There are many Hollywood scandals, and some famous ones are about romantic relationships, from questionable age gaps to unusual pairings. While Leonardo DiCaprio often draws criticism for having a pattern of dating younger women, he is not the only one. Ryan Seacrest is also one of those celebrities who have raised questions about having age-gap relationships.
Seacrest is widely known as a TV personality who was loved as a radio show host and producer. However, his dating habits have raised some questions. In 2021, the American Idol host was dating an influencer who was significantly younger than him. “23-year age gap,” wrote one Reddit user.
Not only critics, but fans also questioned the TV host’s dating choices. “I love him, he is great. But 24??? There are so many beautiful single women closer to his age,” wrote one fan. In 2010, Ryan Seacrest began dating Julianne Hough. At that time, she was just starting out her career and quickly rose to fame, thanks to her controversial relationship with Seacrest. However, Hough was reportedly insecure about how she was getting the taste of the spotlight.
Ryan Seacrest and Aubrey Paige split after 3 years of dating. pic.twitter.com/5jPT2I3qGa
— Pop Crave (@PopCrave) April 24, 2024
“But then I had this insecurity that I was like, ‘I don’t ever want anybody to think that I’m with him for this reason.’ And so I then started playing smaller,” she said on the Armchair Expert podcast in August 2024. Despite challenges and their age gap, the pair dated for three years.
In 2013, Seacrest got into a relationship with Shayna Taylor. At that time, the TV host was 38, while Taylor was 21 years old. Their relationship survived a roller coaster, as within a year, they broke things off and then got back together shortly after. Ultimately, the pair did not remain together.
Ryan Seacrest later dated Hilary Cruz during his on-and-off relationship with Shayna Taylor. The former beauty queen was 26 years old when she met Seacrest, 40. In 2015, the couple confirmed the romance rumors with an official social media post. However, the short-lived relationship lasted for a few months.
Surprising new couple alert! Ryan Seacrest and Adriana Lima are dating: https://t.co/yYyJhAkaip pic.twitter.com/Edup9HE5bV
— E! News (@enews) September 14, 2016
In 2021, the American Idol host found someone new. He was dating Aubrey Paige, an influencer and a model. He was 44 at that time, with a 13-year age gap from Paige. The very obvious, questionable age gap concerned many fans. Initially, she couldn’t help but showcase her affection for Seacrest.
“Safe to say the best part of 2021 was meeting the most incredible man,” Paige wrote on New Year’s Day in 2022. “Ryan, never have I ever met a more inspiring man. You make it look so easy, but the truth is there is just nobody quite like you,” added Paige.
However, the relationship ended three years later. A source at that time told PEOPLE, “They plan to stay in each other’s lives as good friends and support one another’s endeavors.”
