Despite their almost 15-year age difference, from the moment British singer-songwriter Rita Ora and New Zealand-born director Taika Waititi met, there was a connection.
Whilst at first the sparks were purely platonic, their relationship soon blossomed from best friends to beaus, to betrothed.
WATCH NOW: Lachie Gill duets with Rita Ora on The Voice Australia. Article continues after video.
Over the years they’ve made many red-carpet appearances that have established them as certified style icons, shared cute moments, and of course, proven that their love is one for the ages.
In short, these Hollywood A-listers are pretty darn cute!
Scroll on for a complete relationship timeline….
How did Rita Ora and Taika Waititi meet?
In February 2022, Taika took to his Instagram to share a candid snap of his now-wife Rita taken the very first day they met.
“First photo the night we met four years ago. We’ve been mates ever since. Then a year ago we decided to “complicate” things but it just got easier. Happy Valentines Day to my bestie @ritaora ❤️❤️❤️🧨💥,” he captioned the photo.
Based on this, we can presume that Rita and Taika met in February 2018. They weren’t romantically linked however until April 2021, when Rita posted a series of images (including one of her looking particularly cosy with Taika).
The singer captioned the post, “Good times, memories, random things on my phone and the ones I love. ❤️ #midweekupdate.”
At the time Taika was in Sydney shooting Thor: Love and Thunder while Rita was filming The Voice Australia.
After being spotted hanging out with Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina a few months down the track, The Sun then reported that Taika and Rita had actually started dating in March.
Were Rita Ora, Taika Waititi, and Tessa Thompson in a throuple?
After enjoying a few months out of the spotlight, the lovebirds drew worldwide coverage when pap shots of them, and actress Tessa Thompson getting up close and personal became public, bringing up questions of if they were in a throuple and/or polyamorous.
One month after the sneaky snaps went viral, Taika opened up about the invasion of privacy to The Sydney Morning Herald, describing it as “no big deal.”
“I think in the world of the internet, everything goes away pretty quick. I was doing nothing wrong. It’s fine.”
Their Red Carpet Debut
Whilst it was pretty clear to the world that Rita and Taiki were happily dating, they didn’t make their official red carpet debut until August 2021 at The Suicide Squad premiere in Los Angeles.
A month later, Rita confirmed to Vogue Australia that she was in a “great place in my life” when asked about her romance with the award-winning filmmaker.
Attending whirlwind red carpet events all over the world for the rest of the year and well into 2022, it was clear that despite the 15-year age gap, these two were well and truly smitten with one another.
When did Rita Ora and Taika Waititi get married?
Initially, the pair refused to publicly comment on whether they had or were planning to tie the knot.
Rita didn’t help with the guesswork of fans either after she gushed over Taika on the podcast Greatest Night Ever.
“I’ve always wanted the fairytale, that’s what I grew up loving,” she said.
“For me, it was always about that love, finding a partner, so I’m really happy I did.”
Finally, in January 2023 interview with Heart Radio breakfast, Rita admitted that she was a married woman.
“Yes! Here we are…they say everything happens for a reason. I am officially off the market, people!”
A month later, the singer debuted her gorgeous exquisite emerald wedding ring on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon, revealing that she had not yet “shown” anyone her shiny new jewel.
“I felt like I really knew I wanted to be with this person, and I just wanted it to feel really right,” Rita told Jimmy.
“So, I may have taken him to the shop and pointed out exactly what ring I wanted.”
Two months later, the newlywed spilled even more information about her wedding, telling Glamour UK that it had all been planned in “two to three days.”
“His kids were there, and I really wanted them to be a part of it. It was either then or we had to wait for ages.”
“I didn’t want to do it without my stepkids there. So, we just figured it out, and we did it. And it was perfect. I wanted to keep it private because my life and my career aren’t.”
Does Rita Ora have kids?
Currently, the musician isn’t a mum of her own biological kids with Taika. But she’s a loving step mum to his two daughters Matewa Kiritapu and Te Hinekahu, whom he co-parents with ex-wife Chelsea Winstanley.
Speaking with the Hollywood Reporter in May 2023, Rita said she had plans to expand their blended family, describing having kids with her new husband as a “dream” of hers.
WATCH NOW: Rita Ora celebrates her husband’s 48th birthday. Article continues after video.
Celebrating each other
To mark her husband’s 48th birthday, Rita shared numerous never before seen snaps and videos of her and Taika with her 16.1m Instagram followers.
“Happy birthday to the funnest smartest man I have ever come across in my life. You keep me together in moments I don’t think I can. Thankyou for showing me what love really is,” Rita penned.
“Here’s to many more moments of me stealing your jokes and telling them 10x louder so people think I’m the funny one. I LOVE YOU!!”
