Two professional swimmers walk into a swimming pool, and the rest is history—Cody Simpson and Emma McKeon can vouch for that.
Ever since Mckeon, a five-time gold medal winning swimmer, went public with her relationship with Simpson in early July 2022, their fans, along with the entire swimming community, have been hooked.
But how did Simpson, the former pop icon whose previous girlfriends include Miley Cyrus, Bella Thorne and Gigi Hadid, and Mckeon, who was previously linked swimming world champion Kyle Chalmers, actually get together?
Below, we deep dive (no pun intended) into their relationship timeline.
April 2022: Simpson sheds light on Miley Cyrus breakup
Two years after his very public relationship with Miley Cyrus came to an end, Simpson shed light on the reason why it all went down, claiming that he had decided to “blow up” his life in order to focus on becoming an Olympic swimmer.
Chasing a swimming comeback meant he had to make “compromises and sacrifices,” he told the Sunday Telegraph at the time.
April 2022: The pair start dating
While it was unbeknownst to the public at the time, McKeon and Simpson began dating in April 2022. The timeline would later be confirmed when Simpson shared a sweet tribute for their two-year anniversary (below).
May 2022: Simpson and McKeon are first linked publicly
In early May 2022, the first reports of a romance between Simpson and McKeon emerged via Sydney publication, The Daily Telegraph.
The report divulged that they grew close while training for the Commonwealth Games, which was where Simpson would make his debut as part of the Australian swim team.
While the new couple were trying to keep their relationship low-key, Simpson’s close family had followed McKeon on social media. The outlet also claimed the pair had moved in together in the Gold Coast while they trained for the upcoming games in Birmingham.
July 2022: They make things Instagram official
Relationship rumours were finally confirmed on July 5, when Simpson went Instagram official with McKeon by posting a series of images from a trip to Spain they took together.
“A brief rendezvous in Barcelona with my love. @emmamckeon,” he simply captioned the post.
Unsurprisingly, the post went viral with fans joyously celebrating the new romance in the comments. It also received more than 70,000 likes.
July 2022: McKeon gets the tick of approval from Simpson’s mum
In an exclusive interview with Now To Love, Simpson’s mother, Angie Simpson, said she “adores” her son’s new romance.
“I adore them as a couple, and they’re lovely friends to boot. Being on the Australian team together makes my heart sing—she’s there for Cody for all the right reasons,” she explained.
“She’s a few years older—her maturity and cool head are the sort of qualities Cody adores in a woman. They’re two beautiful souls who fit together so well. With those gorgeous smiles, they’re like a couple of Cheshire cats—as a mum, that makes me so happy.”
July 2022: McKeon hard launches
A couple of weeks after Simpson’s Instagram debut, McKeon herself shared a post featuring her new beau as they visited a museum in Paris.
“Monet’s Water Lilies,” she wrote in the caption.
In the first image, the couple hold hands as they survey the famous painting. In the second, the swimmers are seen speaking to each other. Whether it’s about art or what their next date night will entail, there’s no denying the chemistry between them.
July 2022: Their first joint interview
In a first for both, Simpson and McKeon appeared together on Channel 7’s Spotlight where they discussed their relationship.
Conducted by Channel 7 reporter Denham Hitchcock, the pre-filmed interview delved into their careers and the spotlight on their romance.
“They weren‘t at all what I was expecting,” Hitchcock hinted prior to the interview’s air date.
“Our most decorated Olympian Emma McKeon is charmingly shy and almost dismissive of her superhuman haul of 11 Olympic medals. While Cody Simpson—fresh from the states and a pop superstar life hanging with the Biebs and Hollywood royalty, is amazingly grounded, respectful and thankful for his opportunities.”
He added that the pair were “head over heels into each other”.
In the interview, the couple revealed they tried to “live pretty normally” despite their superstar statuses.
They also provided some sweet insight into their dynamic, with McKeon saying she enjoys listening to her boyfriend make music. Simpson added, “Whenever I’m playing, she’ll just drop whatever she’s doing and watch and listen. She doesn’t have to do that, but I like that. You always pay attention. It’s nice.”
December 2023: Simpson gives rare romantic comment on his relationship with McKeon
Despite the couple keeping much of their relationship behind closed doors, in 2023 Simpson gave a new interview talking about how impressed he is by girlfriend.
Given that Simpson found fame so young, and then became a swimmer, he spoke about how far he has grown mentally and in maturity since his early fame to the Herald Sun.
“For a second there, I was on the edge,” he said. “You know, you’re in your late teens, and you have this level of success, and that means you can have everything you want, and anything you want, and it’s intoxicating.”
The swimming superstar said he largely thanks his girlfriend for this transformation. “Emma is a huge part of my life, and has been such a positive influence on me in terms of keeping me grounded since we met,” he said. “She is a really calming presence, she has really helped me, and she just impresses me so much, she is such a wonderful person. She just inspires me because, you know, I said to her (after Tokyo) a lot of other people who have done what you’ve done would act very differently about this. Her humility is so impressive, and it makes me want to be more like that – to be more like her.”
May 2024: Simpson helps McKeon celebrate her thirtieth birthday
In the lead up to the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, Simpson and McKeon seemed as loved-up as ever.
Following her thirtieth birthday, McKeon shared a sweet snap of the pair celebrating at dinner alongside family and friends.
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