Ever since Rita Ora first publicly acknowledged her rumored husband Taika Waititi earlier this month, fans of the British superstar have been desperate to know more about the A-list romance.
If you're craving more celebrity bridal content after the excitement of Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's Vegas ceremony, this next update might do the job.
Rita Ora has kept fairly quiet about her love life in recent years, having already been through a tough public split from DJ Calvin Harris in 2014. The breakup was followed by her departure from her original label, Roc Nation, and her notable hiatus from the charts after the smash success of her debut album, Ora.
Rita appears to have invested most of her energy in professional projects since then, landing several acting gigs and even replacing Tyra Banks as host on VH1's revamped America's Next Top Model. Most recently, she's appeared as a coach on Series 10 of The Voice Australia. It was here that she met, and fell in love with, New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi.
The romance with the 47-year-old appeared to come out of nowhere, leaving many of Rita's fans wondering how the A-list couple met, and perhaps more importantly, whether or not they are really married.
How did Rita Ora meet Taika Waititi?
Rita's romantic relationship with Taika reportedly dates back to March 2021, when he was in Sydney filming Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder. The 32-year-old musician was also Down Under at the time, working as a coach on The Voice Australia.
However, the two were first introduced back in 2018. Taiki posted a heartfelt message to his 'bestie' Rita on Instagram last Valentine's Day, revealing they've been 'mates' ever since they first met 'four years ago.' He added, "Then a year ago we decided to 'complicate' things but it just go easier." Rita also shared the photo, captioning it with the sweet words: "Thanks for being cool and entertaining me 4evs."
Speaking to the Independent last December, Rita said the romance came as a surprise to her. "I didn’t expect to find love in Australia, nor was I looking for it," the RIP singer said, before adding that she is determined to "protect" the relationship and keep it out of the spotlight.
"I think protecting something that you really care about, you’ve got to have a sense of privacy a little bit. I wouldn’t have known that if I didn’t go through what I went through in the past," Rita said.
Are Rita and Taika married?
Rita Ora and Taika Waititi apparently tied the knot last summer, a little over a year after they first started dating. While the British singer did not make a grand announcement to confirm the nuptials, it's been widely reported that the VIP couple exchanged vows in an intimate London ceremony.
"It was a really intimate ceremony and super special for everyone there," a source told the Sun UK. Rita also subtly flashed her gold wedding ring in an Instagram post, much to the delight of her adoring fanbase.
Appearing on Louis Theroux's upcoming episode for his BBC series, Louis Theroux Interviews..., the Kosovo native said, "always dreamed of getting married." It's understood that Rita also changed her last name to 'Ora-Waititi' after tying the knot.
Who is Taika Waititi?
Taika Waititi is an Academy Award-winning filmmaker and actor, with directing credits in movies like Jojo Rabbit, Hunt for the Wilderpeople, and What We Do in the Shadows. He's also received a BAFTA and a Grammy award, just in case the Oscar trophy wasn't impressive enough.
In 2018, Taika split from Chelsea Winstnaely, a fellow filmmaker from New Zealand, after seven years of marriage. The ex-spouses share two daughters, ten-year-old Te Kāinga o te Hinekāhu, 10, and Matewa Kiritapu, 6.
Taika is also known for incorporating his Māori and Indigenous heritage into his filming projects, with Boy (2010) being inspired by his own childhood growing up in 1980s New Zealand. He even dedicated his 2020 Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay to "all the Indigenous kids in the world who want to do art and dance and write stories. We are the original storytellers and we can make it here as well. Thank you. Kia ora.”
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