“Fifty Shades” star Dakota Johnson made headlines for seamlessly balancing her Hollywood career with becoming a loving stepmom to two children. Recently, rumors about her relationship emerged, potentially disappointing fans who admire the blended family. However, these whispers of relationship troubles may not be what they seem.
Dakota Johnson is widely known for her acting, producing, and directing career. She is also known as the daughter of actors Melanie Griffith and Don Johnson. Additionally, her relationship with Gwyneth Paltrow’s ex-husband, Chris Martin, gained public attention.
Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin as seen in London, England on October 13, 2021 | Source: Getty Images
Dakota, who was deeply involved in Chris’ family life, embraced the role of stepmom to Apple and Moses. Her ability to balance her successful career and role in a blended family has often been admired by fans. However, some hints for the past few months have cast a shadow over this picture-perfect narrative.
Chris Martin as seen in New York City on August 7, 2024 | Source: Getty Images
Dakota’s Background
The Hollywood star started acting when she was a child making her debut at age ten. She has been in over 30 movies and is notable for her role as Anastasia Steele in “Fifty Shades of Grey.” She reprised the role in “Fifty Shades Darker” and “Fifty Shades Freed.”
Dakota Johnson attends the “Fifty Shades Freed – 50 Nuances Plus Clair” premiere in Paris, France on February 6, 2018 | Source: Getty Images
Dakota comes from a family with roots in the entertainment industry. Her mother is Melanie Griffith, an actress and producer who has over 80 acting credits. She has had roles in “Days Out of Days,” “Hawaii Five-0,” “Dirty Diana,” “Twins,” “Stuart Little 2,” and more.
Dakota Johnson attends Feed the Children Benefit party at Planet Hollywood on March 26, 1998 in New York City. | Source: Getty Images
As for her father, he is actor, director, and producer Don Johnson with over 100 acting credits under his belt. He is known for his roles as Rick in “Kenan,” and Richard Drysdale in “Knives Out,” starring opposite Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Chris Evans, and more. He also acted as Frank in “The Other Woman.”
Don Johnson at the “Knives Out” press conference on November 15, 2019 | Source: Getty Images
Dakota’s parents divorced, and both remarried and have other children. Her mother was once married to actor Antonio Banderas from 1996 to 2015. While at the Palm Springs International Film Festival’s Film Awards Gala in 2020, Antonio reminisced over his relationship with his former stepdaughter Dakota.
Melanie Griffith, Dakota Johnson, and Antonio Banderas at the 72nd Annual Academy Awards on March 26, 2000 | Source: Getty Images
“She was 5 when I met her, when she became my family. I almost changed her nappies. She’s my daughter, I love her. I’ve been with her on my shoulders, traveling all around the world,” he divulged.
Antonio Banderas and Dakota Johnson on a yacht during the Copa del Ray regatta on August 6, 2000 | Source: Getty Images
While she is the only child of her parents together, she grew up having a blended family. The actress once opened up about her family dynamics.
Melanie Griffith, Dakota Johnson, and Don Johnson at the New York premiere of “How To Be Single” on February 3, 2016. | Source: Getty Images
She said, “I grew up in a family that was so big, and I just believe in the saying ‘Blood is thicker than water.'” But, she talked about the saying’s origins. She noted that the connections one chooses are more solid than the connections people are born to.
Antonio Banderas, Melanie Griffith, Stella Banderas, and Dakota Johnson at the Los Angeles premiere of “Shrek 2” on May 8, 2004. | Source: Getty Images
Dakota remarked that chosen families can be as vital as birth families, if not more. She noted, “I have four brothers and two sisters, and my two sisters are not blood-related to each other, but they are sisters and they call each other sisters and they are always together. And my two older brothers are not blood-related to each other. And they are brothers.”
The actress believes that irrespective of their trials, they would still be a family. She also mentioned how most of her family are artists. The actress noted, “Even the kids, they’re extraordinarily talented people. So you just are dealing with complex people. You grow and you embrace.” Even when you chase them away, call them back with love.
Don and Dakota Johnson at The Hollywood Foreign Press Association and The Hollywood Reporter party at the 2019 Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2019. | Source: Getty Images
In her adulthood, she became part of another blended family. The public figure explained that because she grew up with the blended family dynamics, it felt natural. She emphasized that she wouldn’t want it any other way. She loved it and found it very honest and authentic, with no one hiding anything.
Melanie Griffith and Dakota Johnson at the 87th Annual Academy Awards on February 22, 2015, in Los Angeles. | Source: Getty Images
Since 2017, Dakota has been in a relationship with Chris Martin. He is an English singer, musician, songwriter, and philanthropist. He gained fame as the lead singer, pianist, rhythm guitarist, and one of the founders of the rock group Coldplay.
The couple’s romance has captivated public attention for years. Not only for their deep connection but also due to the swirling rumors of an engagement, marked by the repeated sighting of a distinctive emerald ring on Dakota’s finger.
In December 2020, there were pictures of her wearing an emerald ring which looked like an engagement ring on her ring finger. This fueled engagement rumors. Pictures of her wearing it surfaced again in March 2021.
In November 2023, jewelry designer Jessica McCormack posted a picture of Dakota wearing the same engagement ring. It looked like one of the brand’s signature emerald-cut rings. In the caption, the designer wrote, “fav color after diamonds 💚 #mondaymuse.”
Further igniting these rumors, a source revealed in March 2024 that the couple had indeed taken the next step in their relationship some time ago. They chose to keep the news within their close circles.
A source said four months later, “The couple got engaged a while ago and have kept the news private. But now they are being open about it with their circles. They have been besotted with each other from day one so taking this next step was inevitable.”
