Joey King and Jacob Elordi: Relationship Timeline and Breakup
Joey King and Jacob Elordi met while filming Netflix’s The Kissing Booth in 2017. Their friendship turned romantic, and they dated while the film became a hit. After their relationship ended in 2018, they returned to the franchise as co-stars.
Their story often interests fans because they played a couple on screen while dating in real life. The key distinction is that their real relationship ended before the sequels, while their characters’ romance continued.
Quick Answer
Joey King and Jacob Elordi dated from around 2017 to 2018 after meeting on the set of The Kissing Booth. They reportedly separated before filming the sequels. Both actors returned for The Kissing Booth 2 and The Kissing Booth 3, playing Elle Evans and Noah Flynn.
How Joey King and Jacob Elordi Met
King and Elordi met in early 2017 while filming The Kissing Booth. King played Elle Evans, and Elordi played Noah Flynn, the older brother of Elle’s best friend.
King later said she found Elordi attractive when they first met, but their connection began as friendship. The cast spent long days together, and the two actors became close during production.
In an interview with Seventeen, King recalled that she began seeing Elordi as more than a friend about a month into filming. She described the change as gradual rather than one specific moment.
The film was based on Beth Reekles’ novel and premiered on Netflix on May 11, 2018. Its popularity brought wider attention to the actors’ real-life relationship.
Joey King and Jacob Elordi Relationship Timeline
Early 2017: Friendship Turns Romantic
Their relationship developed while they were filming the first movie. King later described how spending time together on set helped their friendship grow.
Elordi shared a photo with King in April 2017, and King posted a birthday tribute to him in June. Their social media activity made their relationship more visible to fans.
August 2017: First Red Carpet Appearance Together
King and Elordi attended the Hollywood event for the documentary In the Cosmos: Where We Come From, Where We Are Going, and Where We Are on August 26, 2017.
The appearance became an early public sign of their relationship. They continued sharing moments from their time together during the following year.
2018: The Film’s Release Brings More Attention
The Kissing Booth premiered in May 2018. King and Elordi appeared together during the film’s promotional period, and interviews made their real-life connection part of the conversation.
In July 2018, King told The New York Times that it was exciting for viewers to know the romance they saw on screen had also existed off screen.
They also attended public events together, including Variety’s Power of Young Hollywood event in August 2018.
November 2018: Reports of Their Breakup
By November 2018, fans had begun questioning the relationship because the actors were no longer sharing the same kind of public posts.
Elordi announced that he was taking a break from social media. King posted a short message about being thankful for her dog the following day.
Those details fueled breakup reports. The actors did not publish a detailed explanation or announce a specific breakup date.
February 2019: Netflix Announces the Sequel
Netflix announced The Kissing Booth 2 in February 2019. King and Elordi were both returning, despite reports that their relationship had ended.
The news drew attention because they would again play a romantic couple. Their professional commitment to the film continued beyond their personal relationship.
2019: King Talks About Working With Her Ex
King discussed the experience of filming with Elordi again in interviews. She said the public interest in her private life could make a difficult personal period harder.
On the podcast Mood With Lauren Elizabeth, she described returning to the role as a meaningful experience. Her comments focused on what she learned as an actor and person, rather than giving details about the breakup.
July 2020: The Kissing Booth 2 Arrives
The sequel premiered on Netflix on July 24, 2020. King and Elordi reprised their roles as Elle and Noah.
Their characters’ relationship remained central to the story. The actors’ real-life history, however, was separate from the plot.
August 2021: The Trilogy Ends
The Kissing Booth 3 premiered on Netflix in August 2021. It completed the film series and brought the story of Elle and Noah to its final chapter.
King and Elordi finished the franchise as co-stars. The film did not indicate a romantic reunion between them in real life.
What Did Joey King Say About the Breakup?
King has spoken about the pressure of having a private breakup discussed publicly. In a 2019 interview with Refinery29, she explained that it was difficult when people wanted details about something she considered personal.
Her comments did not identify a specific reason for the separation. She chose not to share a full account of what happened between them.
This distinction matters because online discussions have offered different explanations. Neither actor has publicly confirmed those theories as the cause.
How They Managed Their On-Screen Romance Afterward
Returning to a romantic role after a breakup can attract attention, especially when viewers know the actors once dated. King addressed the subject without turning the films’ promotion into a detailed discussion of her private life.
She said the experience helped her grow personally and professionally. She also indicated that performing intimate scenes was manageable within the work.
The production required both actors to focus on their characters. Their scenes belonged to the fictional story, not a statement about their real relationship.
What Happened to Joey King After the Relationship?
King continued taking roles across film and television. In 2019, she received major attention for portraying Gypsy Rose Blanchard in Hulu’s limited series The Act.
She later appeared in projects such as The Princess, Bullet Train, and We Were the Lucky Ones. Her work moved beyond the teen-romance genre that first connected her publicly with Elordi.
King married director Steven Piet in September 2023. The two had worked together on The Act.
What Happened to Jacob Elordi After the Relationship?
Elordi’s career also expanded after The Kissing Booth. He played Nate Jacobs in HBO’s Euphoria, a role that brought him a different kind of audience.
His film credits later included Priscilla and Saltburn. These roles placed him in projects with different styles and subject matter from the Netflix romance series.
His public dating life has also drawn attention since his relationship with King. Those later relationships are separate from the history between the two Kissing Booth actors.
Were Joey King and Jacob Elordi Really Dating, or Was It Publicity?
They dated in real life. King discussed their relationship in interviews, and the pair appeared together publicly during 2017 and 2018.
Their relationship was not simply a promotional storyline created for The Kissing Booth. King’s comments about meeting Elordi and their time together support that they were a real couple.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Joey King and Jacob Elordi meet?
They met in early 2017 while filming The Kissing Booth. Their friendship developed during production.
When did Joey King and Jacob Elordi start dating?
They began dating around 2017. King later said she started viewing Elordi as more than a friend about a month after they met.
When did Joey King and Jacob Elordi break up?
Their separation was reported in 2018, with breakup speculation becoming public by November. Neither actor gave an exact date.
Why did Joey King and Jacob Elordi break up?
They have not publicly shared a detailed reason. King later discussed the pressure of having a private breakup examined by the public, but she did not explain what caused it.
Did they film The Kissing Booth 2 after breaking up?
Yes. They returned as Elle and Noah for the sequel, which premiered in July 2020.
Did Joey King and Jacob Elordi date during the first movie?
Their relationship developed while filming the first movie in 2017. The film premiered in May 2018, when they were already publicly linked.
Are Joey King and Jacob Elordi friends now?
They have not publicly described the current state of their personal relationship in detail. Their confirmed connection after the breakup was professional: they worked together on the two sequels.
Did Joey King and Jacob Elordi get back together?
There has been no confirmed public announcement that they resumed their romantic relationship. Their reunion for the sequels was as co-stars.
Final Takeaway
Joey King and Jacob Elordi’s relationship began on the set of The Kissing Booth and ended around 2018. They later returned to the franchise together, showing that their professional connection continued after their romance.
