Best-known for directing hits like Thor: Ragnarok and the Oscar-winning film Jojo Rabbit, New Zealand native Taika Waititi keeps a pretty low profile when it comes to his personal life.
But after being linked to pop star Rita Ora in March 2021, the filmmaker has seen his love life start to get some serious media attention, especially with many questions circling around what was happening with his now ex-wife Chelsea Winstanley.
We dove in to take a closer look at his relationship with Rita Ora, as well as his first marriage.
Taika Waititi And Rita Ora Started Dating In 2021
Back in March of 2021, Ora’s former flame, Romain Guavas, confirmed that the couple had called it quits due to work scheduling conflicts. The following month, Ora posted a series of photos on Instagram that included one of her hugging a (blurry) guy who looked similar to Waititi.
Also in April 2021, the pair were spotted deplaning a private jet and attending the premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under together. They were also photographed on the streets of Sydney acting very much like a couple in May.
Rumors about them really ran wild in June, when the duo made headlines for their “three-way kiss” with Thor actress Tessa Thompson. The paparazzi had a field day when the trio playfully cuddled up and smooched each other on a balcony in Sydney. While much was made of the apparent throuple, it seems as though Thompson was just having some fun with her friends.
In a June interview with the Sydney Morning Herald, Waititi was asked about the incident and if media attention on him and Ora upset him. “Not really,” he said. “I think in the world of the internet, everything goes away pretty quick. And also, ‘is it that big a deal?’ No, not really. I was doing nothing wrong. It’s fine.”
In August, the couple made their pairing media official as they walked the red carpet together at the movie premiere of The Suicide Squad in Los Angeles. A couple of weeks later, they went Insta-official when Ora posted a series of photos of her and Waititi on his birthday.
Their Low-Key Engagement And Wedding
After a little over a year of dating, Waititi and Ora got engaged. According to The Sun, the couple almost “simultaneously” proposed to one another and are planning an intimate ceremony with close friends and family and will eventually have a bigger celebration later down the road.
“This isn’t about them doing a big show thing and crowing about it beforehand. It’s just about them being in love and deciding to formalise their relationship,” a friend told the publication. “They couldn’t be happier.”
In January 2023, Ora revealed that she and the New Zealand filmmaker had officially tied the knot in an appearance on Heart Breakfast with Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden. While she didn’t reveal many details about their private ceremony, she admitted that it was “really sweet” and exactly what she wanted (via E! News).
We wish these lovebirds all the best!
Taika Waititi Was Previously Married To Chelsea Winstanley
Waititi married award-winning film producer Chelsea Winstanley in 2011. A native New Zealander, the pair have two daughters together—Te Hinekaahu, born in 2012, and Matewa Kiritapu, born in 2015.
Unfortunately, the filmmakers reportedly decided to split in 2018, though they were able to keep the news under wraps until March of 2020. Because of this, many questions began to swirl as the pair began hitting red carpet events solo.
As to why the relationship ultimately ended, both Waititi and Winstanley have been tight-lipped, and no official press releases were ever issued either.