This private commitment reflected their desire to savor this phase of their lives without rushing into wedding plans, emphasizing the depth and seriousness of their bond.
In early March 2024, Dakota spoke about their relationship. She called him her favorite being. When asked if she felt a particular way when watching him on stage, the actress said, “I don’t know. I love watching him. I could watch him every day. […] I’m watching my most favorite being do his most favorite thing.”
Chris is also a father of two. He shares his children from his relationship with his former partner, Gwyneth Paltrow. Gwyneth is an actress and businesswoman who has a good relationship with Dakota. In November 2018, a year into Dakota and Chris’s relationship, they spent time with his ex-wife.
The couple had reportedly spent Thanksgiving on the East Coast with Gwyneth and her husband. Apple and Moses also participated in the celebration. It marked the first holiday Dakota had spent with Chris.
On October 5, 2019, Gwyneth took to Instagram to wish Dakota a happy birthday. She posted a picture of Dakota and wrote, “Happy 30th birthday to this absolute gem 💙.” Four years later, Gwyneth hosted an Instagram question-and-answer session.
She spoke about her love for Dakota, reportedly stating, “We’re actually very good friends.” She had also declared her love for her fellow actress and said, “I love her so much. She’s an adorable, wonderful person.”
This was not the first time Gwyneth declared her love for the actress. In a 2020 interview, she expressed, “I love her. I can see how it would seem weird because it’s sort of unconventional. But I think, in this case, just having passed through it iteratively, I just adore her.”
Gwyneth Paltrow and Dakota Johnson at the front row for Gucci Love Parade on November 2, 2021 in Los Angeles. | Source: Getty Images
In November 2023, Gwyneth invited her fans to ask her a question on her Instagram stories. A fan asked her to share a photo of herself with Dakota. The businesswoman responded with a picture of her and Dakota holding hands. The pair stood in the middle of the road wearing jackets, jeans, and sneakers.
Screenshot of Gwyneth Paltrow and Dakota Johnson holding hands, dated November 2023 | Source: Instagram/etalkctv
Dakota and Chris’s relationship seemed to have been going strong. They did not address the engagement rumors, but Dakota saw herself as a stepmom to his children, Apple and Moses Martin.
She once referred to Moses as her stepson while narrating a story his friend had told her about school. While she talked about the kids, Dakota said, “I love those kids like my life depends on it. With all my heart.” She was seen severally spending time with her stepchildren.
In May 2019, there were photos of Dakota and her stepdaughter, Apple, in Malibu as they grabbed coffee. Dakota wore a green cardigan with ripped jeans and sneakers and held their dog. Apple sported a blue buttoned cardigan paired with plaid shorts. She was barefoot as she carried their coffee.
In December 2019, Dakota went on a family trip with Chris and his children. Gwyneth was also on their blended family vacation. The family reportedly vacationed in Aspen. In one of the pictures paparazzi took, Apple looked taller than her stepmother as they grabbed coffee. It was unclear if Gwyneth’s husband, Brad Falchuk, also made the trip.
Shortly after their trip, new photos of Chris, Dakota, and Moses appeared. They were enjoying a casual date night wearing hooded tops. Chris and Dakota matched in black outfits, while Moses wore a mint green top and a pair of blue pants. They had reportedly gone to the movies.
In March 2020, reports of Chris, Dakota, Apple, and Moses at Disneyland surfaced. The family reportedly went there to celebrate Chris’s 43rd birthday. Eight months later, there were photos of Chris, Dakota, and Moses enjoying lunch. They were in East Hampton.
In June 2023, Dakota was pictured spending time with her blended family. On this occasion, she was spotted with Chris and Moses after they had grabbed pizza for dinner before taking a stroll. During their walk, Dakota and her stepson had their arms over each other’s shoulders as Chris tried to take a picture of them.
Although she sees herself as a stepmom, Dakota is open to having kids someday. On the topic of motherhood, she says, “I’m so open to that. I’ve gotten to this place where I really want to experience everything that life has to offer.”
With being a woman, Dakota sees the experience as a crazy, wild, and magical one. However, she notes that she is down for it if it is meant to happen for her. It is therefore surprising that there are rumors of a possible breakup going around.
Rumors of the Couple’s Split
Recently, rumors of a possible breakup have surfaced. In May, a Coldplay fan shared a photo with Chris after he gave her a ride when he noticed she was struggling to walk. In the caption, she mentioned that they had a nice chat and casually noted, “He is single and likes #Luton wink.”
Some news outlets even published that an insider had confirmed the rumors. They reported that Chris and Dakota had ended their seven-year relationship, calling off their engagement after growing apart. Chris has reportedly come to terms with the breakup and was ready to move forward.
In August 2024, Dakota was spotted in Malibu walking her dog, noticeably without her emerald engagement ring. This sighting came as Chris, 47, continued the European leg of Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres” world tour, around 6,000 miles away in Munich, Germany.
Chris Martin performs during day four of Glastonbury Festival 2024 | Source: Getty Images
The couple had a brief split in June but reconciled shortly after. Insiders described this period as a “rocky patch.” They were last seen together in February during a holiday in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
Dakota’s absence from Chris’ tour was notable and further fueled the rumor. “Their priorities and schedules just don’t align anymore. They hoped it would work, but it hasn’t, and they’ve decided it’s best to move on,” said the source.
Despite the speculations, Dakota’s representative has spoken out, declaring the rumors are untrue. The rep says that the couple is still together and going strong. “They are happily together,” confirmed the rep.
