Andrew Garfield is aware of the theories that La La Land took inspiration from his romance with ex-girlfriend Emma Stone.
In his Esquire cover story, which was published on Wednesday, October 2, Garfield, 41, was asked his thoughts on the speculation, and he kept his answer vague. “I guess people need something to believe,” he replied.
Garfield notably shrugged before setting a clear boundary. “I have never, and I won’t ever, speak about or confirm or deny anything about my personal life with anyone, ever,” he added.
Garfield and Stone, 35, met while playing love interests in The Amazing Spider-Man. Us Weekly confirmed the pair’s romance in 2011.
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“They got close during filming and have been hooking up,” a source shared at the time. “They haven’t gone public, but [Andrew’s] told his friends.”
Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone in ‘La La Land’
Garfield and Stone were together for four years before calling it quits in October 2015. One year later, Stone and Ryan Gosling played star-crossed lovers chasing big dreams in Damien Chazelle’s La La Land. The final scene in the Academy Award-winning movie shows Stone and Gosling’s characters — whose individual ambitions ultimately led to their split — reminiscing on what could have been.
Some fans compared the outcome of the fictional couple’s relationship to that of Stone and Garfield in real life. The exes have remained on good terms since their breakup, with Stone referring to Garfield as someone she “still [loves] very much” during a 2016 interview with Vogue.
Emma Stone and Ryan Gosling in ‘La La Land’
Garfield shared a similar sentiment the following year. “We care about each other so much, and that’s a given, that’s kind of this unconditional thing,” he told Vanity Fair in January 2017. “There’s so much love between us and so much respect. … I’m her biggest fan as an artist.”
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He gushed that it’s “wonderful” to be able to support Stone, adding, “It’s nothing but a beautiful thing.”
After splitting from Stone, Garfield was linked to Christine Gabel and Alyssa Miller. Stone, for her part, married Dave McCary in 2020 after meeting on the set of Saturday Night Live. They welcomed daughter Louise in 2021.
“They love their little family. Louise has brought them so much joy and they’re growing and learning every day,” a second source told Us in 2023. “They’re in this together. Emma still has the Hollywood ambition and drive and determination to do her best work and it keeps her going, and she believes doing what she loves will also make her a better mom.”