If you were on the internet in 2019, you remember the photo. You know exactly which one. Two very pale, very famous teenagers locked in a mess of a kiss on a boat in Italy. It was Timothée Chalamet and Lily-Rose Depp, looking less like "Hollywood’s golden couple" and more like two kids who hadn't quite figured out how human mouths work yet. It went viral. It became a meme. And honestly, it’s still the first thing people think about when you bring up their names together.
But there was a lot more to Timothée Chalamet Lily-Rose Depp than just a clumsy paparazzi shot in Capri.
Their relationship was this weirdly perfect intersection of indie film prestige and Gen Z royalty. He was the Call Me By Your Name heartthrob; she was the daughter of Johnny Depp and Vanessa Paradis, a Chanel muse who seemed to have stepped out of a 90s French perfume ad. When they got together, it felt inevitable. When they broke up, it felt like the end of a specific era of "Tumblr-aesthetic" romance.
The King and the Start of Everything
They met on the set of the Netflix film The King in 2018. Timothée played King Henry V, and Lily-Rose played Catherine of Valois. If you watch the movie, their chemistry is actually pretty understated—she doesn't even show up until the final act—but the tension in their "speaking truth to power" scene was real.
Rumors started flying in October 2018. They were spotted grabbing coffee in New York City, looking "playful and flirty," according to the usual anonymous sources. They were the kind of couple that didn't do the whole "official Instagram hard launch." Instead, they just existed in the wild. You’d see a grainy photo of them eating fried chicken or walking through the rain in Paris. It felt authentic because it was so messy.
That Yacht Photo: A "Best Day" Turned Meme
Fast forward to September 2019. The Venice Film Festival. They walked the red carpet for The King, looking stunning but keeping a professional distance. Then they escaped to Capri.
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The photos that followed were legendary. They were snapped on a yacht, drenched in seawater, engaging in some truly intense PDA. The internet was ruthless. People called it a PR stunt. They said it looked "staged" or just "awkward."
Timothée actually addressed this later in a 2020 GQ interview, and it’s one of the few times he’s been genuinely vulnerable about his private life. He said he went to bed that night thinking it was "one of the best days" of his life. He was on a boat with someone he really loved. Then he woke up to the world calling him a "knob" and a "PR puppet."
"A PR stunt?!" he told the magazine. "Do you think I'd want to look like that in front of all of you?!"
Honestly, he had a point. If you’re going to stage a kiss for the cameras, you usually try to look a bit more like a movie poster and a bit less like a hungry sea creature.
Why Did Timothée and Lily-Rose Break Up?
By April 2020, it was over. Us Weekly confirmed the split after Timothée was described as "single" in a British Vogue feature.
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There was no big scandal. No cheating drama. Basically, they were just two of the busiest actors on the planet. Timothée was gearing up for Dune and A Complete Unknown, and Lily-Rose was carving out her own path with projects like The Idol and Voyagers.
- Distance: They were constantly filming in different countries.
- Privacy: The intensity of the "yacht-gate" scrutiny clearly left a mark.
- Timing: They were 24 and 20. Most relationships at that age don't survive a global pandemic and two massive acting careers.
They did spark "reconciliation" rumors in 2021 when they were seen shopping in New York. There was even a story about Timothée buying her a dress as a "secret gift." But it never stuck. By 2023, they had both firmly moved on.
Where Are They Now in 2026?
The landscape has changed a lot.
Timothée Chalamet has been in a very high-profile, long-term relationship with Kylie Jenner. It was a pairing that literally no one saw coming, but they’ve been going strong since 2023, appearing at the Golden Globes and movie premieres together.
Lily-Rose Depp has also found something steady. She’s been dating musician 070 Shake (Danielle Balbuena) since early 2023. She even shared a rare public tribute to her, calling her "the love of my life."
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The "Awkward" 2025 Oscars Reunion
Even though they've moved on, the ghost of their relationship still pops up. At the 2025 Oscars, there was a moment that went viral on X (formerly Twitter). Lily-Rose was presenting on stage and was positioned almost directly in front of Timothée, who was there for his Bob Dylan biopic.
Fans caught the "weird energy" on camera, especially with Kylie Jenner sitting right there. It was one of those "only in Hollywood" moments where your past and present collide in front of millions of people.
What Most People Get Wrong
The biggest misconception about Timothée Chalamet Lily-Rose Depp is that it was a fake Hollywood arrangement.
If you look at how Timothée talks about it now—or rather, how he doesn't talk about it—it’s clear it was a formative, real relationship for him. He’s much more guarded now. He doesn't do the "waterfront PDA" thing anymore. He learned the hard way that when you're that famous, a private moment can become a public punchline in about six seconds.
Lily-Rose, too, has become famously tight-lipped. She’s gone on record saying that the value of privacy is something that was instilled in her from a young age, but she clearly tightened the hatches after 2019.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Followers
If you’re still holding out hope for a "Timmy and Lily" reunion, here is the reality check:
- Follow the New Projects: Instead of looking for old photos, check out Lily-Rose's work in Nosferatu (2024) and Timothée’s performance in Marty Supreme. Their professional growth is much more interesting than their 2019 dating life.
- Understand the PR Shift: Notice how both actors now manage their public images. They are much more controlled, which is a direct result of the "yacht incident" fallout.
- Respect the Current Partners: Both are in committed, multi-year relationships. The "Oscars 2025" drama was mostly fan-made; in reality, they appear to be professional exes who have successfully avoided bad-mouthing each other for over half a decade.
The era of the "yacht couple" is over, but as a piece of pop culture history, it remains a fascinating look at what happens when young love meets the unfiltered lens of the internet.