Rita Ora is a powerhouse singer who found love with another massive talent in Hollywood. Rita, 33, started dating New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waiti, 48, in 2021 and they tied the knot in a private ceremony the following year. Since their romance began, Rita, who is co-hosting Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve With Ryan Seacrest on December 31, has gushed over Taika and how he’s changed her life for the better. “My biggest supporter and advocate is Taika,” she told PEOPLE in July 2023.
Keep reading to learn more about Taika and his relationship with Rita.
Who Is Taika Waititi?
Taika Waititi is a famous director, actor, and comedian. He started his career in the late 1990s and went on to develop and star in various films, television series, and short films. Some of his most popular directed-films include Boy, Thor: Ragnarok, Jojo Rabbit, and Thor: Love and Thunder. His popular directed-television shows include Flight of the Conchords, The Inbetweeners, and What We Do in the Shadows. As an actor, he’s appeared in many of his own films and others like The Suicide Squad and Free Guy. Taika has won many prestigious awards for his works including an Academy Award, BAFTA Award, and a Grammy Award. He’s also been nominated for three Primetime Emmy Awards.
How Did Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Meet?
Rita and Taika met in 2018. That was the same year that Taika split from his wife, New Zealand film producer Chelsea Winstanley, after seven years of marriage.
On Valentine’s Day 2022, Taika posted a throwback photo of him and Rita from the night they met, alongside a sweet message about their relationship. “First photo the night we met four years ago. We’ve been mates ever since. Then a year ago we decided to “complicate” things but it just got easier. Happy Valentines Day to my bestie @ritaora ❤️❤️❤️🧨💥,” he wrote.
Rita opened up about the start of her relationship with Taika in an interview with Vogue in November 2022. “We met in L.A. and it was through friends and it was amazing,” she said. “It was very causal. And then we stayed friends for like, four or five years. It was just a natural thing. We were both in Australia doing two separate jobs … and we kind of hung out and that was it. We went to a friend’s birthday party, and it all clicked.”
When Did Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Start Dating?
Rita and Taika made their rumored romance official when they attended The Suicide Squad premiere together in Aug. 2021, about three months after they first sparking dating rumors.
The couple’s romance really blew up in May 2021, when they were both photographed packing on the PDA with Thor: Love & Thunder star Tessa Thompson in Australia. Taika eventually addressed the buzzed-about photos for the first time in July 2021. “I think, in the world of the Internet, everything goes away pretty quick,” he explained. “And also, is it that big a deal? No, not really. I was doing nothing wrong. It’s fine.” Rita addressed the “throuple” rumors in an interview with GQ published January 2023. “I just chose to not acknowledge that because it’s ridiculous,” she said. “I think when some things are so absurd, and it’s hard to fathom any sense of it, you just have to ignore it.”
When Did Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Get Married?
Rita and Taika got married in a private wedding ceremony at their home in Los Angeles on August 4, 2022. The couple opened up about the romantic event a year later to Vogue. Taika revealed that Rita proposed to him in Palm Springs a few weeks before they said “I do.”
“It wasn’t in London or in France like everyone reported. It was in L.A. with a small group of friends,” Taika said. “There were about eight people there—just close friends and family, and parents on Zoom.” Rita, who wore a Tom Ford dress on her big day, told Vogue she “felt really peaceful” at her wedding. “It was almost like another day. We just all dressed up and got married,” she said.
Do Rita Ora and Taika Waititi Have Children?
Rita and Taika do not have any children together. Taika is the father of two daughters, Te Hinekahu, 11, and Matewa Kiritapu, 8, whom he shares with his ex-wife. Taika’s children were at his wedding to Rita in 2022.
In an interview with PEOPLE, Rita said that she hopes to “one day” expand her family and have kids with her husband. “That’s always been a dream of mine,” she said.