Honestly, it’s wild how much people still talk about Dove Cameron’s ex-boyfriend situation. Most of us first met her as the bubbly blonde lead on Disney's Liv and Maddie, and for years, her love life felt like a real-life extension of those sunny sets. But if you’ve been following her lately—especially with her edgy "Celestial" era and her recent high-profile engagement to Måneskin frontman Damiano David—you know the vibe has shifted.
The story isn't just about breakups. It’s about someone growing up in front of millions of people while trying to figure out what a healthy relationship actually looks like.
The Ryan McCartan Chapter: It Wasn’t That Perfect
Let’s go back to the beginning. Ryan McCartan was the first dove cameron ex boyfriend that the public really latched onto. They were the ultimate Disney power couple. They met on the set of Liv and Maddie, started a band called The Girl and the Dreamcatcher, and got engaged in April 2016.
At the time, they were everywhere. Fans thought they were the real deal. But only six months after the proposal, it all crashed. Ryan was the one who broke the news on Twitter, saying Dove had decided the relationship wasn’t what she wanted.
Years later, things got messy.
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In 2020, Ryan dropped a bombshell on Instagram claiming that Dove had cheated on him. It was a huge "wait, what?" moment for the internet. Dove didn't go for a full-blown PR statement; instead, she retweeted a quote about toxic people trying to control how others see you when they can no longer control you. Basically, she took the high road while making it very clear that the "perfect" image they had was a total facade.
She eventually told Seventeen that she felt a massive pressure to make everything look flawless. She mentioned that her partner at the time "put that in her ear," suggesting it wasn't exactly a two-way street of emotional support.
Thomas Doherty and the "Earth-Moving" Connection
Not long after the Ryan drama settled, Dove moved on to her Descendants 2 co-star, Thomas Doherty. This was a whole different energy. If Ryan was the high school sweetheart era, Thomas was the "soulmate" era.
They were together for nearly four years. They got matching tattoos just two weeks after meeting—which is intense, but that's Dove. She described their first meeting as a moment where the "earth moved." They even moved into a tiny studio apartment together right before the pandemic hit.
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Then came October 2020.
Fans noticed they stopped posting each other. The rumors started swirling until Dove finally confirmed the split in December. It was "incredibly difficult," but they supposedly stayed friends. Thomas didn't say much; he just went off to film the Gossip Girl reboot. Interestingly, Dove later reflected that you don’t stop loving someone just because the relationship ends, but you love them "differently."
Why People Still Speculate
- The Disney Curse: People love to track how stars "break out" of the Mouse House mold.
- The Overlap Rumors: Whenever a celeb moves from one long-term partner to another quickly, the internet loses its mind.
- The Aesthetic Shift: Dove’s music and style changed drastically after her Thomas split, leading people to wonder how much those relationships influenced her self-identity.
What’s Happening Now?
If you're looking for the current "dove cameron ex boyfriend" list to see who she's with now, the answer is nobody. Because as of January 2026, she’s officially off the market.
Dove and Damiano David, the lead singer of Måneskin, just announced their engagement at the start of this year. They’ve been together for about two years, and honestly, they seem like a much more "adult" match. They aren't hiding behind a squeaky-clean image. They’ve been spotted everywhere from Sydney to the Met Gala, looking like a total rockstar duo.
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Damiano is apparently her "favorite part of being alive"—literally, that’s what is inscribed inside her engagement ring. It’s a far cry from the days of trying to look perfect for the Disney cameras.
The Reality of Celeb Dating
Being an expert on this stuff means realizing that we only see about 10% of the truth. Dove has talked openly about her struggles with anxiety and how dating in the spotlight made her "hide" her true self for a long time.
She's queer, she's outspoken about mental health, and she’s no longer the 17-year-old girl who felt she had to be a "girlfriend" first and an artist second. Her past relationships were stepping stones. Ryan was the first love/hard lesson. Thomas was the deep, soul-searching connection. Damiano seems to be the one where she finally gets to be her full, unfiltered self.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're following Dove's journey or dealing with your own high-profile (or just high-drama) breakups, here is what you can take away from her history:
- Don't ignore the red flags of "perfection": If you feel pressured to make your relationship look better than it feels, that's a sign something is off.
- Public narratives aren't always true: Just because an ex claims something on social media doesn't mean it's the full story.
- Growth is rarely linear: Moving from a "toxic" situation to a "soulmate" and then to a "partner" takes time and a lot of self-reflection.
- Check the official sources: For the latest on her upcoming wedding to Damiano, keep an eye on her Instagram (@dovecameron) rather than tabloid speculation, as she’s been much more transparent lately.