Honestly, if you’ve followed Dove Cameron since the Liv and Maddie days, you know she doesn’t just "date." She falls. Hard.
The internet is currently buzzing about her recent engagement to Måneskin frontman Damiano David, which they finally made official in January 2026. It's a massive moment. But to understand why people are so invested in her "happily ever after" with the Italian rocker, you have to look at the chaotic, high-profile, and sometimes messy history of the Dove Cameron ex list.
She isn't a serial dater. She’s a long-haul romantic who has spent nearly a decade of her life in just two major relationships before finding Damiano.
The Ryan McCartan era: A Disney dream turned "toxic"
Let’s go back to 2013. Dove was the breakout star of Disney Channel, playing twins, and Ryan McCartan was her on-screen love interest. Life imitated art pretty fast. They were the ultimate "it" couple for the Mouse House crowd.
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They didn't just date; they started a band called The Girl and the Dreamcatcher. By April 2016, they were engaged. Dove was only 20. Ryan was 22. It looked perfect on Instagram, but as we later found out, the "perfect" was a total facade.
The breakup happened just six months after the proposal. Ryan tweeted that Dove decided the relationship wasn’t what she wanted. Simple, right? Not exactly.
Years later, things got ugly. Ryan claimed on Instagram that Dove cheated on him and left him within two weeks. Dove didn't name names, but she fired back by sharing a quote about how "toxic" people try to control the narrative when they can no longer control you.
She eventually told Seventeen that her first real relationship involved "very low-lows" she never made public. She felt pressured to make everything look flawless. Basically, the Dove Cameron ex drama with Ryan was the classic case of a young star realizing that "Bohemian and romantic" proposals don't fix a dysfunctional foundation.
Thomas Doherty: The four-year "love of her life"
If Ryan was the high school sweetheart phase, Thomas Doherty was the "grown-up" Disney romance. They met on the set of Descendants 2 in late 2016. The chemistry was so intense it actually distracted people from the movie.
For nearly four years, they were inseparable. They lived in London, they lived in a tiny studio in New York during the pandemic, and Dove openly called him the love of her life.
They split in October 2020.
Fans were devastated. Unlike the Ryan split, this one seemed mutual and quiet—at first. Dove waited until December to confirm it because she was trying to process the grief. She told PEOPLE that being single for the first time in her adult life during the pandemic was like being "born again."
She had to learn who she was without being "the girlfriend."
Why the Thomas breakup felt different:
- Privacy: They kept the actual reasons for the split close to the chest.
- Timing: It happened right as Dove was transitioning from "Disney Star" to "Dark Pop Icon."
- Growth: She credited the single time after Thomas for her "emotional spring cleaning."
Enter Damiano David: Is the third time the charm?
Fast forward to 2023. Rumors start flying when Dove is seen at a Måneskin concert. Everyone assumes it’s a fling. The rockstar and the pop princess—it’s a trope, right?
But by early 2024, they’re kissing on red carpets. By October 2025, they’re celebrating two years together. And now, in January 2026, we have the ring.
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Damiano is a huge departure from the Dove Cameron ex mold. He’s not a Disney kid. He’s an edgy, tattooed Italian rocker who, according to Dove, is actually a "1950s gentleman" behind closed doors. Her mom even posted that she couldn't imagine a more perfect partner for Dove. That’s a far cry from the "toxic" vibes of her early twenties.
What we can learn from Dove's dating history
Looking at every Dove Cameron ex, there’s a clear pattern of her choosing intensity over casual dating. She’s admitted she’s an "incredibly intense romantic."
If you're looking at her history to figure out your own relationship path, the takeaway is pretty clear: your first engagement doesn't have to be your last. Sometimes you have to go through the "on-set" romance and the "pandemic-testing" relationship to realize what you actually need.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you're following the wedding news, keep an eye on Dove's upcoming debut full-length album. She’s already confirmed that many of the tracks deal with the "trauma" of her past and the "healing" she found with Damiano. It's probably going to be the most honest look we've ever gotten at what it's really like to be her.