Charles Melton has revealed that he is married. The 35-year-old Riverdale star casually referred to his partner, director Camille Summers-Valli, as his "wife" in a new interview, though he did not say when the pair had tied the knot.
Melton let the news slip while discussing his reaction to receiving an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie for his role in Beef.
"I was trying not to tune in. We [were] eight or nine hours ahead [in Paris], and so maybe about a minute before the online nominations thing came out, I looked to my wife, and I was like, 'Hey, should we turn it on?'" he said. "And we did."
He added: "It takes a second to hit. But it's amazing to me when anybody gets recognized for their work. For me, I think about the crew, truly. I'm just one of 600 artists that came together to make that show what it was. So to be recognised and celebrated, it's something I don't take lightly."
Melton has won critical acclaim for his role in Beef as a struggling personal trainer in the Netflix series, which also starred Oscar Isaac, Carey Mulligan and Cailee Spaeny. He is also known for his performance in the drama May December.
Relationship kept private
The actor usually keeps his personal life out of the public eye, but in March he revealed that he and Summers-Valli had welcomed their first child. The baby's name and date of birth have not been made public.
Melton had previously referred to Summers-Valli, a photographer and director, as his wife, though he had been vague about their exact relationship status. Speaking at the Gold Gala in May, he described her as "my partner, my fiancee, my wife, my girlfriend."
Later that month, he shared the first pictures of their child, posting a carousel of images of the couple with their newborn alongside throwback photos of Summers-Valli pregnant. He captioned the post "Our family."
Past relationships
Melton rose to fame playing Reggie Mantle in the CW teen mystery drama Riverdale. After the show wrapped, he revealed he was dating his co-star Camila Mendes. The couple split in 2021 after three years together.
At the time of the break-up, a source told E! News: "Cami and Charles have been separated for a few months now. They are taking a break from their relationship. Their relationship escalated very quickly and they are taking time now to focus on their work and themselves."
In 2021, Melton and Mendes briefly sparked reconciliation rumours when they were spotted spending time together. He went on to date Chase Sui Wonders, whom he met on the set of the film Wake, and the two were in a relationship throughout 2022. A relationship with Chloe Bennet followed in 2023, before ending the following year.
Speaking out on privacy
In 2019, Melton criticised the level of public interest in his relationships during an interview with Hunger magazine. "People need to mind their own f***ing business, honestly. I don't have Twitter, and it's one of the reasons why I don't read through all my comments on social media, because people are always going to talk," he said.
"No matter what, people have always talked, even before this age of Instagram, but back then you were less inclined to hear about someone talking about you, and honestly, it's not their place to have any authority over my relationships."
He added: "Not everyone is going to be a supporter or a fan of your relationship, and people need to remember that opinions aren't facts."
