Justin Long Finally Opens Up About His Relationship With Kate Bosworth
Fans speculated about the relationship between Justin Long and Kate Bosworth ever since she gushed over the "Accepted" actor in an Instagram post after the two worked together on a project in 2021. The rumors turned out to be true, as Long and Bosworth started dating that year, but were deliberately elusive about their status. "They've been dating for a few months now," a source told Us Weekly in January. According to the insider, the two were "not hiding" their relationship, but preferred to keep it out of the public eye, although they had "been on a few getaways together."
Long and the "Blue Crush" star went on one of those getaways in April when they visited Hawaii for a friend's wedding. The couple was photographed putting on heavy PDA while on a beach, per Page Six. They appeared inseparable as the "Waiting..." actor was later spotted planting kisses on Bosworth as they sat near a stone wall.
It was not only on romantic vacations that the pair packed on the PDA. Long cozied up to Bosworth as they walked the streets of New York on May 12, per Page Six. They wrapped their arms around each other as they strolled, and a video captured Long tickling the "Straw Dogs" actor as she playfully pushed his hands away. True to their private nature, they reportedly asked photographers to "leave them alone." Shortly after, Long finally opened up about his girlfriend.
Why Justin Long prefers to keep his relationship under wraps
Even though Justin Long and Kate Bosworth have been spotted showering each other with affection, the pair had not openly discussed their relationship. While appearing on Chelsea Handler's "Dear Chelsea" podcast on May 20, the "He's Just Not That Into You" actor was asked about being "newly in love." Long gave Handler the go-ahead to refer to Bosworth by name, and then spoke about why he preferred to keep a low-profile relationship. "There's something about it, for me, that I feel like I need to protect and keep sacred because it feels sacred," Long said.
The "Strange Wilderness" actor expounded on the emotions that dating Bosworth had brought out, and why the couple wanted to stay out of the limelight. "I've never had anything like this before; I've never experienced this," Long told Handler. "So it's something I want to protect and keep, you know?" Apparently, neither Long nor Bosworth had intended on falling so hard for one another. "They both went into this relationship without any expectations or pressure — it was just fun and easy — but things quickly got serious," a source told Entertainment Tonight earlier in May.
Long had mentioned the desire to safeguard his relationship on another podcast in April. Although he was reluctant to mention Bosworth by name, he did reveal why he was ready to settle down. "I didn't know it at the time, but I was ready for the one," he said on "The Viall Files" podcast (via Page Six).