Hold the phone! Are Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara low-key married without telling us?! We’ve got a mystery on our hands, and it’s juicier than a soap opera plot twist. Picture this: Joaquin casually drops the word “wife” during an interview like it’s no big deal. Excuse me, Joaquin, but we need answers!
So, here’s the tea. Joaquin, who you know as the guy who crushed it in Joker (and by crushed it, I mean danced down some stairs like nobody was watching), was on the Sept. 29 episode of Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso. Naturally, as one does in an interview, he dropped a bombshell by referring to Rooney, 39, as his… wait for it… “wife.” Yes, WIFE! Not “girlfriend,” not “fiancée,” but the Big W!
The 49-year-old actor was spilling the deets on how he found inspiration for his Oscars speech back in 2020, when he won Best Actor for his disturbing but undeniably iconic performance in Joker. (No word on whether he thanked those infamous stairs.)
“I was talking with my mom and wife,” he said, just casually throwing the word “wife” out there like it wasn’t about to send everyone into a frenzy. Sure, Joaquin, just keep it cool.
And if that wasn’t enough to make the internet explode, a few moments later, he mentioned Rooney by name, recalling how she helped him brainstorm. “Rooney was like, ‘That’s what you should say!’” he explained. So not only is Rooney Mara apparently the brains behind Joaquin’s award-winning speeches, but she might also be his secret spouse?!
Now, did Joaquin clarify this marital mystery? Of course not. That would be too easy. Instead, he left us all hanging like we’re living in a never-ending Her sequel, waiting for more details. Classic Joaquin.
For those keeping track, Joaquin and Rooney met in 2012 on the set of Her (so, basically, they’ve been vibing since Joaquin was in love with a computer). They started dating publicly in 2017, got engaged in 2019, and welcomed their adorable son, River, in 2020, named after Joaquin’s late brother.
And because these two clearly love keeping us on our toes, earlier this year, it was confirmed that they’re expecting baby number two. Will this next baby come with a wedding announcement? Or will they continue to keep us guessing like a reality show cliffhanger? Stay tuned, because with Joaquin and Rooney, anything is possible.
Did Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara secretly get married? Maybe. Probably. Who knows? Only Joaquin—and possibly his “wife.”