When Amy Poehler wins a Golden Globe in 2026 and shouts out her boyfriend, people start Googling like crazy. Honestly, it’s a bit of a shock to realize how much time has passed since she and Will Arnett were the "it" couple of comedy. People still hold onto that 2012 heartbreak like it was their own parents splitting up. But the Amy Poehler dating history is a lot more nuanced than just one high-profile divorce and some SNL sketches.
She’s private. Like, "doesn't share her s---" kind of private. She even said as much in her memoir, Yes Please. But between the lines of her work and the occasional red carpet appearance, we’ve seen a pattern of her choosing brilliant, creative, and—lately—surprisingly "normal" guys.
The Will Arnett Era: 2000–2012
It started in a way that sounds like a romantic comedy script. Will Arnett saw her performing with the Upright Citizens Brigade in 1996 and told his then-girlfriend, "I have a crush on that girl." Four years later, they finally connected through mutual friends. By the time they married in 2003, they were the undisputed king and queen of the alt-comedy scene.
They were everywhere together. Arrested Development. Blades of Glory. Parks and Recreation. They had two kids, Archie and Abel. They seemed bulletproof.
Then came September 2012.
The announcement of their separation felt like a glitch in the Matrix for fans who thought "funny" equaled "forever." While the internet speculated about everything from work schedules to personal struggles, Poehler remained mostly silent. She eventually described the divorce as "really sucking," but she refused to give the tabloids the gory details they wanted. Instead, she stayed focused on co-parenting. It’s a masterclass in how to handle a public split without burning the house down.
The Nick Kroll Years and the "Schedule" Trap
Not long after the split from Arnett, Amy started dating Nick Kroll in 2013.
Kroll was the perfect match on paper. He was younger, rising fast in the comedy world, and they already shared a similar social circle. They looked great together on the red carpet for Adult Beginners. But by 2015, it was over.
The official reason? Schedules.
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It sounds like a PR cliché, but in Hollywood, it’s usually the truth. When you have two people trying to lead their own shows—Amy with the final seasons of Parks and Nick with Kroll Show—and throw in the complexity of Amy raising two young boys, the logistics just stop making sense. They’ve stayed friends, which is a recurring theme in Amy’s life. She doesn't seem to do "messy" breakups.
The Quiet Interlude: Benjamin Graf
After Kroll, things went dark on the romance front for a while. There was a brief period in 2016 and 2017 where she was linked to Benjamin Graf, a New York attorney specializing in trademarks and patents.
He wasn't a celebrity. He played Ultimate Frisbee.
This was the first hint that Amy might be moving away from the "power couple" dynamic toward something a bit more grounded. They were spotted hiking in LA, looking very "un-Hollywood." It didn't last, or at least it didn't stay public for long, but it marked a shift in her dating trajectory.
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Joel Lovell: The Current Chapter
Fast forward to late 2024. Reports started surfacing that Amy was dating Joel Lovell.
If you aren't a media nerd, you might not know the name. Lovell is a heavyweight in the world of high-end journalism and podcasting. He was a deputy editor at The New York Times Magazine and later a big deal at Pineapple Street Studios.
They made it "official-official" at the 2025 Oscars. They walked the red carpet hand-in-hand, looking comfortable in a way that only people in their 50s who have figured their lives out can look.
"I had fun with my date and my feet don't hurt," Poehler joked after the 2025 Vanity Fair party.
The relationship seems built on a shared love for storytelling. Amy has been leaning hard into the podcast world with Good Hang with Amy Poehler, and Lovell is basically a titan in that industry. It’s a classic "work-meets-life" scenario that actually seems to be sticking.
At the 2026 Golden Globes, her "I love you" shoutout to him during her acceptance speech for Best Podcast felt like a definitive closing of the "sad divorcee" narrative that fans had projected onto her for a decade. She’s not just okay; she’s thriving with someone who gets her world but doesn't necessarily need to be the center of it.
Lessons from Amy’s Playbook
If you’re looking at the Amy Poehler dating history for some kind of takeaway, it’s this: privacy is a choice.
- Protect your peace. She rarely comments on rumors, even when they’re wild.
- Prioritize the kids. Her relationship with Will Arnett remained amicable enough that they even quarantined together during the pandemic for their sons.
- Change your "type" as you grow. Going from a high-energy comedy partner to a thoughtful editor suggests she’s prioritizing different things now than she was in her 20s.
Amy Poehler has managed to navigate fame, a very public divorce, and the weird world of mid-life dating without losing her identity. She’s proof that you can be one of the most famous women in the world and still keep the most important parts of your life for yourself.
For anyone going through their own mid-life transition or dating after a long marriage, looking at how she handled the shift from the Arnett era to the Lovell era is actually pretty inspiring. It's less about finding a "replacement" and more about finding the person who fits your current version.
Keep an eye on her upcoming podcast episodes for more subtle nods to her life—she tends to drop her best wisdom when she’s behind a microphone rather than in front of a paparazzi lens.