Hollywood has a funny way of making everything look like a choreographed dance. One minute a couple is the "it" pair on every red carpet, and the next, they’ve vanished into the California haze. But the shift from Kaia Gerber’s high-profile years with Austin Butler to her current life with Lewis Pullman feels different. It’s less about the flashbulbs and more about, well, actually liking the person you’re with.
Honestly, it’s refreshing.
While the internet was busy mourning the end of her three-year run with Butler in late 2024, Kaia was quietly pivoting. She didn't do the "sad girl" era. Instead, she leaned into a circle of mutual friends that eventually landed her at a birthday dinner in Los Angeles for a guy most people knew as "Bob" from Top Gun: Maverick.
The Slow Burn of Kaia Gerber and Lewis Pullman
If you’re looking for a dramatic "meet-cute" on a movie set, you won’t find it here. These two didn't fall in love while filming a moody indie flick. They met through the shared social circles that come with being "nepo babies"—a term they both seem to wear with a shrug rather than a scowl.
The first real spark happened around December 2024. They weren't hiding, but they weren't announcing it either. You’d catch them on the east side of L.A., Kaia usually buried under a baseball cap, hitting up low-key bars where the crowd is more interested in their natural wine than who’s sitting in the corner booth.
By January 2025, the cat was officially out of the bag.
They were spotted at Salazar in L.A. celebrating Lewis’s 32nd birthday. It wasn’t a massive Hollywood gala; it was a family affair. Bill Pullman (yes, the Independence Day President) was there. When you’re meeting the dad at the "rumored" stage of the relationship, things are already pretty settled.
Why This Relationship Actually Works
Kaia dropped a massive truth bomb on Jake Shane’s Therapuss podcast that basically explained the whole vibe. She talked about how "a lot is being healed" in this relationship. That’s heavy.
She admitted that in the past—likely a nod to her time with older guys like Pete Davidson or Austin Butler—she’d sometimes change her personality or values to fit the mold of the person she was dating. We’ve all been there. You start liking their music, wearing their style of clothes, and suddenly you don't recognize your own Spotify Wrapped.
With Lewis, it sounds like she finally hit "reset."
- Friendship first: She’s been vocal about the fact that they were friends before things turned romantic.
- The Age Gap: There’s an 8-year difference (she’s 24, he’s 32), but it feels balanced.
- Zero Pressure: While her previous relationships felt like a performance for the cameras, this one feels like two people just hanging out.
Lewis isn't the type to chase a headline. He’s a guy who deflects relationship questions on red carpets by talking about how lucky he is to be working on a Marvel movie. He has this grounded, almost "anti-celebrity" energy that seems to have grounded Kaia too.
The Venice "Hard Launch" and Beyond
If the birthday dinner was a soft launch, the 2025 Venice Film Festival was the moment they stopped playing coy. They showed up for the premiere of his film The Testament of Ann Lee, and they weren't just walking near each other—they were together.
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Holding hands. Sharing kisses. Twinning in coordinating black outfits.
It was the first time the public saw the "great chemistry" insiders had been whispering about for months. It wasn't just for the cameras, either. Fans caught them throughout the festival looking genuinely obsessed with each other. It was a far cry from the stiff, professional-feeling appearances of her past.
Looking Ahead to 2026
As of January 2026, the two are still going strong. They recently spent the New Year in Mexico with Kaia’s parents, Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber. If you can survive a tropical vacation with the parents and come out the other side still holding hands on the beach, you’re doing something right.
Lewis is about to become a household name globally. He’s playing the Sentry in Marvel’s Thunderbolts* and will reprise the role in Avengers: Doomsday. That kind of fame usually breaks couples, but since they’ve spent over a year building a foundation away from the "Marvel-sized" spotlight, they might actually have a shot.
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Kaia, meanwhile, is carving out a real acting career. She’s moved past the "model who acts" phase with projects like Mother Mary and her ongoing role in Palm Royale.
What We Can Learn From Them
Basically, the "Kaia and Lewis" playbook is a lesson in dating for yourself rather than for the public. They didn't feel the need to explain the timeline of her split with Austin or justify why she moved on so quickly.
They just lived it.
If you're following their lead, the takeaway is simple: stop trying to "curate" your life. The most interesting parts usually happen when the cameras aren't looking and you're just a couple of people in baseball caps eating tacos on the east side.
Keep an eye on the Avengers: Doomsday press tour later this year. That’ll be the real test of their "low-key" philosophy. For now, they’re just another L.A. couple—well, as "normal" as you can be when your mom is Cindy Crawford and your dad saved the world from aliens in 1996.
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Your Next Steps:
Keep a lookout for the Thunderbolts* premiere footage to see how they handle their first major Marvel press cycle together. If you're interested in Kaia's evolving style, check out her recent NARS campaign—it’s a major departure from her earlier work and reflects this new, more "grounded" era of her life.