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Lady Gaga is in stupid love. She and her Silicon Valley bigwig boyfriend Michael Polansky have shared many a sweet selfie on Instagram, though they don’t often hit red carpets together. Maybe that’s because as Napster cofounder Sean Parker’s right-hand man, Polansky is just as busy as Gaga. But when they do make public appearances together, it’s usually something special.
Here’s an overview of Lady Gaga and Michael Polansky’s relationship, a match made in futuristic heaven:
2016 (?)
It’s unclear exactly when Gaga and Harvard grad Polansky, who worked for a number of Sean Parker’s ventures (peep his impressive LinkedIn), first meet. But here’s a possibility: In 2016, Gaga performed at a cancer benefit, which is where she met her future costar and director Bradley Cooper, according to W.
Elle identifies this fundraiser as being for the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy and says the event was held at Parker’s home. One might safely assume that Polansky also attended since he runs the foundation, so this could be where they first came into contact.
2019
According to Page Six, they get together some time after Gaga ended her engagement to Christian Carino. The outlet’s source speculates that the pair have known each other “for a while” via Parker’s social circle, and pegs the start of their relationship to Parker’s birthday party in December 2019. They are spotted kissing on New Year’s Eve, per Entertainment Tonight.
2020
February 2: He supports her during her performance at the Super Bowl.
February 3: Lady Gaga posts a picture of them on Instagram and writes, “We had so much fun in Miami. Love to all my little monsters and fans, you’re the best! ❤️”
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February 14: Here they are on Valentine’s Day:
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February 27: The New York Times publishes an op-ed by Polansky’s ex-girlfriend about the experience of seeing him date the superstar.
April 18: Gaga posts that they were working together on the “Together at Home” fundraiser. Sources say throughout this period that they are growing closer during quarantine.
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2021
January 20: As Gaga performs at Biden’s inauguration, Polansky is in attendance (that’s him next to her in the black mask).
November 17: The Hollywood Reporter publishes a profile in which Gaga says, “My dogs and the man that I love are my whole life.”
2022
March 13: A rare Hollywood outing…times two! On March 13, Polansky accompanies Gaga to the BAFTAs, where she is nominated for her performance in House of Gucci.
Host Rebel Wilson congratulates him on being a “plus one” and gives the couple a Golden Bra Award, which should be a real thing!
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They went straight from that event to the Critics Choice Awards in L.A. (big “No sleep. Bus. ’Nother club. ’Nother club” vibes):
Lady Gaga walked the red carpet solo, but they were spotted sitting together during the ceremony, per Page Six.
2024
April 7: The pair spark engagement rumors when Gaga is photographed wearing an enormous diamond ring on a certain finger. Later, in Vogue's October issue, Gaga confirms that the pair got engaged after a day of rock climbing.
July 29: Gaga reveals that the pair are indeed engagaged…maybe without meaning to? After a dazzling performance on the bank of the River Seine during the 2024 Olympics opening ceremonies, the artist attended a swimming event with Polansky, where she was introduced to French prime minister Gabriel Attal. In a TikTok video of the moment, shared by Attal, Gaga can be heard referring to Polansky as “my fiancé.”
People later confirmed that the couple had been secretly engaged for “several months” but had been keeping the news under wraps. Per the report, the pair are now planning their wedding.
“They’re great together,” the source added. “He’s excited and supportive of her career. He can’t stand being in the spotlight, but lets her shine. He has his own business priorities that she’s supportive of.
“They both would love to have a family,” the source said.
September 2: Several weeks after confirming their engagement, Lady Gaga and Michael Polansky step out together at the Venice Film Festival, where Gaga flashes her gargantuan engagement ring for the first time.
September 3: The couple makes their red-carpet debut at the Venice Film Festival premiere of her latest film, Joker: Folie a Deux. Polansky, dressed in a tuxedo, looks lovingly at Gaga, who is dressed to the nines in a Christian Dior Haute Couture gown and lace Philip Treacy headpiece.
Once again, her massive oval-cut diamond is ready for the cameras. The private couple is clearly making a statement with their very public display of their commitment to one another.
September 5: Gaga opens up about her relationship with Polansky in Vogue's October cover story, including their first few years living in relative “normalcy” during the pandemic, after they first met in December 2019. The pair connected over their shared loves, including “music, science, and art,” Gaga says.
Gaga also admits that it was Polansky who convinced her that her next venture, an album that will drop in February 2025, should be pop. “Michael is the person who told me to make a new pop record,“ she says. “He was like, ‘Babe. I love you. You need to make pop music.’”
This post will be updated.
This story was originally published on Glamour (US).
