Adele has found love again with Rich Paul.
The “Easy on Me” singer and sports agent took their relationship public in the summer of 2021. Since then, they’ve made appearances at several NBA games and Adele has talked about Paul in a handful of interviews.
In September 2023, the couple sparked marriage rumors when Adele referred to Paul as her “husband” in conversation with a fan during her Las Vegas residency. A year later, Adele hinted that the pair are merely engaged when she told another fan, “I can’t marry you, I’m already getting married.”
Read on for a look at their relationship timeline.
July 2021: Adele and Rich Paul spark romance rumors
During the NBA Finals, the duo made their first public appearance together as they watched the game between the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns.
Shortly after, a source confirmed to PEOPLE that the two were an item and have been dating for “a few months.” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst also confirmed their relationship status on The Lowe Post, telling listeners Paul brought “his girlfriend to the game to sit next to LeBron.”
September 19, 2021: Adele and Rich Paul go Instagram official
In September 2021, Adele accompanied Paul to NBA star Anthony Davis and Marlen P’s wedding in Los Angeles. Following the ceremony, Adele documented the fun night with a series of photos on Instagram, including a snapshot of her and Paul cuddled up in the photo booth. Though she didn’t tag Paul in the post, she did caption it with a red heart.
October 2021: Adele reveals how she met Rich Paul
In candid interviews with Vogue and British Vogue for their November 2021 cover stories, Adele briefly opened up about her relationship with Paul.
“Rich just incredibly arrived,” she said about her boyfriend. “I don’t feel anxious or nervous or frazzled. It’s quite the opposite. It’s wild.” In the interview, she also revealed that the two originally met at a party a couple of years before, when she joked to him, while “a bit drunk,” “Do you want to sign me? I’m an athlete now.”
“He’s great. He’s so f—ing funny. He’s so smart, you know,” she added.
October 19, 2021: Adele and Rich Paul have a date night at NBA season opener
The duo made another courtside appearance together as they attended the NBA season opener in a game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers.
November 6, 2021: Adele brings Rich Paul along for the filming of An Audience with Adele
Following a taping of An Audience with Adele at the London Palladium, which marked Adele’s first U.K. performance in four years, the two were spotted making a quick exit together in a car.
November 14, 2021: Adele gushes about Rich Paul to Oprah
During her CBS special with Oprah Winfrey, titled Adele One Night Only, the singer opened up about her bond with Paul.
“He’s just hilarious. Oh, he’s so funny, he’s hilarious, yeah. And very smart. You know, he’s very, very smart. It’s quite incredible watching him do what he does,” she said.
She also shared that this relationship is the first time she’s “loved myself and been open to loving and being loved by someone else.”
“It’s just timing,” she added. “But it’d be interesting to see what my reaction is like in general to anything that hurts me now that I feel so secure in myself, and I’m talking outside of romance as well.”
January 7, 2022: Adele and Rich Paul share a laugh at NBA game
The two looked super giggly as they attended a basketball game against the Atlanta Hawks and the Los Angeles Lakers in January 2022.
February 1, 2022: Adele shuts down Rich Paul breakup rumors
As Adele teased her performance at the BRIT Awards in an Instagram post, she seemingly addressed breakup rumors surrounding her and Paul.
“Hiya, so I’m really happy to say that I am performing at the Brits next week!! Anddddd I’ll also be popping in to see Graham for a chat on the couch while I’m in town too! I’m looking forward to it!” she wrote before adding, “Oh, and Rich sends his love ♥️”
February 8, 2022: Adele sparks engagement rumors at the BRIT Awards
While attending the BRIT Awards on Feb. 8, Adele sparked engagement rumors as she was spotted wearing a diamond ring on her ring finger.
February 11, 2022: Adele subtly responds to engagement rumors
While on The Graham Norton Show on Feb. 11, 2022, the singer played coy about engagement rumors when the television host pointed out the massive diamond on her left ring finger.
“As if I would ever tell anyone if I was or wasn’t,” she answered, referencing her jewelry. “It’s lovely though, isn’t it?”
February 20, 2022: Adele and Rich Paul step out for a basketball game
The duo kept the engagement rumors going as they stepped out together for the NBA’s All-Star Game on Feb. 20, 2022. They were photographed sitting courtside and holding hands as they watched game.
May 11, 2022: Adele shares photos with Rich Paul on Instagram
Following her birthday on May 5, Adele shared a handful of sweet photos with Paul on her Instagram alongside the caption, “Time flies 💋 ✨ ♥️.” The final photo in the gallery shows the singer holding a fortune cookie that reads, “You have found good company — enjoy.”
May 22, 2022: Adele and Rich Paul cozy up during the NBA Eastern Conference finals
The duo was spotted sitting courtside at Game 3 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals on May 22. Throughout the game, the couple was spotted smiling and laughing with each other as they watched the Golden State Warriors play against the Dallas Mavericks.
June 11, 2022: Rich Paul talks about having more kids
During an interview with E! News, the sports agent hinted at the possibility of expanding his family as he discussed having “more kids” and being “an older dad.”
“As a young dad, growing a business, it was pretty tough,” he told the publication. “But now looking as an older dad and my kids being much older, and obviously, if I was to have more kids … I’m looking forward to being a different dad, a more patient dad.”
June 19, 2022: Adele and Rich Paul have a dinner date in L.A.
