Is Bradley Cooper Married? Does He Have a Girlfriend? What We Know About the A-Lister's Dating Life
Show of hands: Who's had a bit of a crush on Bradley Cooper ever since he was friend-zoned by Jennifer Garner on the ABC spy series Alias?
Now, another show of hands: Who correctly guessed that he’d turn out to be a big such a huge movie star? Over the course of his film career, Cooper has racked up an eye-popping eight Academy Award nominations while charming his ever-growing legion of fans in films likeSilver Linings Playbook, American Sniper and American Hustle—and then he wowed critics and crowds all over again when he not only starred in, but also co-wrote and directed the huge hit that was 2018's A Star Is Born remake.
These days, the 46-year-old Cooper is still going strong, with two movies out just in December 2021 alone: Paul Thomas Anderson's coming-of-age gem Licorice Pizza, in which Cooper plays real-life, former “hairdresser to the stars” Jon Peters, who went on to marry both Barbra Streisand and Pamela Anderson; and Guillermo del Toro's neo-noir Nightmare Alley.
But who's Cooper's plus-one to all of his premieres these days? Does he have a girlfriend or wife in his life? Keep reading to find out what we know about Bradley Cooper's dating life, including if Cooper is single, the ladies (and very special girl) in his life and what his romantic future may hold.
Related: Does Chris Evans Have a Girlfriend? Take a Look at the Captain America Star's Dating History
Who is Bradley Cooper’s wife?
No one, actually. He's only been married once, to NCIS actress Jennifer Esposito, and their 2006 union only lasted four months.
“It was just something that happened,” Cooper has said of their marriage. “The good thing is, we both realized it, sometimes you just realize it. … It just wasn’t right.”
Does Bradley Cooper have a girlfriend? Is Bradley Cooper single?
Officially, Cooper is single these days. “Bradley is not dating and really isn’t actively looking for someone,” a source told InTouch in December 2021. “If there’s a spark, he’ll pursue it. He’s not about dating apps or blind dates. He’d rather it be spontaneous, a chance encounter, the old-fashioned way.”
However, up until 2019, he was in a serious relationship with Victoria’s Secret and Sports Illustrated supermodel Irina Shayk.
It’s unclear how they met, but Cooper and the now-35-year-old Shayk were first spotted together in the spring of 2015 just one month after his split from another model, Suki Waterhouse. A month later, Cooper and Shayk were caught in a kiss in London. By December 2015, they were rumored to be living together, and they stayed together until their 2019 breakup.
Did Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga ever date?
In the last year or so before his split from Shayk, Cooper threw himself into directing, co-writing and co-starring in A Star Is Born. That meant a lot of time with Lady Gaga, who co-starred as his love interest in the film, and their chemistry was palpable—especially at the 2019 Academy Awards, where they sang Shallow together in a way that seemed… well, romantic. However, both Gaga and Cooper maintain there was never anything romantic between them.
Later, Cooper would say that one reason they sat so close on Oscar night was for his own personal benefit, because "it reduces the anxiety level,” he said. He also explained that the song is intimate in the film, so they played it that way. “They kind of fall in love in that scene in the film. It’s that explosive moment that happens to happen to them on a stage in front of thousands of people… It would have been so weird if we were both on stools facing the audience.”
Shayk attended the event with Cooper and they seemed to be on good terms. However, later that year, they ended their relationship. “Even though there was nothing romantic between Bradley and Gaga, the noise was difficult for Irina to deal with,” a source said at the time. The couple had other issues to deal with as well, and by June, the relationship was over.
Who did Bradley Cooper date?
In the past, Cooper has also been linked to a who’s-who of actresses and models. In addition to Waterhouse,Renée Zellweger, Jennifer Lopez, Cameron Diaz and Olivia Wildehave all dated Cooper. He was also with fellow Guardians of the Galaxy star Zoe Seldana, for two years—they broke up and got back together, only to break up once more.
Is Bradley Cooper a father?
“Having a child, and having a family of my own—which is a miracle and something I’ve always dreamt of—has opened me up even more, I guess, to the day, and to be present,” Cooper said in 2018 about 4-and-a-half year old Lea De Seine Shayk Cooper, the daughter he shares with Shayk.
Though Cooper's relationship with Shayk ultimately ended, they seem to be doing a fantastic job co-parenting their kid—even if Shayk isn't necessarily a fan of that word. “I never understood the term co-parenting,” she explained to Elle in March 2021. “When I’m with my daughter, I’m 100 percent a mother, and when she’s with her dad, he’s 100 percent her dad. Co-parenting is parenting.”
Perhaps that's why Shayk has called Cooper “the most amazing dad” and gushed about him in 2021, “He's a full-on, hands-on dad, No nanny. Lea went on holiday with him for almost two weeks [and] I didn't call them once." In fact, Cooper and Shayk's bond hasn’t changed, according to one source who's said, “He and Irina will have dinner together and partake in fun kid friendly activities that involve their daughter.”
Cooper even snapped Lea’s first Instagram pic! In April, Shayk posted a photo of herself all dolled up; little arms holding her hand and a little leg are all that’s visible of Lea, but she’s there! “My dream for @riccardotisci17 @burberry. [camera emoji] by daddy,” is how Shayk captioned the photo.
During quarantine, Cooper holed up for a time with Lea and his own mom. “I'm with my daughter and my mother and my two dogs, and we have not left the house," he said. "We live in a little townhouse, thankfully there's a backyard. I'm running a one-man preschool. We get up, we do swim class in the bathtub."
Cooper is committed to giving his daughter as much love as he possibly can. In fact, one reason he immediately connected with Gaga, he thinks, is because they both "were very, very loved as children. When I meet people that have had that similar upbringing, I can just see it in them… That's the thing I want my daughter to have—I just always want her to feel loved.”
Are Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk back together?
Both Cooper and Shayk say very little about their relationship and where it is today. “My past relationship, it’s something that belongs to me, and it’s private,” Shayk said in March 2021. Still, the pair have been seen with—and without—Lea in tow.
That’s not to say they’re necessarily back together; in 2021, in fact, Shayk was linked to Kanye West, whose ex, Kim Kardashian West, filed for divorce in February. The two had known each other for years; in 2010, Shayk appeared in West's video for "POWER."
In June 2021, a source said Cooper was OK with whatever Shayk wanted to do dating-wise. “Bradley and Irina are not just on good terms as co-parents; they’re also close as friends and share personal things with each other,” the source told Us Weekly.
After being photographed together at West's June 2021 b-day bash, Shayk and West had seemingly fizzled out by August, but it wasn’t too ugly of a breakup. “It was never a serious thing that took off,” an insider explained to PEOPLE that month. “They remain friendly.”
As 2021 drew to a close, Cooper and Shayk were spotted together more frequently. The pair was caught walking arm-in-arm in New York City—without their daughter—in mid-November, and several days later, they were seen with Lea—and Anne Hathaway and her family—over Thanksgiving weekend. And in a move that surprised everyone, in December 2021, Shayk was seen at the premiere of Nightmare Alley–with Cooper, who said it was “very special” to have her there. Just how special? Looks like we'll have to wait and see to find out.