It started with a thirsty tweet. Honestly, how many Hollywood romances can say they began because a Grammy-winning artist publicly declared a British actor was "fine as sh*t"? Not many. But for Doja Cat and Joseph Quinn, the road from a viral 2022 crush to a rumored 2024 London tryst was anything but a straight line. It was messy, it involved a very public feud with a teenager, and eventually, it became the internet's favorite "I manifested this" success story.
The DM Heard 'Round the World
If you’ve been living under a rock, let’s rewind to May 2022. Stranger Things Season 4 just dropped. Joseph Quinn is everywhere. His portrayal of Eddie Munson—the metalhead with a heart of gold—didn’t just save Hawkins; it broke the internet. Doja Cat, never one to hide her feelings, took to X (formerly Twitter) to voice what everyone was thinking. She called his hotness "criminal."
But she didn't stop there.
She actually slid into the DMs of Quinn’s younger co-star, Noah Schnapp. She asked him point-blank: "Noah can u tell Joseph to hmu. Wait no. Does he have a gf?"
Schnapp, being a teenager in the digital age, did the unthinkable. He screenshotted the messages and posted them on TikTok. Doja was livid. She hopped on an Instagram Live and called the move "borderline snake sh*t." It was awkward. It was public. Most people assumed that was the end of that. You don't usually get the guy after calling his little "brother" a weasel on a global platform.
A London Summer and That Hand-Holding Video
Fast forward to August 2024. The internet had mostly moved on. Doja had been linked to J. Cyrus, and Quinn was busy filming Gladiator II and The Fantastic Four: First Steps. Then, a grainy video hit the gossip account DeuxMoi.
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The footage showed the two walking through Camden in London. They weren't just "hanging out." Joseph Quinn had his arm draped around her shoulder. They were holding hands. Later that night, they were spotted at a pub, deep in conversation, looking very much like a couple that had been together for more than a few days.
It was the ultimate vindication for Doja. She had shot her shot, missed wildly in public, and then somehow, two years later, landed the target.
Key Moments in the Timeline
- May 2022: Doja tweets about Joseph Quinn being "fine."
- July 2022: The Noah Schnapp DM debacle happens.
- August 2024: The pair is spotted looking cozy in London and at Dingwalls Dancehall.
- September 2024: Doja flashes a ring during her iHeartRadio performance, sparking engagement rumors.
- February 2025: They are photographed together at an airport in Mexico.
- March 2025: Doja attends the Warfare after-party in LA, wearing Joseph’s suit jacket.
The Engagement Mystery
During her iHeartRadio Music Festival set in September 2024, Doja Cat did something that sent the "Kittenz" into a frenzy. While singing "Agora Hills"—specifically the line "put a rock on her hand"—she flashed a massive ring on that finger.
The internet exploded. Was Joseph Quinn already down on one knee?
She shut it down pretty quickly. In a (now deleted) tweet, she clarified that it was just a David Yurman ring with no actual "rocks" in it. Still, the choice of finger and the timing of the gesture felt like she was leaning into the chaos. She likes to troll. She knows we're watching.
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Are They Still Together in 2026?
Here is where things get a bit murky. By the summer of 2025, the red carpets were looking a little lonely. While they were "the" couple of late 2024 and early 2025, rumors of a split began to circulate around July 2025.
Joseph Quinn was spotted at the Chateau Marmont with model Amelia Zerbe. The vibe was described as "low-key," and they reportedly left in the same car but at different times to avoid the paparazzi. Around the same time, fans on Reddit claimed to have seen Doja Cat back on Raya, the exclusive dating app for celebrities.
In a September 2025 interview with The New York Times, Doja gave a classic "it's complicated" answer. She said she was "having fun" and "allowing things to happen." She didn't name Quinn, but she didn't deny him either. She basically told the world that her dating life isn't a museum exhibit for us to study.
Why This Relationship Mattered
The fascination with Doja and Joseph wasn't just about two famous people dating. It was the contrast. Doja Cat is a chaotic, experimental, high-fashion provocateur. Joseph Quinn is a classically trained British actor who, until Stranger Things, was mostly known for Dickensian dramas and stage plays.
They felt like a "fan-fiction" couple come to life.
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It also highlighted a weird shift in how we view celebrity privacy. Doja has always had a prickly relationship with her fans. She doesn't want to be "mother." She doesn't want to be your best friend. So when she kept the details of her life with Joseph under wraps, it felt like a rare moment of her protecting something she actually cared about.
What We Can Learn From the Doja-Joseph Saga
If you're looking for a takeaway from this whirlwind, it's basically this:
- Manifestation is real (maybe): If you want something, tell the world. Or at least tell a 17-year-old with a TikTok account.
- Public perception doesn't equal reality: Just because they aren't posting "hard launches" on Instagram doesn't mean it isn't serious. And just because they aren't seen together for three months doesn't always mean it's over.
- Privacy is a choice: Even in 2026, you can have a private life if you’re willing to dodge the Chateau Marmont exits.
If you're following their journey, your best bet is to keep an eye on Doja’s lyrics. Her latest work, Vie, is heavily influenced by French romance and "cartoonish" love. Whether Joseph Quinn is still the muse or just a very handsome chapter in her book, he’s definitely left his mark on her art.
Check for new tour dates or film premieres—that’s usually where the truth comes out. If she's wearing a suit jacket that looks three sizes too big, you'll know who it belongs to.