The Kendall Jenner Jacob Elordi relationship has moved from whispered Coachella sightings to hand-holding outside a West London restaurant in the space of a few months, and the pair have now been photographed together on three continents.
It is, by most accounts, the romance Jenner said she was not looking for. In a January 2026 episode of In Your Dreams, she told Owen Thiele she had made a quiet commitment to herself when she turned 29: no active pursuit of relationships, a year of choosing herself. ‘I really wanted to have like a me year,’ she said. Spring had other ideas.
How the Kendall Jenner Jacob Elordi relationship began
The two had actually been photographed together as far back as February 2022, when they appeared with a group of friends in Paris. Nothing came of it publicly. Jenner was linked to Devin Booker at the time, and Elordi was in a relationship with Olivia Jade Giannulli. A source told Entertainment Tonight in February 2026 that Giannulli had ‘moved on from Jacob Elordi and is ready for a new chapter.’ People reported that Elordi attended Jenner’s birthday party in November 2022.
The more recent chapter started quietly. Jenner and Elordi were photographed talking at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party on 15 March 2026. Then came Coachella weekend one in April, where reports circulated that the pair had been seen together at a Justin Bieber after-party. No photos surfaced, but sources speaking to both People and Entertainment Tonight confirmed around that time that the two had been spending time together privately for months. ‘They’ve been hanging out and getting to know each other the last couple months,’ one insider told People. An Entertainment Tonight source added: ‘They get along because they’re both low-key and take their careers seriously.’
Hawaii, Tokyo, Byron Bay and beyond
May brought the first photographs. Jenner and Elordi were spotted getting breakfast at Nourish Hanalei in Kauaʻi, Hawaii, and later a TMZ photo placed them on a private beach there. An eyewitness told the outlet there was no PDA but ‘the chemistry between the two was obvious.’ Back in Los Angeles, the couple joined Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet for a night out, leaving a Fanatics party together. A source told People the two pairings have ‘similar personalities and lifestyles’ and ‘all really get along.’
June took them to Tokyo, where the udon restaurant Udon Shin and the pizza restaurant Seirinkan both posted Instagram photos of the couple dining there. By 23 June they were in Byron Bay, Australia, photographed walking a dog together. A source told People on 30 June that Elordi had not yet been introduced to all of the extended Jenner-Kardashian family: ‘He hasn’t been brought around the family yet,’ the insider said, though ‘the family is hearing Kendall is happy.’
July kept things moving. The pair were seen on a lake in Idaho over Fourth of July weekend, reportedly with Justin and Hailey Bieber. Then on 23 July, a source told Entertainment Tonight that Jenner had been telling close friends she was in love with Elordi. ‘She feels like Jacob is everything she’s been looking for,’ the insider said, ‘and the past few months have felt like something out of a movie.’ The following day, the couple were spotted at a Chris Stapleton concert in George, Washington.
The Dog Stars premiere brings the couple to London
August brought the relationship into full public view. On 20 August, Jenner and Elordi were photographed holding hands after a dinner at China Tang at the Dorchester. The occasion was the London premiere of Elordi’s film The Dog Stars, held at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, according to Geo News. According to The Express Tribune, Jenner wore a fitted grey midi dress with a sleeveless tank-style silhouette, paired with Bottega Veneta pumps and an alligator Hermès Kelly Pochette.
The film itself, as Harper’s Bazaar reports, is based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel: a post-apocalyptic story following two men among the last survivors on Earth after an influenza pandemic. The Dog Stars is scheduled for release on 28 August.
Three days after the premiere dinner, on 23 August, the couple were seen leaving The River Café in Hammersmith. Elordi guided Jenner through the restaurant door and they held hands walking out. Whatever commitment-free year Jenner had in mind back in January, it appears to have taken a significant detour.
