Whenever stars couple up in Hollywood, the public is usually let in on the secret shortly afterward - unless stars are very, very good at secret-keeping.
We know Emma Stone from movies like La La Land, Easy A, and basically any movie that stars Ryan Gosling. We basically have always known Kieran Culkin as Macaulay Culkin’s little brother, despite his own impressive Hollywood resume. Even though he’s been playing the entertainment industry game for as long as his brother has, Kieran really didn’t stand out in his own right until HBO’s hit drama, Succession, made such an impact.
But did you know that both Stone and Culkin actually DATED?
That’s right – back in 2009, they were in a romantic relationship for a short period of time. Here are 14 forgotten facts about their very private relationship.
15 They Met On The Set Of Paper Man
Ever heard of the movie, Paper Man? Yeah, not a lot of people have. The movie starred Emma, Kieran, Jeff Daniels, and Ryan Reynolds. It's about a frustrated novelist who relies way too much on his imaginary friend. Odd concept, and even with an all-Star cast, the movie tanked. However, Emma and Kieran seemed to click offscreen.
14 Extremely Secretive
Both kept their love a secret for a while during filming. The thing is, the press really wasn’t stalking them too much because A) while Kieran was known in Hollywood thanks to his last name, he wasn’t as popular as his brother, and B) Emma’s star was still on the rise so not many people knew who she was.
13 At The Time, Her Star Was Rising
At the time that Paper Man started filming, Emma had a few Hollywood notches under her belt (Superbad was the main one) and even though she would star in Zombieland that same year, she still wasn’t considered a major star. It wouldn’t be until 2010 that the media would really begin to take notice of her, thanks to her turn in Easy A.
12 His Own Success With Succession
Even with one of the most famous last names in Hollywood, Kieran still managed to fly under the radar quite a bit during his career. Sure, he starred in cult classics like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and Igby Goes Down, but his fame hit an all-time high when he took on the role of Roman Roy in HBO’s Succession.
11 Well, That Was A Flop
Even with that stellar cast, Paper Man was a flop with critics. Rotten Tomatoes gave it a score of 4.73/10 because critics despised it so much. One reporter even called it “listless, tepid, lifeless and fake.” So what did that mean for the new love that sprung between Emma and Kieran? Just probably that neither read any of the movie's reviews.
10 The Love Was Real
The pair did, in fact, fall in love, even though their romance wasn't splashed all over the front pages of every tabloid in the grocery checkout aisle. Heck, they were with each other for two years before deciding to finally go their separate ways. Emma has always been one for long-term, serious relationships, so she must have really fallen head over heels for Kieran.
9 Kieran's New Life
Despite being thrust into the spotlight thanks to the popularity of Succession, Kieran manages to keep his personal life under lock and key (still!). He quietly got married to a woman named Jazz Charton back in 2013 and the duo have a daughter together. Their daughter is named Kinsey Sioux and she was born in 2019.
8 And Emma's New Life
Emma has had high-profile relationships, including her current one. She and Saturday Night Live segment director, Dave McCary, have been in a relationship since 2017. The duo announced their engagement back in December of 2019, so we’re all excited to see what this next chapter means for Emma’s personal life.
7 The Lengths They Went To To Keep Quiet
Not a lot is known about Emma and Kieran’s relationship because they kept quiet about it for nearly all of the two years they were together. It wasn’t because of their lack of fame, it was because they both enjoyed their privacy. Privacy would be almost a foreign concept for Emma after she hit major stardom.
6 Dealing With Emma's Popularity
Within their two years of dating, Emma’s career really took off, thanks to Zombieland, Easy A, and Time Out with Justin Timberlake, not to mention The Help, and The Amazing Spider-Man. It couldn’t have been easy for the couple to keep their love quiet with all the buzz surrounding Emma during that short time.
5 Living In A Shadow
As he had been doing most of his life, Kieran calmly lived in the shadow of his big brother, who tried to stay out of sight more than Kieran himself. During his relationship with Emma, Kieran decided to take on the stage in Eric Bogosian’s version of SubUrbia at the Second Stage Theatre in New York.
4 Their Time On Set
You have to admit that, while Paper Man was a flop, it must have been a hoot on set with all those strong personalities together in one place. You have Kieran, Emma, Ryan Reynolds, Jeff Daniels, and even Friends alumni, Lisa Kudrow, all in one spot. Despite the stellar cast, the movie’s awkward plot managed to make it a big failure.
3 The One That Came After
While she managed to keep her and Kieran’s love under wraps long-term, the mask of secret-keeping was lifted with Emma’s following relationship. Everyone and their dog knows that one of Emma’s most significant relationships was with Spider-Man co-star, Andrew Garfield, whom she dated on and off for years, after splitting from Kieran.
2 The Compassion Of Co-Stars And Real-Life Relationships
Like any “office relationship”, (movie sets are “offices” for actors who work together) everything is delicate at first. We can only imagine how delicate it must have been for Emma and Kieran during those very crucial young years of Emma’s own fame. Maybe these two are still friends today?
1 The Lasting Effect
Even though they’re no longer together and have gone on to enjoy very successful love lives AND careers, time looks back fondly on their relationship. Most of the media consider Kieran to be one of Emma’s most significant relationships (since she doesn’t take dating lightly). This shows in the relationships that followed. Good for them!