Christina Ricci's Dating And Relationship History
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Ever since an adorable Christina Ricci slow-danced with Casper the Friendly Ghost as 13-year-old Kat Harvey in 1995's Casper, fans have waited for her to find real-life true love. And Ricci’s unexpected career trajectory from child actor to indie darling has made her love life similarly interesting.
However, for as famous as Ricci has been, she’s kept her love life as quiet as possible. Many of her early relationships were only seen through the lens of a paparazzi camera. But this doesn’t mean she hasn’t spoken out about her dating life - and the exes she’s left behind.
It’s hard not to root for Ricci, who has received acclaim for everything from The Addams Family in the 1990s to Yellowjackets in the 2020s. So when she finally posted on Instagram about finding true love, fans couldn’t wait to learn more about the mystery man. Who finally won Ricci’s heart, and whom did she cut loose?
How They Met: Ricci and Goldberg most likely met while making the 2003 drama/mystery I Love Your Work, which Ricci acted in and Goldberg wrote and directed. According to celebrity magazine OK!, they were an on-again, off-again couple between 2003 and 2007. As Goldberg himself told the magazine, he and Ricci liked to have fun between movie premieres and red carpets. “We go wilding,” he joked. “It’s not what you’d expect from a couple as a pastime, but we find that it really reinvigorates the relationship.”
Current Relationship Status: Despite the undoubtedly fun times the “wilding” couple shared, they seemed to be off for good by the time Ricci met Christopher “Kick” Gurry while filming Speed Racer, which debuted in May 2008. No word on whether Ricci and Goldberg keep in touch, but the latter posts regularly about his wife Roxanne on Instagram, with whom he shares two children.
- Photo: Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com
Kick Gurry
How They Met: The hustle and bustle of a movie set doesn’t sound super romantic, but it’s where Ricci found love - or “like” at the very least - in 2007. Romance rumors were sparked when Ricci and her co-star in the sports action comedy Speed Racer, Australian actor Christopher “Kick” Gurry, were seen with their arms around each other in Los Angeles. But aside from these paparazzi photos, not much information exists about the true depth of Ricci's relationship with Gurry.
Current Relationship Status: Because Ricci linked up with Owen Benjamin (real name Owen Benjamin Kares Troy-Smith) in 2008, it’s unlikely her relationship with Gurry lasted than a year. It’s unknown how often they interact these days.
- Photo: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com
How They Met: Ricci and former comedian and actor Owen Benjamin Kares Troy-Smith (AKA Owen Benjamin) first crossed paths in 2008 on the set of the film All’s Faire in Love, according to a 2009 article in People. Apparently, love really was in the air on the set of the rom-com, as Ricci and Benjamin were engaged a year later. However, they eventually called things off. “It was a very mature decision and they both felt good about it. They’re definitely still friends," an unnamed source told People.
Current Relationship Status: In recent years, Benjamin stopped acting and began spreading conspiracy theories and hate speech online. Ricci hasn’t spoken publicly about her ex's controversial views, so whether or not they're still the friends they were in 2009 remains to be seen.
James Heerdegen
How They Met: Ricci and James Heerdegen met in 2012 on the set of Pan Am. Ricci starred in the TV series while Heerdegen worked as a dolly grip. They got engaged in early 2013, according to Us Weekly, and married later that year. In August 2014, their son Freddie was born.
In 2020, disturbing revelations came out about their relationship - Ricci not only filed for divorce, but received a protective order against Heerdegen. People further reported that the protective order was allegedly the result of domestic violence in the relationship. In 2022, Ricci and Heerdegen reached a custody agreement over Freddie.
Current Relationship Status: The state of Ricci’s relationship with her ex-husband is impossible for the rest of us to know. In 2022, she talked about her views on love on the podcast Unqualified:
I think that a lot of my relationships in the past had a lot to do with unhealthy things that I was looking for. And I don’t know if you can call [it] love, but I don’t think things that aren’t good for you should be called love.
- Photo: riccigrams / Instagram
Mark Hampton
How They Met: We don’t know how Ricci and Mark Hampton first met, but he's a celebrity hairstylist, so it’s possible their paths crossed in the biz. In July 2021, Ricci surprised fans by posting a heartfelt birthday message to then-boyfriend Hampton on Instagram:
Favorite person, gorgeous human, bringer of all things happy, magical and good… I love you… this next year is going to be the best one yet
The good news kept on coming: a month later, Ricci announced her pregnancy with daughter Cleo. And a few months after that, she and Hampton were husband and wife. In a 2022 episode of the podcast Unqualified, Ricci opened up about her whirlwind relationship with Hampton: “I would say the first time I really fell in love in a healthy way is probably in this marriage that I’m in now."
Current Relationship Status: As of this writing, the pair are still going strong. On Hampton’s birthday in 2023, Ricci conveyed as much in an Instagram post:
Happy Birthday to the absolute love of my life… Makes me cry thinking about how wonderful you are and how lucky we all are to get to be in your life.
