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It’s a tale that’s become a classic in its own right. Boy meets girl, they fall in love, and then life takes them on separate paths. This narrative played out in the journey of Jacob Elordi, a rising star who’s made a name for himself, especially as the infamous Nate Jacobs in the hit series Euphoria. His career has been on a meteoric rise, most recently landing him a role as Elvis Presley in Sophia Coppola’s highly anticipated A24 project, “Priscilla,” garnering considerable attention.
In the midst of Elordi’s ascent, it’s easy to overlook a chapter from his past. There was a time when he was in a relationship with Joey King, a former child actor who has carved her own path to stardom, gaining widespread acclaim for her portrayal of Gypsy Rose Blanchard in the true crime series “The Act.” King recently celebrated her marriage to producer Steven Piet, marking a happily ever after in her romantic journey. However, not too long ago, she and Elordi were briefly entwined in a romance.
Their paths crossed on the set of “The Kissing Booth,” a 2018 Netflix film based on a self-published story on Wattpad. King took on the role of Elle, a teenage girl harboring feelings for Noah (played by Elordi), despite him being off-limits as the older brother of her best friend, Lee (portrayed by Joel Courtney). Their characters’ forbidden love mirrors reality, as Elordi and King found themselves drawn to each other. For King, their connection didn’t start with love at first sight. She recounted how their relationship initially blossomed from a strong friendship.
“When we first met, me, him, and Joel went out to dinner and we had the best, most fun night ever. By the end of dinner, we had like six inside jokes. We were so close and throughout filming, I was just best friends with Jacob. I guess there was no moment, but I feel like the friendship kind of naturally was like, ‘Oh hey, this person is super frickin’ awesome. We have so much in common and we really love spending time together. Maybe there’s something more there.’”
From 2017 to 2018, they were a couple, but then, without much explanation, they seemed to drift apart. While the official reason for their split was never disclosed, initial signs didn’t suggest an amicable parting. Elordi went as far as deleting all his social media accounts, sparking speculation among fans. King, too, removed all their online photos together, essentially confirming what most already suspected.
Fans of “The Kissing Booth” breathed a sigh of relief when both actors continued to collaborate on the two sequels to the 2017 film. By the final installment, Elordi posted pictures on social media with his former girlfriend and co-star, signaling that they were back on good terms. Since then, both have remained focused on their careers, which have continued to flourish in impressive fashion.