we do say so. He also talked about his plans for his children: "If I can pump them full of amazing stuff and surround them with beautiful art and music, then I'm going to live out my life watching them. They're already way smarter and just way better than me." He also pointed to his children as "my greatest piece of art" and said that he only wants to be "remembered as ... an amazing husband and a great father."
Jason Momoa is an 'alpha male,' according to Lisa Bonet
Jason Momoa has a knack for playing the take-charge character who saves the day, but with a vulnerable side. Just look at what he brought to Aquaman and Khal Drogo. But bringing such dimension to a character might not be such a stretch for him, as he's very much a lovable force to be reckoned with in real life, too.
As Lisa Bonet told Net-A-Porter, "What's cool about Jason is that he's an alpha male who stands for love and family." Momoa also helped her heal from her own difficult childhood, filling in what she didn't get. "And to circle back to my own wounds, having an absent father, then to be fully met by a man of that stature, is really incredible." Bonet didn't shy away from praising her husband, saying, "Jason embodies a rare form of masculinity in this day and age – he's a leader; he's generous. Just in terms of charisma, physique, the right use of power, responsibility, work ethic, you can go down the line."
For Momoa, he'd been searching for the experience of fatherhood his whole life. "Ever since I was a little boy, I always wanted to be a father," he said in the short film "Canvas of My Life," a goal he achieved with Bonet. The two share daughter Lola Momoa and son Nakoa-Wolf Momoa. It seemed like they filled in the missing blanks for each other.
He and Lisa Bonet worked together
Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet didn't just create little humans together, they also collaborated as artists and actors. He directed the 2014 film, "Road to Paloma," where Bonet played Magdalena, per her IMDb. Momoa spoke to Collider about working with his wife. "I played a Native American character in that, and we sent it in to Sundance," he said. "It's called 'Road to Paloma,' and [Bonet] played my love interest in the movie. It was definitely one of the hardest things I'd ever done in my life 'cause it's very close to us."
They also collaborated on the TV series "The Red Road," which ran from 2014 to 2015. In that show, Bonet played Sky Van Der Veen and Momoa played Phillip Kopus. Momoa spoke about the experience of producer Bridget Carpenter approaching them for the project. "We looked at it and it was completely opposite of what we had just played," he said of Bonet's potential role. "We never thought we'd work together again. It wasn't like I said, 'I'm only doing this with my wife.' But, it was great because it's the opposite of what we played in the movie. And she really dug it and wanted to do it. It's definitely fun, working across from your partner."
And in 2020, they even appeared in a Super Bowl commercial together for Rocket Mortgage, and it's as charming as anyone would expect from the two.
Jason Momoa's gift to Lisa Bonet
While we know that Lisa Bonet has a preference for privacy, especially when it comes to her romantic relationships, she did occasionally pop up on Jason Momoa's social media. In August 2020, he posted a YouTube video called "My Wife's First Mustang." Momoa shared the process he went through of getting back Bonet's first car, a black Ford Mustang, and chronicled the intensive refurbishment of it. The car was in rough shape when he got it back, though the final product was breathtaking. "This is a big dream come true," Momoa explained, "because this was my wife's first car."
He went on, "To be in this passenger seat with my wife here, and surprise her, and our babies in the back, riding in the first car when she was 17. ... I'm excited to see her face." Bonet was speechless when she saw the "just because" gift, reported Elle, and they rode off into the sunset together.
The thoughtful (and decadent!) present inspired viewers to do the same for their partners. "The way he loves his wife, blows me away," one fan commented. "It definitely encourages me to love my wife with a depth that is not seen much anymore." Another wrote, "I don't remember seeing an actor like Jason that adores his wife this much, even since before they were together." Someone else expressed what we were all thinking: "Jason is literally every girl's dream boyfriend /husband."
Jason Momoa kept his relationship with Lisa Bonet private
"Opposites attract" seems to have been the dynamic between Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet. Typical of the persona he emits in his films, Momoa is an open book, a rowdy, gregarious extrovert. For Bonet, she prefers to keep things close to her chest. "She's very, very, very private," Momoa told Esquire. "I'm the opposite, like, Come on in!" For this reason, he rarely posts about her on social media.
