Rachel Bilson & Hayden Christensen have split up after nine years together

Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson

I always forget that Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen got together about a decade ago, and I always forgot that they were still together and they had a baby too. They really flew undercover, especially in the past five years or so. Part of their “undercover” status was that they both truly shunned the spotlight, and part of it was that the spotlight wasn’t really looking for them. Anyway, Us Weekly now says that they’re done and they’ve been done for several months. What of Briar Rose Christensen?!

Rachel Bilson and Hayden Christensen have split after nearly ten years together, a source exclusively confirms to Us Weekly. “She’s full-time back in L.A. He’s in Toronto,” says the insider. “They’ve been on the outs for a couple of months.” The source adds: “They are completely, officially done.”

The actors first met on set of their 2008 film Jumper and got engaged that December. They quietly called off their engagement in August 2010, only to reconcile three months later. Bilson gave birth to their daughter, Briar Rose, in October 2014. “Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson welcome their daughter Briar Rose Christensen born on October 29, 2014,” her rep told Us Weekly in a statement at the time. “Both mother and baby are healthy and doing well.”

Their little girl’s moniker is a nod to the duo’s mutual love of Disney. “There’s a Disney reference there I suppose,” Christensen said during an appearance on Hallmark Channel’s Home & Family in August 2015. “The original Sleeping Beauty is called Briar Rose. Rachel — we both love Disney — but Rachel especially was very keen on the name.”

Bilson, 36, and Christensen, 36, have kept their relationship private throughout their years, however the Hart of Dixie alum gushed about her life with the Shattered Glass actor in a May 2013 interview with Cosmopolitan. “I’m a really good girlfriend — I always put all that first in my life. I’m definitely the person who would make him his favorite dinner to come home to,” Bilson said at the time. “I love to cook, so we make dinner at home a lot and watch movies.”

[From Us Weekly]

I forgot that they did the breakup-and-makeup cycle in 2010 too! Damn. And I guess they never did get married? I can’t find anything about a wedding or a wedding announcement, so I guess they broke off their engagement years ago and then just never got re-engaged when they did get back together. That makes me sad – I get the feeling that Rachel adored him and I get the feeling he was a major pill. I hope Rachel and little Briar Rose are able to move on and find happiness elsewhere.

Hayden Christensen and Rachel Bilson

Photos courtesy of WENN.

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65 Responses to “Rachel Bilson & Hayden Christensen have split up after nine years together”

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  1. Maria F. says:

    that is sad. I liked them together, but i guess 10 years in Hollywood at that age is something to be proud of. Hopefully they find bliss with somebody else.

    • V4Real says:

      Sometimes people just fall out of love with each other. I liked them together. They were very low-key. They were actors, not movie stars . They didn’t seem as if they cared about being all up in the pap cameras or thirsting for fame and recognition.

      BTW Rachel is a beautiful 36 year old woman who could still pass for a beautiful early 20 something year old woman.

      Hayden reminds me of Andy Garfield for some reason. Maybe Andy has the career that Hayden should have had.

      • tealily says:

        “Maybe Andy has the career that Hayden should have had.” I could see that. I never quite know what to think of Hayden. I know him from Star Wars, of course, which wasn’t quite the right fit for him. I feel like his career has suffered because of it.

      • kibbles says:

        A lot of people never knew or cared about this pairing because you’re right. They are more working actors somewhere on the C-list/low B-list of celebrity status. Their faces and names are somewhat recognizable to people in their age group who watched The O.C., Hart of Dixie, and/or Star Wars. At least they never seemed too thirsty for attention which they probably could have gotten more of if they regularly called the paps or posted nude and ridiculous Instagram photos like Beyonce, Ariel Winters, or the Kardashians.

  2. Tiffany27 says:

    I always forget he exists.

    • tty says:

      Damn, that was cold. I did LOL hard though…

    • kimbers says:

      he sucked in SW and he might not have been so progressive to want to be a homemaker for his family.

