CNN’s chief White House correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, once again found herself at the center of dating rumors after posting vacation pictures from Barcelona, Spain.
The mystery man, who was initially rumored to be a boyfriend, sent social media into detective mode.
Collins shared a string of photos from her vacation on Instagram. In one of the photos, she’s seen cozying up to a mystery man, smiling and wrapping her arm around him.
The photo instantly sparked speculation that Collins had soft-launched her boyfriend. This came especially after she was spotted at the 2026 Grammys alongside photographer Emilio Madrid. The two walked the red carpet together, leading many fans to speculate they were dating.
However, Nicki Swift has now confirmed that the mystery man is not a romantic partner but her former colleague Matt Dornic. Reportedly, his recognizable arm tattoo helped connect the dots and solve the mystery.
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This was confirmed further when Dornic posted photos from the same trip. The photos showed that the two traveled as friends. Based on the comments on the post, it is understood that Collins’ younger brother and Dornic’s boyfriend were also on the trip.
Even with this mystery being solved, interest in Collins’ love life hasn’t slowed down.
Before the 2026 Grammys speculation, Collins was spotted with another mystery man in December 2025. She posted a picture of herself alongside a man at a bar. The man was later identified as Sean Francis, though Collins never confirmed or denied the relationship.
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Despite frequent rumors, Collins is extremely private about her personal life. Her last public relationship was with Texas native and pharmacist Will Douglas. The two allegedly dated briefly before Collins joined CNN in 2017.
More recently, reports emerged that Collins had joined the exclusive dating app, Raya. Reportedly, she joined the app because she works too much and doesn’t have the time to go out and meet someone.
An unnamed insider claimed: “Kaitlan’s not just looking for love. She’s also looking for someone who can keep up with her career and help her navigate the social and political circles she thrives in. She wants someone who understands her world and can be a real partner in every sense of the word.”
Although Collins rarely discusses her love life, she previously opened up about the struggles of balancing work and personal life on Heather McMahan’s Absolutely Not podcast. She admitted, “I actually think, yes, I do work a lot and all of that, and I sacrifice a lot. I just think you have to pick your priorities, and so doing that is really good for me. I actually think it makes me a better reporter.”
