Last week, after months of tabloid speculation, Bradley Cooper and Irina Shayk ended their four-year relationship. "They want to stay together for their daughter, but neither of them are very happy," a source told E! News.
Rumors about why these two broke up have gotten out of hand, with fans online unfairly bringing up Cooper's A Star Is Born costar Lady Gaga. Seeing that neither Cooper nor Shayk has commented publicly, we must take all the reports with a grain of salt—but let's break down exactly what we "know" for the moment about their relationship and breakup.
1. Cooper and Shayk have always been very private about their relationship. "I have a lot of friends who share a lot of their personal life on Instagram or social media, very publicly. I admire it and I think it’s great—but I think it’s all about personal choice," Shayk told British Glamour. "Because my work requires me to be out there, I just decided my personal life will be quiet. That’s why it’s called personal, because it’s something for you and your family, and I feel happy with it." Cooper rarely spoke about Shayk but did thank her during his BAFTA acceptance speech in February. "Most of all I have to thank Irina for putting up with me, for all the music I was trying to make in our basement for a year," he said. "Thank you very much."
2. The couple shares a two-year-old daughter, Lea de Seine Shayk Cooper. "Having a child, and having a family of my own—which is a miracle and something I've always dreamt of—has opened me up even more, I guess, to the day, and to be present," Cooper told NPR last year. A source told People that “after awards season ended, Cooper slowed down to focus on his family" and spent “every day with his family.”
3. A Star Is Born may have played a role in the split. “Bradley was emotionally absent during the long time filming A Star Is Born,” a source told People. “They tried to save the relationship, but it had changed. Since Bradley and Irina have always been very private about their relationship, few knew there was really for sure something going on.” This doesn't necessarily mean that Lady Gaga is involved. ASIB was Cooper's directorial debut, plus he was starring in it as well, so it wouldn't be a huge leap to think that it was the central focus in his life for a while.
4. Shayk is reportedly the one who called things off. “Recently Irina decided enough is enough. She didn’t feel she was getting the level of commitment she wanted, and the endless fighting made their life unbearable,” a source told Entertainment Tonight. “They are very different people, and once they realized it was the baby that was holding them together, it was time to call it quits.”
5. Shayk is back at work. The model was spotted at LAX just after news of the split broke—and it seems that she was heading to a shoot. She hasn't made any comments about the breakup but did share two Instagram posts from gorgeous locations in Iceland.
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On June 13, Shayk made her first public appearance since the split when she returned to the runway at the CR Runway x LuisaViaRoma 90th-anniversary show in Florence, Italy. Of course, she looked amazing.
6. The Lady Gaga of it all. Despite multiple reports asserting that Gaga had "nothing to do" with Cooper and Shayk's split, fans are still bringing her into it. And these new stories aren't helping the speculation: According to People, rumors that Gaga and Cooper were developing an offscreen relationship "didn't help" his situation with Shayk.
“The rumors about Bradley and Gaga having a love affair didn’t help, especially with his constant travels [promoting the film],” a source told the magazine. "He has a huge and overwhelming connection to Gaga, but whether it becomes a real love story in their lives for all the world to see is premature, and it’s difficult to speculate at this sensitive time.”
A source close to Lady Gaga reportedly told Us Weekly that the singer had absolutely no intention of getting together with Cooper and that she "felt bad" about the rumors.
“The movie had a major impact on Bradley and Irina’s relationship,” the source said. “Even though there was nothing romantic between Bradley and Gaga, the noise was difficult for Irina to deal with.”
This post will be updated as new details emerge.