    • Nikki says:

      There’s an awesome movie called ” Life As A House” with Kevin Kline, Kristin Scott Thomas, Jenna Malone and Hayden. It’s really good, and I’ve liked him since that, though I didn’t like him in the Star Wars movie.

  3. ell says:

    as someone who’s into the sw fandom, hayden christensen while a terrible actor, is actually not a pill at all and a very nice lad.

    they were together for ages, probably it just run its course.

    • lannisterforever says:

      Yeah, by all accounts I’ve heard he’s a cool dude.

    • ArchieGoodwin says:

      I have heard this as well. Socially awkward maybe, not great in an interview where he needs to be spontaneous, but polite, respectful, doesn’t bitch about co workers, etc.
      He was good in Jumpers, and it’s a great movie- who wouldn’t want to be able to teleport?

      it’s high on my list of super powers I’d want. Maybe even number 1! you wouldn’t need strength or telekinesis if you could just teleport.

    • M.A.F. says:

      He was good in Life as a House and Shattered Glass.

    • V4Real says:

      Why does it seem like it’s always the man’s fault that the marriage ended. I’ve also heard that he was a very nice young man. So maybe he’s not a pill, maybe she was the pill. Or like I said upthread, maybe they just fell out of love with each other and neither are to blame.

      BTW I loved him in Takers with Idris Elba, Paul Walker and T. I. Harris

    • manda says:

      He is a HORRIBLE actor

      • JustStahhhpp says:

        In Shattered Glass, he was exceptional.

      • Lorelai says:

        I adore Shattered Glass – and his performance in it – and I always feel like I am the only person who has ever heard of the movie! None of my friends or family had even heard of it let alone seen it so I’m happy to see other fans here. That movie was so underrated. Peter Saarsgard was excellent as well.

    • Chewbacca says:

      He just has resting disgruntled face, I do too.

  4. Nicole says:

    Sad I thought they were good together. I agree it probably just ran its course. Never heard anything bad about him personally

  5. Jenna says:

    Ohh Rachel, how about Joshua Jackson? Oodles of cuteness.

  6. smcollins says:

    Awe, that’s too bad. They really did make a cute couple, but if it’s not working…Hopefully their family settles into their new normal and finds happiness.

  7. poorlittlerichgirl says:

    Oh no! I love them as a couple. He is so dreamy!

  8. Alix says:

    “They are completely, officially done.”

    This does not sound like an amicable split.

    • M. says:

      I hope they can be civil for the sake of their young daughter.
      “I hope Rachel and little Briar Rose are able to move on and find happiness elsewhere.” Anybody else think this was a strange way to end this post? Here’s hoping that their two year old doesn’t move on and can still be in her daddys life

      • tealily says:

        Yeah, that was a weird turn of phrase (sorry, Kaiser!). Like she’s taking the child and moving on. I hope he can find happiness too.

      • annabanana says:

        Yeah I found that weird too. It’s like you don’t want her dad in her life? Its like saying a lot without saying anything

      • Ollie says:

        Yes what a gruel thing to say. Why should a child move on and find a “new daddy”? WTF.
        Her parents seperated, he’s still her dad.

        And why is he left out? Is a man not allowed to “move on and find happiness elsewhere”? They all deserve happiness, especially the little girl.

      • ArchieGoodwin says:

        yes, very much so actually. weird call for parent alienation, based on absolutely nothing.

      • Marianne says:

        Yeah. That really rubbed me the wrong way too. He doesnt deserve happiness because you imagine him to be a pill? Kind of a rude assumption.

    • hogtowngooner says:

      It was weird to hear that after the same source saying “they’ve been on the outs for a couple of months.” For a couple that’s been together for practically a decade, it seems like a very sudden drop. Hopefully they keep it quiet and amicable for the sake of their daughter.

