Dakota Johnson and Machine Gun Kelly are the subject of escalating dating reports after being photographed together in Los Angeles on Friday from morning to midnight, leaving a music studio side by side before closing the night at the Chateau Marmont around 11:30 p.m., according to photos published by Page Six and TMZ. Neither star has publicly confirmed a relationship. Here is the full timeline of what has actually been reported, and by whom.
What happened Friday in Los Angeles
Johnson, 37, and Machine Gun Kelly, 36 (born Colson Baker), were photographed leaving an LA recording studio together on Friday morning. She wore jeans, a long black leather coat and black flats with a gray sweater over her shoulders; he went denim on denim with a white tank top and brown boots, and was seen helping her into his car, per Page Six. Hours later, the pair left the Chateau Marmont around 11:30 p.m., photographed side by side in the back of a car, apparently still in the same outfits, MGK grinning, per TMZ.
The full Dakota Johnson and MGK timeline
The two first sparked dating rumors in September, when they were spotted exiting a black SUV in New York City and heading to Taylor Swift’s Tribeca apartment. Swift was reportedly not home. “Taylor has let friends use her NYC properties before, and Dakota and Colson wanted privacy, so they headed to her apartment,” a source told Page Six. (Swift’s own week has been a headline maker: her self-titled debut album just turned 20.)
“Colson had a really nice time with Dakota. He thinks she’s really cool, and obviously, he’s attracted to her,” the source said at the time. “It’s new and they’re just getting to know each other, but there was definitely something there, and he would like to see her again.”
The sightings continued last week: Page Six obtained photos of the pair meeting in a studio parking lot and leaving together in his Maserati, and reported his car was still parked outside Johnson’s house the following morning. Friday’s day-and-night outing is the most visible step yet.
So, are they official?
Not yet, at least not on the record. Neither Johnson nor MGK has confirmed the relationship, and their reported status has stayed consistent since September: new, casual and getting to know each other. What has changed is the visibility. September was a borrowed apartment for privacy; last week was an overnight; Friday was 14-plus hours together in front of cameras.
What Megan Fox has said
Much of the search interest around the couple runs through MGK’s ex, Megan Fox. Sources have been consistent there too. Fox is “completely unbothered,” one told TMZ, saying she has “put their former romance firmly in the rearview.” A source went further to Page Six on Friday: “Megan isn’t just unbothered by MGK dating Dakota. She’s actually relieved he’s moving on,” adding that she “doesn’t want him back” and hopes he finds happiness, per Hola. The former couple now communicate only to co-parent their daughter, Saga Blade Fox-Baker, born March 27, 2025. One wrinkle sources keep mentioning: MGK’s flirty “Stoked i have your phone number” comment on Fox’s Instagram return in March, which reportedly read to her as him still trying to get her attention. (He has also publicly denied viral claims about the split, as we covered when he shot down a fake “losing Megan Fox” post.)
The dating history behind the headlines
Johnson’s last long relationship was with Coldplay’s Chris Martin. The two were first linked in 2017 and dated on and off for nearly eight years; sources told People in March 2024 they had been engaged “for years.” They broke up for good in June 2025, with one source saying it “feels final this time.” She was then linked to singer Role Model (born Tucker Pillsbury) in December 2025, even recording a spoken-word cameo on his album track “Love I You,” before they split this summer after less than a year, Page Six reported in August. On the film side, her horror hit “Other Mommy” just crossed $113 million worldwide.
MGK and Fox met in March 2020 on the set of “Midnight in the Switchgrass,” got engaged in January 2022, and called it quits in 2024, months before their daughter arrived in March 2025.
What is confirmed and what is not
Our read: the only independently verified facts here are the sightings themselves, documented by photo agencies and consistently reported by Page Six and TMZ. The romantic framing comes entirely from anonymous sources quoted by those outlets. Neither Johnson nor MGK, nor their representatives, has made any on-record statement. Until one of them speaks, the honest label is dating reports, not a confirmed relationship, and readers should treat any outlet claiming certainty with skepticism.
What readers are asking
Who is Dakota Johnson’s boyfriend in 2026? MGK is the only man she has been repeatedly photographed with since her summer split from Role Model, but neither has confirmed the label.
How old are they? Johnson is 37; MGK is 36.
What does Taylor Swift have to do with it? Only real estate. The pair reportedly used her empty Tribeca apartment for privacy in September.
What has MGK said about dating? Nothing on the record about Johnson. His only recent public statement about his love life was denying a fabricated viral post about Megan Fox.
Updated: October 25, 2026, 12:04 a.m. ET. Sources: Page Six, TMZ, Hola, People, TODAY. Featured image is an editorial illustration, not a photo of Johnson or MGK. News Trends follows a strict fact-checking process; read our Editorial Standards.
