Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber: Their Surprising Connection Explained
Few celebrity pairings are as unexpected as Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber. One is an Oscar-nominated Hollywood actor known for La La Land and Barbie; the other is a Canadian pop superstar who defined a generation with “Baby” and “Sorry.” They have never starred in a movie together or collaborated on a song, yet searches for Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber spike every time their names appear in the same headline. The reason? They are reportedly distant relatives — and Bieber once publicly fangirled over the actor in a moment fans still talk about today.
⚡ Quick Info: Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber
| Who they are | Ryan Gosling — Canadian film actor (Barbie, La La Land, The Notebook); Justin Bieber — Canadian pop singer (“Baby”, “Sorry”) |
| Born | Both in London, Ontario, Canada — Gosling in 1980, Bieber in 1994 |
| Relationship status | Distant relatives: 11th cousins once removed (Ancestry.com, 2012). Not publicly known to be close friends |
| Known since | 2012, when Ancestry.com traced their shared family line back ~400 years to Quebec’s early French settlers |
| Notable moment | In May 2016 Bieber posted two Instagram photos of Gosling — stills from The Place Beyond the Pines — with the caption “What a beast” |
Table of Contents
- Who Is Ryan Gosling?
- Who Is Justin Bieber?
- Are Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber Related?
- The “What a Beast” Instagram Moment
- Why People Search Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber Together
- Frequently Asked Questions
Who Is Ryan Gosling?
Ryan Gosling is a Canadian actor born on November 12, 1980, in London, Ontario. He began his career as a child star on The Mickey Mouse Club in the early 1990s before breaking through as a romantic lead in The Notebook (2004). He went on to earn Academy Award nominations for his performances in Half Nelson, La La Land (2016), and Barbie (2023), where he played Ken opposite Margot Robbie. Known for his reserved public persona and long-term partnership with actress Eva Mendes, with whom he shares two daughters, Gosling is one of Hollywood’s most respected leading men.
Who Is Justin Bieber?
Justin Bieber is a Canadian singer born on March 1, 1994, also in London, Ontario. Discovered on YouTube as a teenager, he became a global phenomenon with his debut single “Baby” (2010) and has since sold tens of millions of records, with hits including “Sorry,” “Love Yourself,” and “Peaches.” A Grammy Award winner, Bieber’s Purpose World Tour in 2016 cemented him as one of the biggest pop stars on the planet. In 2018 he married model Hailey Bieber, and the couple welcomed their first child in 2024.
Are Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber Related?
Yes — distantly. In 2012, research by Ancestry.com found that Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber are 11th cousins once removed, with family links dating back roughly 400 years to Quebec’s earliest French settlers. Genealogy charts trace their shared line through a common ancestor in New France in the 1600s. That makes sense geographically: both men are of French-Canadian heritage and were born in the same Ontario city, just 14 years apart.
It is worth keeping expectations in check: 11th cousins once removed is an extremely distant connection. The two are not known to be personally close, and there is no indication they have ever spent time together. As one family-history site put it, they are “both Canadian entertainers” whose documented kinship is real but remote — the kind of fun fact that makes headlines, not family reunions.
The “What a Beast” Instagram Moment
The funniest chapter of the Ryan Gosling–Justin Bieber story came in May 2016, when Bieber — then 22 and mid–Purpose World Tour — posted two photos of Gosling to his Instagram, each captioned simply: “What a beast.”
The photos were actually stills from Gosling’s film The Place Beyond the Pines (2012): one showing Gosling’s character Luke leaning against a motorcycle, the other feeding his onscreen baby. Entertainment outlets at the time couldn’t help but notice that Bieber’s recent style — bleached hair, face tattoos, ripped metal T-shirts — was looking remarkably similar to Gosling’s grungy character in the film. Some outlets joked that Bieber appeared to be “turning into Ryan Gosling,” though Bieber never explained his fan-boy moment. Perhaps it was just hometown pride: two boys from London, Ontario, making it big on the world stage.
Why People Search Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber Together
There are three main reasons this pairing keeps trending:
- The distant-cousin revelation — The Ancestry.com finding from 2012 resurfaces every few years, especially whenever Bieber mentions Gosling or a celebrity-family-tree story goes viral. Justin himself has said discovering his Canadian celebrity “relatives” was one of the best days of his life.
- The Instagram fan-boy moment — The 2016 “What a beast” posts remain one of the most-shared Justin Bieber memes, and they get recirculated whenever either star is in the news.
- The shared hometown — Both were born in London, Ontario, which fuels “did you know?” content about famous Canadians.
So while Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber are not friends hanging out on weekends or collaborating on projects, their tiny documented family tie — plus Bieber’s open admiration — is more than enough to keep fans searching for the two of them together. For more unexpected celebrity pairings, see our story on the equally unlikely Gene Hackman and Pope Francis connection that had fans doing a double take.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber cousins?
Distantly, yes. Ancestry.com research from 2012 found they are 11th cousins once removed, with shared ancestry going back about 400 years to French settlers in Quebec. It is a real but very remote family connection.
Are Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber friends?
There is no public evidence of a close friendship. Bieber has openly admired Gosling — posting his photos on Instagram in 2016 — but the two have never been photographed together or publicly confirmed hanging out.
Why did Justin Bieber call Ryan Gosling “a beast”?
In May 2016, Bieber posted two stills of Gosling from The Place Beyond the Pines (2012) to Instagram with the caption “What a beast.” He never explained the post, but media outlets speculated it was part admiration, part style inspiration.
Where are Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber from?
Both were born in London, Ontario, Canada — Gosling in 1980 and Bieber in 1994. That shared hometown is one reason the distant-cousin story felt so fitting to fans.
Have Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber ever worked together?
No. Gosling is a film actor and Bieber is a pop singer, and as of 2026 they have no joint project, collaboration, or confirmed public meeting.
What is The Place Beyond the Pines?
A 2012 crime drama directed by Derek Cianfrance in which Gosling played Luke, a motorcycle stunt rider who turns to bank robbery to support his family. It is the film Bieber’s viral Instagram photos were taken from.
In the end, the story of Ryan Gosling and Justin Bieber is a reminder that the entertainment world is smaller than it looks: two boys from the same Canadian city, separated by 14 years, who both conquered Hollywood — and who, it turns out, share a family tree stretching back four centuries. Whether or not they ever grab a coffee in London, Ontario, fans will keep searching their names together.