In June, the couple was spotted having dinner at Mother Wolf in L.A. “She seemed to be having a great time and was leaning into Rich here and there,” a source told PEOPLE, adding, “They stayed for a while and were joined by another friend at one point” before the couple”went out a back exit.”
June 25, 2022: Adele and Rich Paul attend Kevin Love and Kate Bock’s wedding
Adele and Paul were among some of the star-studded guests at Kevin Love and Kate Bock’s wedding ceremony at the New York City Public Library on June 25.
July 19, 2022: Adele and Rich Paul vacation in Italy
In July, the couple was spotted on vacation in Porto Cervo, Italy. The two were seen by each other’s side as they relaxed on a yacht with friends.
August 15, 2022: Adele says she’s “obsessed” with Rich Paul
In her cover story for ELLE‘s September issue, the singer briefly opened up about her relationship with Paul. “I’ve never been in love like this. I’m obsessed with him,” Adele told the magazine.
When asked by ELLE if she would ever want to remarry, after divorcing ex Simon Konecki in 2019 — with whom she shares son Angelo — the star replied, “Yes, absolutely.”
“I definitely want more kids,” Adele explained. “I’m a homemaker and I’m a matriarch, and a stable life helps me with my music. But right now, all I got in my brain is [my upcoming Las Vegas residency]. I wanna f—ing nail it.”
October 17, 2022: Adele and Rich Paul double date with Kevin Hart and his wife Eniko
The two couples attended an event for the watch brand Audemars Piguet in L.A. Adele wore a black turtleneck dress, while Paul donned a black sweater and slacks.
“We drank @grancoramino and talk time pieces all night….my type of party!!!!!” Hart captioned a photo of the four friends on Instagram.
October 26, 2022: Adele says “making special time” for Rich Paul makes her happy
During “Happy Hour with Adele” — a live stream event for the premiere of her “I Drink Wine” music video — a fan asked: “What are some things you’ve been doing lately that have been making you happy?”
The singer listed online shopping, her dogs and a phone app in response, before giving a special nod to her sports agent boyfriend.
“And then making special time for Rich,” Adele said. “The [NBA] season just started, and I’m actually a really big basketball fan, thank god.”
December 17, 2022: Adele serenades Rich Paul during Las Vegas show
Paul celebrated his 41st birthday with Adele in Las Vegas. The “Someone Like You” singer took a few moments during her concert at Caesars Palace to sing “Happy Birthday” to the sports agent, who was in the audience.
“I love you more than life itself — we wish you happy birthday,” Adele said from the stage.
February 5, 2023: Adele and Rich Paul attend the Grammys together
In February 2023, Adele and Paul made a rare public appearance together as they attended the 2023 Grammy Awards, where the singer won best pop solo performance for “Easy on Me.” Though they didn’t walk the red carpet together, they did pose for a handful of photos inside the event.
April 28, 2023: Adele and Rich Paul attend NBA Playoffs game
Paul and Adele sat courtside to watch the Los Angeles Lakers go up against the Memphis Grizzlies in game 6 of the NBA Playoffs. The “Hello” singer subtly supported her beau by wearing a matching sweatsuit from Klutch Athletics — a sportswear brand co-created by Paul.
September 2023: Adele and Rich Paul spark marriage rumors
During the Grammy-winner’s Vegas residency show in September, she sparked marriage rumors as she referred to Paul as her “husband” during a conversation with a fan.
“You can’t marry me. I’m straight, my love, and my husband’s here tonight,” Adele told a female audience member in a video posted on TikTok.
After the fan asked, “Can you try?” the songstress jokingly replied, “No, I don’t want to try. I’m with Rich. You’re crazy, leave me alone.”
October 9, 2023: Rich Paul says his memoir was “very emotional” for Adele to read
In an interview with PEOPLE, Paul opened up about his new memoir, Lucky Me: A Memoir of Changing the Odds, which details his early childhood growing up in a crime-ridden section of Cleveland, Ohio, in the ’80s and ’90s, as well as the deep trauma he faced having a mother who struggled with drug addiction.
“I had built up this wall as a young kid,” he said, “to just have the understanding to move forward and know that she’s not going to be there. Like, Mom is not coming home.” That reality, he added, “was one of the toughest things for me to relive and write about.”
Paul added that the depths of his childhood trauma are what resonated most with his partner Adele. “It was very emotional,” he said of the star’s response to his book. “I think a lot of it probably hit home, so yeah, it was a difficult read [for her].”
December 16, 2023: Adele attends Rich Paul’s 43rd birthday bash
Paul hosted a birthday party at The Classic Cat in Los Angeles. He later shared photos from the soiree on Instagram, including an image of him and Adele posing in front of a graffiti-style backdrop.
May 5, 2024: Source says Adele and Rich Paul’s relationship is “solid”
According to a source, Adele and Paul’s “relationship is solid.” A separate insider also told PEOPLE that the couple “inspire each other.”
July 20, 2024: Adele is photographed wearing a diamond ring while out in London with Rich Paul
While leaving Chiltern Firehouse in London with Paul, Adele was photographed wearing a large, pear-shaped diamond ring on her finger.
November 24, 2024: Adele thanks Rich Paul during final Las Vegas residency show
While holding back tears, Adele gave Paul a sweet shout-out during her final Las Vegas residency show.
“Thank you for always bigging me up and making me feel like I could do whatever I wanted to do,” she said. “There [have] been times when I’m too tired or I’m too emotionally drained … so I appreciate that.”
Source: People