      • MommyMaura says:

        Why does everything have to be this high drama? Why can’t they just fall out of love? Why does he have to be a pill? We have literally nothing to go off to even judge that.
        I kind of get it, after so many messy breakups in Hollywood, but..seriously. Let’s not try to project feelings on someone with little to no basis or reasoning other then it must be his fault.

      • M. says:

        From what I’ve read about them over the years, they’ve been on and off multiple times. Sometimes relationships just don’t work out. They both seem like lovely people, I’m sure it will be kept quiet…they were never out there in public much anyway, especially Hayden.

      • MommyMaura says:

        This wasn’t toward you hogtowngooner .

  9. Jess says:

    Well this is sad, but I also forgot they were together. Hopefully it’s a peaceful split.

    I love the name Briar Rose, I thought about using it for my daughter but I didn’t want to use Rose use since that’s Sleeping Beauty, but after endless hours I couldn’t find anything else that fit! Seriously, nothing else sounds right, and Briar by itself is weird too.

  10. Starryfish says:

    I hope this turns out to be false, I always liked these two together.

  11. i don't know her says:

    she’s 36! ugh. where’s the sunscreen!

  12. Flipper says:

    So sad.

  13. Veronica says:

    That’s a shame because they always looked so cute together but not totally surprising given the previous breakup. I’ve always heard positive things about both of them from fans, so I’d think it’s likely more mutual incompatibility on certain issues rather than one partner being a “pill.”

  14. minx says:

    Did anyone see him in “Shattered Glass?” He was actually good in that.

    • StormsMama says:

      @minx
      I came to say the same thing.
      That movie was really well done – his acting and peter saarsgaard’s elevated a B-level TV movie to a cinematic big screen worthy film.

    • Veronica says:

      I actually think he’s a fairly talented actor, just working with some really bad dialogue in the SW movies. Even then, if you shut off the sound and just watch his physical performance, especially in Revenge of the Sith, it’s clearly he put a lot of effort into those films.

      • JulP says:

        IA, and no one could have elevated the godawful dialogue in the SW prequels. Even Samuel L. Jackson gave a bad performance (and I normally love him).

  15. kb says:

    that’s so sad. although, i think the only reason i care so much is because we both have a daughter named briar. they seem like nice people, though.

  16. Tiffany says:

    I thought that they got married on their farm in Toronto a couple of years ago.

    • Peeking in says:

      Farm in Toronto? That’s like saying “farm in New York City”, there are no actual farms in Toronto. Maybe somewhere outside/near the city?

  17. perplexed says:

    I always wanted to know why she and Adam Brody broke up.

  18. KB says:

    There were photos of them together in Los Angeles a couple of months ago, like March or April, so the separate lives thing is relatively new.

    ETA: The pictures I was talking about were at the end of March, but they sold their house in April. So maybe it was already in the works when they were photographed.

  19. Millie says:

    NOOO! This actually upsets me. I really liked them together.

  20. Ozogirl says:

    Is Adam Brody available? Summer and Seth forever!

  21. stinky says:

    I love his sleepy, shifty eyes… cant help it!

  22. Ally says:

    There’s documentary footage of George Lucas “directing” on one of those sad 10×10 all-green-screen sets that he had (restricting movement) and telling Christensen who asks about feeling and motivation to do it with less emotion. Seriously, those movies sucked the charisma out of everyone.

  23. serena says:

    I like her and hope she’ll come back on tv with some good show, she’s a good tv actress. As for him, maybe I’m the only one in the whole world who didn’t hate (not saying I liked it either) his performance in SW?
    Anyway wish the best to both of them, they looked cute together.

  24. Blackbetty says:

    I thought he was great in Shattered Glass and Life as a House. I liked them as they were low key.

  25. Donna Martin says:

    But who’s keeping the farm in Canada? I’ve bumped into them a few times. I hope she gets back to acting. I always felt he kept her down.

  26. Mrs. Darcy says:

    Sad for her but maybe now she can marry Wade from Hart of Dixie because they were the cutest together. I guess she is in Nashville now but I stopped watching after Rayna died zzzzz. ;-0