Us Weekly confirmed the duo’s relationship in December 2018 after they were spotted traveling together in London and Greece that summer. While their 16-year age difference may have caused a stir among some fans, the pair weren’t fazed.

“Jeanne is very mature for her age. She’s quirky, smart and loves history, reading; she’s a really great and well-rounded person,” a source explained. “She and Jake really took things slow, but are now pretty serious.”

The private couple have only made a handful of public appearances together — and have kept their romance largely off of social media. Before falling for the French model, Gyllenhaal gave some insight into his approach toward dating in the spotlight.

“I think when you’re in a relationship, you are constantly scrutinized, your friends are scrutinized, but … I would love to not talk about my personal life,” he said in a 2017 interview with The Guardian.

Over the years, the Brokeback Mountain star has sparked his fair share of high-profile relationships. He was linked to Reese Witherspoon and Kirsten Dunst, before dating Taylor Swift for three months in 2010. The whirlwind romance was allegedly the inspiration for the Grammy winner’s fourth record, Red, and its devastating breakup track “All Too Well.”

Though the Southpaw star tends to keep his love life under wraps, he’s frequently spoken out about his desire to start a family someday.

“I’m not someone who has ever existed in a space where I’ve really known what’s coming next. But you do have to be open to it,” he told British Vogue in May 2020.

At the time, Gyllenhaal didn’t mention his girlfriend by name, but he explained that he’d “lightened up” over the course of his Hollywood career.

“I’m interested in my life, even more so than my work. I’ve reached a point in my career where I feel hungry in a different way. I’ve seen how much of my life I’ve neglected as a result of being committed to that work and that idea,” the October Sky actor added. “[I’m] seeing life as something that is, you know, fleeting, and the world being as it is now.”

Three years prior, the Broadway performer gushed over his nieces, Ramona and Gloria, who his sister, Maggie Gyllenhaal, shares with husband Peter Sarsgaard.

“My sister has raised two extraordinary daughters,” Jake told Us exclusively in September 2017. “They are so well-behaved and they are so thoughtful and so observant of the world around them. I’m so proud of not only them but my sister as a mother. When they come to me, I get two great girls, [but] at the end of the day there are times where it’s not bad to hand them back.”

At the time, the Nocturnal Animals actor said he loved his role as the girls’ “fun uncle,” adding, “When I’m with them, all I can think about is what incredible work my sister has put in and what a good mother she is with all the things she has on her plate already. With her extraordinary talent and everything she does there, it says a lot about her and it says a lot about her husband. Fully devoted to their family.”

Scroll down to see Jake and the Columbia student’s relationship timeline:

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This story originally appeared on: US Magazine - Author:Meredith Nardino