Suki Waterhouse has opened up about her past relationship with Bradley Cooper, describing their two-year romance as a disaster that left her battling depression.
The 34-year-old model turned singer dated the Hollywood actor between 2013 and 2015 before enduring a painful separation that coincided with his relationship with Russian supermodel Irina Shayk.
Waterhouse, who is now engaged to actor Robert Pattinson and shares a two-year-old daughter with him, confessed that she can hardly believe her current happiness after experiencing such intense heartbreak.
"Maybe I was surprised because before I had only ever gone out with someone for two years and if it was two years it would have been a disaster at the end," Waterhouse said.
Speaking to The Sunday Times, the performer admitted that entering a high-profile celebrity relationship at a young age left her unprepared for the public fallout.
"When you’re younger you go into everything so blindly and you don’t think of consequences, including maybe of relationships," she told the publication. "You don’t really have any concept of any repercussions of being in things that are public that might be hard to…"
Notting Hill flat and transition to music
Following her separation from Cooper, Waterhouse retreated from public life, locking herself inside her flat in Notting Hill as she realised she also wanted to leave modelling behind.
Notting Hill is an affluent district in west London celebrated for its pastel townhouses, Portobello Road Market and artistic heritage.
"I felt quite stifled by it," Waterhouse recalled. "I started feeling, like, I have to find a way out of here or I’m going to drown. I definitely do remember a time where I felt quite depressed, but I channelled that into writing."
That difficult chapter laid the groundwork for her transition into a music career, culminating in the release of her debut studio album, I Can't Let Go, in 2022.
Cooper, known for starring in comedies such as The Hangover and directing and starring in dramas such as A Star Is Born, was one of Hollywood's leading figures during their time together.
Public scrutiny and isolation after the split
Waterhouse previously described her split from Cooper as a "colossal heartbreak" during an interview with The Sunday Times Style magazine in February 2023.
"I was kind of depressed for a while," she said in that interview. "It stuck around for a long time. I think it was just the break-up and also just being in my twenties and in the f***ing trenches."
She also admitted she grew weary of constant public comparisons between herself and Cooper's new partner, supermodel Irina Shayk.
"You constantly read about how much more beautiful the new girlfriend is or whatever," Waterhouse said. "That sounds silly, but when you're actually the one that's heartbroken, it's pretty rough."
Shayk is an internationally celebrated Russian supermodel who has walked runways for premier fashion houses and appeared on magazine covers worldwide.
In a 2024 interview with British Vogue, Waterhouse expanded on the disorientation of dealing with a painful breakup while in the public eye.
"I really will say that I'm pretty strong at this point, but when something very public happens to you and the story behind it is dark and difficult, and you're actually not doing well, and you can't explain yourself to the world, that's very isolating and disorientating," she said.
Reflecting on her recovery, she added: "It probably has taken a decade to work myself out and actually be able to have this expansion in my life. If you told her then this is where she would be now I wouldn't have believed you."
Engagement and wedding plans with Robert Pattinson
Waterhouse is now engaged to British actor Robert Pattinson, who achieved international fame as Edward Cullen in The Twilight Saga before starring as the titular superhero in The Batman.
Describing their relationship as "beautiful," Waterhouse confirmed that the couple intend to hold a "massive" wedding rather than an intimate gathering.
Those wedding plans remain on hold for at least a few more months while both partners concentrate on their respective professional commitments.
Dating history and songwriting inspiration
Prior to dating Cooper, Waterhouse was in a relationship with British musician Miles Kane from 2011 until 2013. Kane is known for his solo work and as co-frontman of rock duo The Last Shadow Puppets with Arctic Monkeys frontman Alex Turner.
Following her breakup with Cooper, she dated Mexican actor Diego Luna from 2015 until 2017. Luna is known for his roles in Mexican cinema as well as international projects including the Star Wars series Andor.
Waterhouse continues to use past heartbreak as a central motif in her songwriting, though she confirmed that Pattinson is never jealous of her former partners because he knows "no one is better than him."
When Kane recently sent her a message praising her track My Fun as "boss," Pattinson merely found the situation humorous.
"[Robert] has a lot of humour about that kind of stuff," Waterhouse said. "He couldn't really give a s**t. He's like, 'No one's better than me, so whatever'."
