Black Doves star Ben Whishaw’s love life: from 10-year marriage to rumoured romance with co-star

Ben Whishaw has emerged as the standout star of Black Doves. Acting alongside Keira Knightley and Sarah Lancashire in the hit spy drama, the fan favourite plays Sam – a seriously disturbed yet debonair agent haunted by his past. 

The Netflix series has already jumped to number one on the streamer’s charts, with Ben garnering critical acclaim for his nuanced performance. Busier than ever when it comes to his career, the 44-year-old is having quite the year with the release of Paddington 3 and now Black Doves, but away from the cameras he’s surprisingly low-key. 

Notoriously private when it comes to his love life, Ben was married to Mark Bradshaw for 10 years before ending on good terms. Currently, he is thought to be seeing one of his co-stars, although he has yet to confirm his relationship status. Here’s what we know about the actor’s dating history…

Mark Bradshaw

Ben was married to Australian composer, Mark Bradshaw, for a decade. They met on the set of Bright Star (2009). 

The two entered a civil partnership three years later in Sydney. Known for his work in film and television, Mark has also lent his talents to Top of the Lake (2013), Run Rabbit Run (2023) and The Clearing (2023). 

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Ben had refrained from commenting publicly on his personal life when it was announced that he and Mark had married, telling the press: “An actor shouldn’t reveal their sexuality because it pigeonholes them.” 

After the news of his civil partnership broke, Ben explained to The Sunday Times that he had since changed his outlook. “People assume there’s some juicy secret,” he said. “But I don’t agree any more with that statement [about being pigeonholed]. I don’t think it’s the be-all and end-all, and since revealing my sexuality I haven’t had any negative effects.”

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During their marriage, the pair walked the red carpet on several occasions, most notably at the Met Gala in 2016. They were joined by Ben’s James Bond co-star, Naomie Harris. 

Ben and Mark decided to separate in 2022, with several publications stating that their breakup was amicable. 

Kadiff Kirwan

Ben is rumoured to be dating Kadiff Kirwan, with whom he co-starred in the BBC drama, This Is Going to Hurt. 

Among his extensive list of credits, Kadiff has also appeared in Timewasters (2019), Fleabag (2019), The Stranger (2020), and Slow Horses (2022-24). 

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It was reported that Ben and Kadiff had struck up a romance in January 2024, and had been spotted on a trip to Greece in 2023. That same year they posed together for a snap at Margate Pride.