Bradley Cooper can thank his ex Irina Shayk for helping him get to know Gigi Hadid before they were romantically linked. A source told The Messenger on October 11 that Gigi, 28, “was introduced” to Bradley, 48, through Irina, 37, who was in a relationship with the American Hustle actor from 2015 to 2019, and also knows Gigi from the modeling industry.
“Gigi and Irina have been close over the years while working together,” the insider explained, “and Gigi and Bradley have hung out before, but it has always been friendly in social settings.” The source added, “Gigi and Bradley were in touch recently, and were bonding over their daughters, when Bradley asked her out.”
Bradley and Irina have a 6-year-old daughter, Lea, while Gigi shares 3-year-old daughter Khai with her ex Zayn Malik, 30. The source for The Messenger said that Bradley and Gigi — who were first seen on a dinner date in New York City on October 5 — “have a lot in common and both relate to being parents in the industry.”
“He pursued her and she was definitely interested and excited,” the source shared about the rumored new couple. “They have been casually seeing each other but it is extremely new. Gigi has expressed she does not want a serious relationship. It is very casual at this point.”
Bradley and Gigi’s first public outing together was at the hotspot restaurant Via Caroto in the West Village on Oct. 5. Days later, Bradley was photographed driving while Gigi was in the passenger seat as they arrived in the city with a few overnight bags. On Oct. 9, PEOPLE reported that the two stars “are having fun” but are not in a serious relationship at the moment. The insider further revealed that Gigi “had a crush” on Bradley “for a while” before they started hanging out. A source later revealed to Entertainment Tonight that Gigi and Bradley’s exes, Zayn and Irina, are totally fine with their budding relationship.
Before they were linked, Gigi and Bradley seemed to be pursuing other relationships in Hollywood. Gigi was in what appeared to be a casual on-and-off romance with actor Leonardo DiCaprio that began in late 2022 but seemingly fizzled out over the summer. Meanwhile, Bradley and Irina sparked reconciliation rumors when they reunited at the 2023 Met Gala in May and then went on vacation together in August. However, the exes appear to just be friendly co-parents, and Irina has seemingly moved on with Tom Brady, whom she hung out with several times towards the end of the summer.