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How Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton Went From Onscreen to Real-Life Lovers
Getty / Tibrina Hobson and Photo Illustration: Aly Lim / Jeff Kravitz
Netflix’s “Stranger Things” is gearing up to release its fifth and final season but it looks like fan-favorite couple Nancy Wheeler and Jonathan Byers (played by Natalie Dyer and Charlie Heaton) might not go the distance. However, even if the fictional pair’s romance on the show is up in the air, the characters’ actors are dating in real life, and their relationship is still going strong.
Dyer and Heaton grew close around the time season two of “Stranger Things” began filming in 2016 and the pair’s romance became public early the following year. Since then, the two have been boyfriend and girlfriend, though in recent years Dyer and Heaton have been very careful to keep their relationship more private. They last made major public appearances together in the summer of 2022, though they were also photographed together in New York in January 2023.
In a June 2022 interview with British GQ, Heaton admitted that playing onscreen partners can sometimes make dating in real life a little harder. In regard to Jonathan and Nancy navigating long-distance dating in the ’80s in “Stranger Things” season four, the actor said, “We find [Jonathan] in a place of questioning himself and his relationship. You want the people to be invested in them. Sometimes it blurs into one. Me and Natalia have been together for a long time, so you’ve even got to separate it yourself sometimes.”
A month before then, Dyer reflected on the pressure the couple gets from fans about their relationship in an interview with Cosmopolitan UK. “I’m always curious as to why it comes up,” she said at the time. “Why do people want to know about it? I think it’s a natural instinct to want to know more about the people who are on your screens for hours, about what they’re like in real life. [But] now that I’ve experienced the other side of it. . . It sounds so cliché, but I’m just a person, too.” She added that she feels more comfortable keeping things on the private side.
Read ahead to find out how Heaton and Dyer got into their relationship and everything else we know about it.
Getty / starzfly / Bauer-Griffin / starzfly/Bauer-Griffin
January 2017: Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton Are Officially Dating
In January 2017, a source told Life & Style that Dyer and Heaton were officially dating and had been for months. “They’re definitely dating. They’ve been together since before season two began filming in October,” the source said at the time. In addition, the source claimed that the couple were spending all of their time together, both on and off set.
Getty / Kirstin Sinclair
October 2017: Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton Take Their Relationship Public
There are plenty of rumors that circulate in the media, and romances are constantly hot topics. While Life & Style claimed Dyer and Heaton were together in January 2017, it wasn’t until the two were spotted holding hands in NYC in October 2017 that people were convinced their relationship was real, as Elle reported at the time. From then on, the pair were seen acting like a couple in public on several occasions.
Getty / Matt Crossick - PA Images
December 2017: Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton Make Their Red Carpet Debut
Dyer and Heaton made their official red carpet debut at the 2017 British Fashion Awards in London. The two coordinated their looks, and both wore Coach for the occasion. It would be the first of many formal public appearances the two would make together.
Getty / Steve Granitz
September 2018: Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton Hit the Emmys Red Carpet
The couple’s second red carpet appearance was at the Emmy Awards in September 2018. That year, “Stranger Things” was nominated for multiple awards, including outstanding drama series. Dyer and Heaton embraced in front of the cameras and looked happier than ever together.
Getty / Owen Hoffmann
January 2019: The Couple "Seem Totally Obsessed" With Each Other
Dyer and Heaton are one of the more private couples in Hollywood, and they have been ever since they started dating in 2016. In January 2019, a source told Us Weekly that “they seem totally obsessed with one another” at the afterparty for Dyer’s film “Velvet Buzzsaw.” While this did not come from either actor, it did add a little insight into their private relationship.
Getty / Vittorio Zunino Celotto
February 2019: Charlie Heaton Gushes About Natalia Dyer in V Man
In February 2019, Heaton finally opened up about Dyer in an interview with V Man. When asked about what it’s like working with his girlfriend, the “Stranger Things” actor responded, “Because we work in the same industry and have had similar trajectories, we’ve gone through it together. Sharing that does bring you closer.” He elaborated on how they became close, saying, “They understand something that maybe no one else would. You go into high-pressure situations together but you can share those insecurities or whatever they are. The great, happy times, too . . . Really f**king sweet!”
Getty / Neil Mockford / Ricky Vigil M
May 2022: Natalia Dyer Opens Up About the Public's Obsession With Her Relationship
Fast forward to May 2022. While Dyer and Heaton have remained private about their relationship, the two are still going strong. About working with Heaton, Dyer told Cosmopolitan UK, “It’s an understanding that would be hard to replicate. It’s an indescribable thing.” She also touched on the public’s obsession with their relationship, saying, “The weirdest thing about [our relationship] is other people’s perception and reaction to it. Everything else just feels very human.”