Are Joaquin Phoenix-Rooney Mara married? How Hollywood's Jesus-Mary went from a quiet romance to maybe a baby
Joaquin Phoenix made a clean sweep at the awards season last year after his jaw-dropping performance in 'Joker'. The 45-year-old is now making headlines for his relationship with fiancée Rooney Mara as the couple is expecting their first child.
There is no official confirmation but an insider told Page Six that Rooney may be pregnant as she has been wearing a lot of baggy clothes to cover the baby bump. If reports are to be believed, she is already six months pregnant. Could it be possible that the couple got secretly married before planning a baby?
Dubbed as Jesus and Mary, the couple reportedly fell for each other on the sets of 'Mary Magdalene' — in which Rooney played the titular character and Joaquin essayed the role of Jesus Christ. But that's not where the pair first met. Their eyes first locked in 2012 on the sets of 'Her' and reunited four years later.
While shooting, there were rumors that the two were dating. A source told Page Six in 2017 that "they have been spending time together after 'they found love on the set' of their anticipated biblical tale, which filmed in Italy last year." At that time, Phoenix’s rep denied the hearsay and said they were “just good friends.” He was quoted saying, “They worked on ‘Her,’ ‘Mary Magdalene’ and [their] next movie. They are and have been good friends for quite a long time.”
The couple soon made heads turn with their public appearance at the 70th Cannes Film Festival. According to People, they "sat next to each other and were seen smiling and chatting throughout the show. At one point, the actor was even seen resting his hand on Mara’s leg."
“They were talking to one another nonstop,” a source told People. “Small talk between them. Then they went for their car and he’s holding her hand like it was unconscious. Like it fits. They seem a totally natural and easy couple.”
That same year, Phoenix confirmed in an interview with The New York Times that the two were living together. The couple has always remained hush-hush about their romance. In 2019, Us Weekly reported that the 'Carol' actress was spotted wearing a large diamond ring on her left hand.
Inkling on marriage plans back then, a source told Us Weekly that Rooney and Phoenix “are so in love,” but “they think marriage is too mainstream.” Back in February, GossipCop debunked the story about how the couple was fighting over marriage and kids.
A Star report had quoted a source saying, “Rooney always wants what her sister has, but getting Joaquin to commit is another story.” Commenting on the actor's life, the source had said, “Joaquin is like this wild animal that Rooney has been trying to tame” and that he “marches to the beat of his own drum and says he’s too into his work to pick up his laundry, let alone become a dad.”
The insider also said, “If Rooney wants kids with Joaquin, she’s got a long wait ahead of her. This could be the thing that rips them apart.” Clearly, that report has been deemed entirely false with the recent baby rumors. The two have always been very private about their relationship and just like the engagement news, they could have wanted to keep a wedding ceremony confidential too. Or perhaps, they want to steer clear of marriage entirely and stick together in an unconventional way.
Both of them share similar sentiments towards veganism and animal rights. In recent times, the couple has been spotted out and about in Los Angeles, once when Rooney was visiting her sister Kate Mara and another time, at a gas station.
No matter what the reality may be, fans can't wait for a green light from the pair on the news. Until we wait for the pair to confirm or deny the marriage and pregnancy rumors, it's time to look forward to a new beginning in their life, isn't it?