Getty The Weeknd attends the Los Angeles Premiere of "Uncut Gems" on December 11, 2019 in Los Angeles, California.
The Weeknd’s dating life makes headlines almost as much as his music.
The 30-year-old singer, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, has been linked with models and A-list singers, but his relationship timeline has some gaps in it as well.
Last summer, a source told Life & Style that The Weeknd “is one of the pickiest men in Hollywood” and would ”rather be alone than with the wrong woman.”
Just in time for his headlining gig at the Super Bowl LV Halftime Show, here’s an up-close look at The Weeknd’s dating history.
1. The Weeknd’s First Famous Girlfriend Was Model Bella Hadid
In 2015, The Weeknd was linked with model Bella Hadid, the daughter of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills star Yolanda Hadid. That spring, the singer and the supermodel were spotted getting flirty at the Coachella music festival.
“They were hanging out in Coachella and were flirting lots,” a source told E! News at the time. “They have many things in common and really enjoyed each other’s company. She loves his music as well. They are hanging out for sure.”
The Weeknd told Rolling Stone he met Bella after he offered her a modeling job.
“I actually asked her to be on the artwork for Beauty Behind the Madness. My motive was literally to work with her,” he said.
Bella declined the job, but they still met up face to face.
“It just kind of fell into my lap,” he said of the relationship.
The smitten singer even bought his new love a Yorkie puppy for her 19th birthday.
The Weeknd and Bella made their red carpet debut as a couple at the Grammy Awards in 2016. The singer took home two trophies that night with his model girlfriend by his side.
Bella later told Glamour, “As a girlfriend, I wanted to be there to support him. Seeing him so happy when he won a Grammy made me so happy.”
She also admitted that she didn’t see her boyfriend as his musical alter ego.
“I’m dating Abel. I don’t see him as The Weeknd,” she said. “I’m proud of The Weeknd and the music he makes, but I really love Abel.”
The couple split in late 2016.
2. The Weeknd Dated Selena Gomez for 10 Months in 2017
The singer didn’t wait long to get into another high-profile relationship. After splitting from Bella, The Weeknd was spotted kissing Selena Gomez in January 2017, according to In Touch Weekly. The A-list pair attended several big celebrity events together, including the Met Gala, but by October of that year, they decided to call it quits.
A source explained to People that the split had been a long time coming.
“She and Abel have been going back and forth for a few months about their relationship,” a source for Selena told the outlet. “It’s been hard with him being on tour and her shooting in New York. That wasn’t easy on them.”
A separate source told Page Six that The Weeknd wanted to focus on his career.
“Everyone wants love, but his focus is the business,” the insider said. “He’s building a legacy. He’s young and successful with money and can have any girl he wants. Their relationship kind of came out of nowhere.”
Another insider described The Weeknd as “a supreme player.”
3. He Was Spotted Holding Hands With Model Yovanna Ventura Not Long After His Split From Selena
In late 2017, Us Weekly reported that The Weeknd was seen hand in hand with model Yovanna Ventura as the two attended rapper French Montana’s birthday party in Beverly Hills.
“The Weeknd was there hand in hand with Yovanna Ventura all night,” an insider told the outlet. “They arrived together. They were holding hands. He was there for a solid two hours with her and everywhere they went they held hands.”
A second insider accused the singer of “parading” his date around.
“He was trying to make it obvious that he was with someone,” the source said. “They were pretty affectionate and were together the entire night.”
In a separate outing, the two were also seen together in the back seat of an SUV as they left Hyde nightclub in Los Angeles.
Interestingly, Yovanna previously dated Selena Gomez’s ex, Justin Bieber.
4. The Weeknd Got Back Together With Bella Hadid
The Weeknd’s next public relationship was with his former girlfriend Bella. The two were spotted together again starting in late 2017.
In 2018, a source told E! News that The Weeknd and Bella were “exclusively dating” and “in a great place.”
“Abel realized once he started dating around, that he actually is still in love with Bella, and they reconnected,” the insider dished.
But by August 2019, the two broke up for good after trying to maintain a long-distance relationship.
“They are in different places right now, physically and mentally,” the insider told E! News at the time.
With Bella focusing on her fashion week commitments and The Weeknd working on his music and acting opportunities, the two were rarely in the same city at the same time at the end of their romance.
“They have been arguing a lot recently,” the source said at the time. “[They] haven’t spent quality time together in months.”
The insider added that the two hoped to “get back together at one point but for now are focusing on themselves and their projects.”
5. After a Lengthy Public Dating Gap, The Weeknd Sparked Romance Rumors With Spanish Singer Rosalia In Late 2020
The Weeknd has not confirmed a recent relationship, but in late 2020, rumors began swirling about a possible romance with Spanish singer Rosalia after she appeared in a remix of his “Blinding Lights” music video, according to CapitalXtra. In addition to their steamy music video collaboration, the two got cozy in promotional pics for the single.
The romance rumors also got the attention of The Weeknd’s ex Bella, a source told Hollywood Life.
While the insider said Bella is “not really concerned one way or another what is or isn’t going on with Abel’s love life,” she also “knows the name of the game and understands that his form of expression is through his music.”
“Rosalia is gorgeous and Bella knows there will always be fan speculation regardless of who he works with,” the source added.
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