Dylan Sprouse & Barbara Palvin's Relationship History Started With A DM
Let's be honest for a sec. Everyone's first thought when Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin started dating was something along the lines of — dang, that's a fine-lookin' couple. Their love goes way deeper than good bone structure, flawless hair, immaculate skin, and smoldering smizes. Dylan Sprouse and Barbara Palvin's relationship history serves as the perfect proof that these two aren't just Instagram eye candy, they're truly built to last. Why? Because they're behind each other, no matter what.
What sets this celebrity couple apart is the way in which they're endlessly supportive of each other's pursuits. Like when Sprouse positively beamed while watched Palvin walk the Victoria's Secret runway, or when Palvin proudly posted on IG about Sprouse's first comic book launching. It's clear that they not only thrive off watching each other succeed but that perhaps they even drive each other to achieve their dreams. Now that's what I call a #powercouple.
Before Palvin met Sprouse, she had been single for a whopping six years. Still, she's confident that he was well worth the wait.
"It did pay off, because I feel like I found the perfect guy," she told Vogue Australia in a video interview.
From their first encounter on social media to their endearingly relatable quarantine activities, here's how their love story has unfolded thus far.
June 2018: The Sparks Fly.
Based on Palvin's first anniversary Instagram on June 16, it's clear that they first began dating in late spring of 2018. The couple confirmed in a cover interview for W Magazine that after initially meeting at a party, Sprouse oh so smoothly slid into her Instagram DMs.
“She followed me, so I was like, I guess I’ll give her something," Sprouse told the magazine. “I was like, ‘Hey, I don’t know if you’re in New York for very long, but we should hang out if you want to. Here’s my number.’"
As it turns out, Palvin didn't message him back for a whole six months. However, she told People magazine that she knew she wanted to be exclusive with him from "the first minute" they met.
As for why she left him on read for so long, Palvin told Vogue that she just "wasn't in a good mindset" at the time, even though she knew there was potential for romance there.
Once the timing felt right, she finally messaged him back. However, in those six months while Sprouse was awaiting his response, he booked a movie and moved to China for filming.
One day, on the shoot, his manager asked him: "Dylan, is there anything you wish you had wrapped up before you left?" Sprouse admitted to W Magazine that Palvin immediately came to mind, and 10 minutes later, she texted him. How's that for serendipitous?
Here's the best part. Palvin actually packed up and traveled all the way to China that summer to visit him during the shoot.
July 2018: Rumors Start.
While the couple hadn't publicly announced their relationship quite yet, speculation of their romance was spurred on by a now-deleted Instagram of them hanging out together at the World Cup in Russia. A series of adorable and affectionate pics and videos of them smiling ear to ear in the stands and sipping on beer were shared shortly thereafter.
August 2018: They Make Their Debut On The 'Gram.
Is it even a real relationship if you don't Instagram about it? Palvin made shippers' week — nay, year — when she shared a flirty IG post on August 8 for Sprouse's 26th bday, which seemingly confirmed their romance.
Under a selfie of them, Palvin wrote: "Even though it's your birthday I feel I just got the biggest present of all. Happy birthday Boss Baby."
BTW — while the timeline on this is unclear — Palvin shared in an interview with British Vogue that their first kiss happened after she devoured most of Sprouse's burrito during a hang sesh, and she got tired of waiting for him to make a move.
"It was 3 AM and I had to take control because you wouldn't kiss me!" she said. "We'd been talking and texting for four months and I was like, 'Are you going to kiss me or what?'"
August 2018: They Visit Palvin's Home Country
Mere weeks after they went IG official, Sprouse and Palvin were seen gallivanting around her native country of Hungary. During their travels, they apparently visited a castle in Budapest, as well as attended The Sziget Festival — one of the largest music fests in Europe.
In a later interview, Sprouse told W Magazine that he made an effort to learn some Hungarian while on the trip so that he could try and communicate more effectively with Palvin's fam. I mean, how cute is that? Speaking of her family, the couple crossed a major milestone on the trip because this is when he met her parents.
Around the same time of this European adventure, Palvin shared a photo of Sprouse on her IG Story accompanied by an emoji of a girl surrounded by hearts. So, even though they still had yet to officially comment on the relationship at this point, it was pretty clear that these two lovebirds were in deep.
September 2018: They Make Their Public Debut At NYFW.