Momoa's respect for Bonet's privacy has occasionally caused some confusion among fans. Take for instance when Momoa celebrated "Game of Thrones" showrunner David Benioff's birthday with Emilia Clarke and posted about it on Instagram. At least one fan incorrectly assumed it was a birthday post for Clarke. "Am I missing something?" commented said fan. "He posted [Clarke's] birthday but not his own wife's?" While the post was misinterpreted, the question does point out that Bonet rarely appeared on his public platforms.
When she did make an appearance, however, it was full of love. In his short film "Canvas of My Life," Momoa gushed about what Bonet did for him. "And then it happened," he began. "She came." He went on, "My muse, the love of my life, my partner in crime. I fell stupid, crazy, madly in love with her. My wife gave me three beautiful, feral kids." While Momoa rarely posted about Bonet, when he did, it was everything.
Rumors around Emilia Clarke
The palpable on-screen chemistry between Jason Momoa and Emilia Clarke in "Game of Thrones" was not lost on fans, so when Momoa posted some photos of himself and Clarke on Instagram in August 2021, people noticed. In one pic, Clarke sat on his lap and in another, Momoa held Clarke. He captioned it, "MOON OF MY LIFE. you are wonderful love u forever [Emilia Clarke]." The two were reunited after the pandemic to celebrate the birthday of "GOT" showrunner David Benioff. Clarke shared one of the photos on her own social media and added the caption, "When your sun and stars rolls into town you check that he can still bench press a Khaleesi."
While Momoa and Clarke posted the photo before announcing his split from Lisa Bonet, fans returned to it with a different perspective. Obviously, the two were referencing the language of their characters, but people began speculating about a romantic connection between them. "Marry him!!!!!!!" one person commented on Clarke's post. "Girl I truly hope you are not a home wrecker," someone else added. "omg [Emilia Clarke] are you really a [home wrecker] now?" another asked.
As far as we know, Clarke is single. She was previously in a relationship with American director Charlie McDowell, per The U.S. Sun, but they called it quits in 2019. But though the photos seem intimate, Entertainment Weekly points out that the two actors have known each other since 2011 and have been close friends ever since.
What's their net worth?
Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet amassed a sizable fortune over the years, thanks to both their individual appeal and the charming charisma of watching them work together. They both have an individual net worth of $10 million, per two separate reports by Celebrity Net Worth. But just because things are cushy now doesn't mean that it was always that way. Back in 2005, when Momoa was appearing in "Stargate: Atlantis" as Ronon Dex, he was tight for cash and his living situation reflected this. He was living in a studio apartment "down a back alley" in Vancouver, Canada, he told Esquire.
Even after hitting it big in "Game of Thrones," Momoa was hard up for cash. He was living at a home in Topanga Canyon with Bonet and their children and couldn't get out of debt. "I mean, we were starving after 'Game of Thrones,'" he told InStyle. "I couldn't get work. It's very challenging when you have babies and you're completely in debt." Part of the problem was that his epic character, Khal Drogo, was killed off at the end of Season 1. He told Entertainment Weekly that he read the original novel by author George R.R. Martin and realized the gig would be short-lived. "I was reading it and I was like: 'Holy s**t! F***, I'm dead!'" Obviously, things quickly turned around for both of them and their finances grew significantly.
Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet's separation announcement
For all those who loved Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet's relationship, it was tough to discover that the two called it quits in January 2022. In a since-deleted post, Momoa shared a statement from both of them on his Instagram (via People): "We have all felt the squeeze and changes of these transformational times ... A revolution is unfolding and our family is of no exception ... feeling and growing from the seismic shifts occurring. And so we share our Family news that we are parting ways in marriage."
"We share this not because we think it's newsworthy but so that as we go about our lives we may do so with dignity and honesty," they went on. "The love between us carries on, evolving in ways it wishes to be known and lived." They added a dedication to the "sacred life" of their children and finished with, "May Love Prevail."
In a conversation with Interview magazine in December 2021, Bonet curiously used the same language. "The revolution is definitely here and we're all feeling the squeeze," she said. Later in the interview, she added what she was working on: "Definitely learning how to be authentically me, learning to be new, and following this invitation from the universe to step into this river of uncertainty. ... It's time to grow our roots deeper into our own values." It sounds like their split may have been a long time coming.