If you were scrolling through Instagram in 2017, you might remember those grainy paparazzi shots of a very cool-looking couple wandering through Tulum. She was wearing a sheer purple top; he had a blue button-down and a casual "I’m in Star Wars" vibe. That was Suki Waterhouse and Diego Luna, a pairing that felt like a fever dream even at the time.
Honestly, it’s one of those Hollywood chapters that people just sort of glazed over. Suki is now basically the queen of the indie-pop-to-movie-star pipeline and has a baby with Robert Pattinson. Diego Luna is busy being an icon in the Andor universe. But for about a year and a half, they were the "It Couple" that nobody could quite pin down.
How Suki Waterhouse and Diego Luna Actually Met
Most people assume these two met at some fancy Los Angeles gala, but it was actually work that brought them together. They both landed roles in the 2016 film The Bad Batch. If you haven’t seen it, it’s a weird, dystopian cannibal movie. Not exactly a Hallmark rom-com setting.
But hey, nothing says "romance" like filming in the desert for a movie about people eating each other.
They were first spotted together in London back in the summer of 2015, which is kind of wild when you think about the timeline. This was right after Suki’s very public, two-year relationship with Bradley Cooper came to a crashing halt. Suki was 23 at the time; Diego was 35. That twelve-year age gap became a bit of a talking point, mostly because Suki has a bit of a history of dating older, established actors.
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The Tulum Trip and the PDA That Went Viral
The peak of the Suki Waterhouse and Diego Luna era was definitely January 2017. They weren't just "spotted"; they were caught in full-blown PDA mode in Mexico. There were photos of them kissing, holding hands, and generally looking like they didn't have a care in the world.
At this point, Diego had just finished the massive press tour for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. He was a global superstar. Suki was transitioning from "it-girl model" to serious actress. They seemed like a perfect match of low-key and high-profile.
They were spotted again later that year in New York City, walking hand-in-hand after dinner in October. It looked solid. It looked like it might actually last. And then? Silence.
Why Did They Break Up?
They never did the whole "Official Statement from their Reps" thing. That wasn't their style. By early 2018, they just... weren't together anymore.
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A lot of the post-breakup analysis (which is a fancy way of saying celebrity gossip) pointed to the classic "different stages of life" trope. Suki was in her mid-20s, exploring a booming music career and a blossoming film resume. Diego was a father of two (with ex-wife Camila Sodi) and firmly established in a different lane.
In a much later interview with British Vogue in 2024, Suki reflected on her 20s as being "pretty sadistic." She didn't name Diego specifically—she’s too classy for that—but she talked about how she felt "fetishized" in her past relationships with older men. She described that decade as a time of "dark and difficult" breakups where she couldn't always explain her side of the story to the world.
The Robert Pattinson Shift
It’s impossible to talk about Suki's past without looking at where she is now. In mid-2018, just months after the Diego Luna smoke cleared, she met Robert Pattinson.
That relationship changed the narrative for her. While her time with Diego was characterized by "on-and-off" sightings and a bit of mystery, her life with Pattinson has been steady for over five years. They have a daughter now. They’re engaged. It’s the "happily ever after" that the tabloids always wanted for her but couldn't quite find during her years with Diego or Bradley.
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Why We Still Care About This Relationship
So, why does the Suki Waterhouse and Diego Luna saga still pop up in searches?
- The Aesthetic: Let’s be real. They looked incredibly cool together. The style was effortless—a mix of London street style and Mexican bohemian.
- The Career Pivot: Both of them saw their careers explode right after the split. Suki became a literal rockstar (Daisy Jones & The Six anyone?), and Diego became the face of the most critically acclaimed Star Wars project in years.
- The Mystery: Because they never confirmed or denied much, there’s an air of "what if" that keeps fans curious.
What We Can Learn from the Suki and Diego Era
If you’re looking at your own dating history and feeling like a chaotic mess, just remember: even Suki Waterhouse had a "weird 20s" phase.
- Chemistry isn't always longevity. You can have great vacation photos in Tulum and still not be right for each other long-term.
- Privacy is a choice. You don't owe the world an explanation for why a relationship ended, especially if it was "isolating and disorienting" like Suki described.
- The "Next Chapter" is usually better. Sometimes you have to go through the Diego Lunas of the world to find your Robert Pattinson.
If you're curious about Suki's current life, her 2024 album and her interviews about motherhood offer a much clearer picture of who she is today compared to that girl in the purple top in 2017. As for Diego, he’s notoriously private about his life with actress Marina de Tavira, proving that some people just prefer to keep the cameras away from their hearts.
Next Steps for Fans:
If you want to see the project that started it all, go watch The Bad Batch. It’s a polarizing film, but seeing the on-screen chemistry between Suki and Diego gives you a much better understanding of why they gravitated toward each other in the first place. You can also check out Suki’s recent British Vogue cover story for the most honest look at how she views her "sadistic" 20s and the growth she’s experienced since her days as a paparazzi fixture.