What better time or place to make your red carpet debut than New York Fashion Week? Palvin and Sprouse were seen arm in arm and looking smitten as ever at numerous events throughout the week, including the exhibit and book launch of Angels by Russell James. And can we please talk about their posh AF coordinating khaki and cream ensembles at the BOSS Womenswear & Menswear show?
Toward the end of the festivities, they were photographed at the annual Harper's Bazaar ICONS Party looking particularly cozy — at one point, Palvin even gave her boo a kiss on the cheek.
October 2018: They Go All Out For Halloween.
Sprouse and Palvin announced their mutual obsession with anime to the world when they attended Heidi Klum's Halloween party — Sprouse went as Future Trunks from Dragon Ball Z, while Palvin dressed up as Gaara from Naruto.
Palvin once told W magazine that this shared appreciation for anime actually brought them closer.
"In high school, I had a friend who would watch 'Naruto' with me, but that faded away," she explained in the interview "When [Dylan] came into my life, I was like, I'm home, baby."
November 2018: Sprouse Watches Palvin Walk The Runway.
When Palvin walked the Victoria's Secret runway for the first time, Sprouse was obviously there in the audience to support her. Not only did he attend, but he was seen standing up from his seat and legit clutching his heart with his hand as she strutted down the catwalk. And did I mention that he brought her a Shake Shack feast after the show was over? Now that's #BoyfriendGoals.
November 2018: Palvin and Sprouse Offer An Inside Look At Their Relationship.
Vogue Australia's video interview with Sprouse and Palvin, which involved following them around on a day off, offered lots of endearing tidbits about their relationship. For one, they enjoy picnic lunches and pumpkin carving, and their typical date night apparently entails going to play pinball at a dive bar (Palvin won, for the record). Don't these two just make your heart sparkle? *Sigh.*
February 2019: Palvin Meets The Twin Bro.
Up until this point, Palvin hadn't gotten the chance to meet Sprouse's twin brother Cole because he was a "very busy guy" shooting Riverdale. Thankfully, Sprouse finally had the opportunity to introduce them at the Vanity Fair Oscars afterparty.
March 2019: Sprouse Congratulates Palvin On Her Promo.
When Palvin was officially made a Victoria's Secret Angel in March of 2019, Sprouse congratulated her via Instagram with a (now-deleted) post that included a silly pic of them together, and a caption that read, "Here's to the people who tried to drag her down, cheers!"
Not only that, but Sprouse planned a surprise party to celebrate Palvin finally getting her Angel wings. Palvin admitted on Insta that she "only cried" for a solid two minutes after being greeted by loved ones at the bash.
June 2019: They Celebrate Their One-Year Anniversary.
On their first anniversary, Palvin posted an IG tribute to their relationship with a slideshow of their cutest pics together, which included both selfies and professional shots.
Sprouse, meanwhile, shared a (now-deleted) photo of them with the caption "One whole year with smoogie. From China to NYC to the rest of the world. I'll save the sappiness for private, but my life is better now."
November 2019: They Crush Halloween For The Second Time.
Once again, Palvin and Sprouse positively crushed it with their costumes for Heidi Klum's annual Halloween bash — and unsurprisingly, they went with an anime theme for the second time. This time, they dressed up as characters from the same film — Princess Mononoke — with Palvin as San and Sprouse as Ashitaka.
March 2020: They Achieve Quarantine #Goals.
In an exclusive interview with Elite Daily, Sprouse opened up about quarantine life with Palvin — and TBH, it sounds like they have a pretty ideal situation.
"We've been playing a lot of video games, watching a lot of television and film, and just enjoying the time together, actually," he explained.
In fact, Sprouse noted that it's been nice to hunker down with his girlfriend while social distancing because life for them is normally so chaotic and entails "flying all over the place."
He also revealed one other super relatable detail about their quality time together: it's included a lot of Animal Crossing.
May 2020: Palvin Applauds Sprouse's First Comic Book.
To show just how proud she is of Sprouse publishing his first-ever comic book, Palvin posted a hilarious photo series on Instagram with a pretty heartwarming caption. She wrote:
"It was just a year ago when you couldn’t even brush ur teeth alone and now look at you ... It is so inspiring to watch you achieve your dreams/goals!"
Palvin also included a link in her IG bio to preorder Suneater, which was inspired by folk stories told to Sprouse by his Scandinavian-American grandparents. Fun fact: Sprouse actually created a character that's based on Palvin. Is that romantic or what?
