Are you obsessed with the date November 6? Do you find yourself strangely attracted to Hopper? Have you taken to dressing like you’re living in the 1980s? Do you drink only New Coke even though it’s objectively disgusting? Diagnosis: You are obsessed with Stranger Things and fully wish the show were real.
Sadly/thank-god-because-monsters, it’s not—but! Nancy and Jonathan are dating IRL and have been since season 1. And considering season 1 started filming in 2016 and season 5 is about to drop…that means they’ve been together for over nine full years. Which also means we have a lot of ground to cover.
While Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton’s relationship is extremely low-key, much like my smoldering attraction to Billy’s mullet (RIP), it’s also extremely cute. Let’s dive in!
September 2016
This is the first time Natalia shows up on Charlie’s Instagram account!
A few days later, Charlie shows up on Natalia’s IG. In other words, the plot thickens.
At this point, the fandom is thirsting, much like the Demogorgons thirsted on everyone’s internal organs in season 2, so Charlie and Natalia start trolling the world with matching IG posts.
October 2016
They even do Halloween together! Although, fine, it was technically a group costume.
January 2017
Natalia and Charlie are spotted leaving LAX, and naturally everyone is like, SEE, I KNEW IT, RECEIPTS!
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And Charlie has fans even more convinced they’re dating when he posts a photo of himself wearing Natalia’s shoes:
March 2017
TMZ catches Natalia and Charlie at the airport (the video has since been deleted) and—due to having zero chill and not knowing how to read a room—asks point-blank if they’re dating. Natalia’s non-answer? “Whether people are dating or just hanging out, I think our cast is just cool with each other.”
LOL, kay.
October 2017
Natalia and Charlie essentially confirm they’re a couple when they’re photographed holding hands while walking down the street:
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November 2017
And then they’re spotted looking deeply emo in Paris:
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And then they’re spotted kissing, which quite literally seals the deal.
TheImageDirect.com
December 2017
Charlie and Natalia make their first public appearance as a couple, looking v glam:
Getty Images
January 2018
Charlie wishes Natalia a happy birthday with the cutest, flirtiest post ever:
March 2018
Tabloids report the couple has broken up, with a source telling Life & Style, “Charlie broke it off with Natalia. She’s heartbroken. She doesn’t know what went wrong.”
Well, L-O-freaking-L, because that same day, Charlie and Natalia are spotted at the Dior Addict Lacquer Plump event at Poppy in Los Angeles.
April 2018
And then the next month, they hit up Coachella together, along with literally every other celebrity ever.
September 2018
And finally, they go IG official on Charlie’s feed.
Then they show up on a red carpet doing whatever this cute thing is with their hands:
Getty Images
February 2019
Now that the floodgates are open, Charles talks about dating Natalia to V Man, saying, “You can break the walls down with your partner. Because we work in the same industry and have had similar trajectories, we’ve gone through it together. Sharing that does bring you closer. They understand something that maybe no one else would. You go into high-pressure situations together but you can share those insecurities or whatever they are. The great, happy times too…really fucking sweet!”
July 2019
Natalia gives a rare quote about Charlie, telling Refinery29, “It’s an interesting thing to work with somebody who you go home with. It’s always really fun. We’re really comfortable with each other. So we can play and feel more free, and we can talk about it before.”
Soon after, Charlie and Natalia show up for the premiere of Stranger Things 3 looking very much like a couple:
Getty Images
January 2020
Charlie wishes Natalia a happy birthday with THEE SWEETEST PHOTO EVER? (Sorry, I’m deep in my feelings rn):
Then the couple show up at another carpet together looking all kinds of glam:
Jeff Kravitz//Getty Images
December 2021
After a long stretch with no public appearances due to the pandemic of it all, Charlie and Natalia are spotted attending a party in London, an appearance that can best be described as flawless.
Neil Mockford / Ricky Vigil M//Getty Images
May 2022
Natalia tells Cosmo UK that she doesn’t really get why everyone is so invested in her and Charlie’s relationship, saying, “I’m always curious as to why it comes up. Why do people want to know about it? I think it’s a natural instinct to want to know more about the people who are on your screens for hours, about what they’re like in real life. [But] now that I’ve experienced the other side of it…it sounds so cliché, but I’m just a person too. Some people are very good about being open and sharing, and other people feel a little more comfortable holding some things for themselves.”
Fair! And she also talks a bit about how she and Charlie started dating, noting, “We were colleagues first. It’s a standard, natural thing that would’ve happened either way. We work on the same show—naturally, we would do interviews together and things like that. The weirdest thing about [our relationship] is other people’s perception and reaction to it. Everything else just feels very human.”
Then Natalia and Charlie attend worldwide premieres of Stranger Things season 4 together in Spain and Germany and the pics are just 🥺🥺🥺:
Carlos Alvarez//Getty Images
Juan Naharro Gimenez//Getty Images
Talk about a globe-trotting couple!
January 2023
Charlie and Natalia look v comfortable as they are pictured for the first time in seven months while stepping out in New York City for a date night. You can see all the cute pics right this way. ❤️
April 2023
The actors pose for photographers at the Brooklyn Museum’s Artist Ball presented by Dior and complement each other’s looks in all-black ensembles.
Sean Zanni//Getty Images
Once inside the event itself, Natalia and Charlie are even spotted cozying up on a bench and having fun at their table.
Lexie Moreland//Getty Images
Lexie Moreland//Getty Images
May 2023
Sweet update on these two! According to a source who speaks with Us Weekly, “Natalia and Charlie love their low-key life in Brooklyn.” The insider also adds that the “adorable” couple is “always” together and that “they cook together, take the subway together and when they’re out—they’re always holding hands. They love going to art galleries and sneaking into movies and sitting in the back row.” All very on-brand.
February 2025
The pair rolls into the Burberry show at London Fashion Week looking chiiiiic as hell:
Dave Benett//Getty Images
March 2025
…which is then followed by another fashionable appearance together during Paris Fashion Week:
WWD//Getty Images
April 2025
The two hit the red carpet for the Broadway premiere of Stranger Things: The First Shadow with several of their fellow castmates.
Kristina Bumphrey//Getty Images
November 2025
And then, at long last, it’s the premiere of Stranger Things season 5, where Nancy and Jonathan are still going as strong as ever.
Monica Schipper//Getty Images
And that’s it, but fear not, we’ll be updating this timeline with new developments as they come.
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