Joker 2 Star Joaquin Phoenix Sparks Marriage Rumours After Referring to Rooney Mara As 'My Wife'

Joaquin Phoenix has sparked fresh marriage rumours with his longtime partner, Rooney Mara. During his recent appearance on the Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso podcast, the Joker star referred to Mara as his “wife,” publicly using the term for the first time.

While discussing his emotional 2020 Oscars acceptance speech, Phoenix said, “I was talking with my mom and my wife,” catching fans by surprise. Moments later, the 49-year-old actor confirmed he was indeed speaking about Mara, as he mentioned her by name. However, Phoenix gave no further clarification on whether the couple had officially tied the knot.

Phoenix and Mara first crossed paths in 2012 while filming Spike Jonze’s Her. Although they didn’t become romantically involved at the time, they later reunited on the set of Mary Magdalene. Their relationship became public in 2017, and the couple announced their engagement two years later in 2019.

The couple has kept their relationship mostly private, though Phoenix once made a rare comment, saying, “She’s the only girl I ever looked up on the internet,” shortly after their engagement.

In September 2020, Phoenix and Mara welcomed their first child, a son named River, after Phoenix’s late brother, River Phoenix, who tragically passed away from a drug overdose in 1993 at the age of 23. In February 2024, Mara was seen flaunting her baby bump at the 74th Berlinale International Film Festival, confirming that the couple is expecting their second child.

As for Phoenix’s career, his recent film Joker 2 has received mixed reviews. News18 gave the film a 3/5 rating, commenting, “The screenplay feels unnecessarily stretched. While length isn’t the issue, the film could have delved deeper into Joker and Harley Quinn’s relationship. Todd Phillips’ spin on Harley is interesting, but it remains underdeveloped. A few more scenes focused on Harley would have made her character more compelling and given viewers a stronger emotional connection to her storyline.”

Despite the speculation, neither Phoenix nor Mara has publicly confirmed or denied whether they are officially married. Fans will have to wait for any further updates from the famously private couple.