There is perhaps no one more swoon-worthy on Virgin River than Jack Sheridan. The will-they-or-won't-they dance between barkeep Jack and nurse practitioner Melinda Monroe (Alexandra Breckenridge) has kept fans coming back to the Netflix drama for four whole seasons. With the fifth debuting this fall — and a sixth already in the works — we've got a lot more time to spend with the show's dreamy leading man.
But off-screen, many fans are wondering if the actor who plays Jack, Martin Henderson, is as much of a romantic as his character. The 48-year-old New Zealander has never been married and is famously mum about his private life. So who is his mystery woman? Here's everything we know about Henderson's girlfriend.
She's An Interior Designer
Rumor has it that Henderson is officially off the market again. And while we may not know her name, age or what she looks like, we do know what she does for a living. According to Hello Magazine, he's currently head over heels for an interior designer.
That profession is a far cry from the Hollywood ladies he usually dates. In the past, he's been linked to major superstars such as Demi Moore as well as other actresses including Radha Mitchell, Aishwarya Rai and Marnette Patterson. He even shared a kiss with Britney Spears in her 2003 music video for "Toxic" — although, as far as we know, that relationship never went further.
Henderson has also romanced his fair share of models, including Nicky Watson and Aisha Mendez, whom he dated most recently. While they went through quarantine together and were very public about their romance on social media, they broke up after about a year in 2021 for reasons that are still unknown. The actor was reportedly happy living the single life — until he met his current, design-talented flame.
It's not entirely surprising that Henderson is dating someone without a recognizable name. He briefly spoke about his frustrations with paparazzi in a 2014 interview and said he didn't like having his every move tracked when he was with Moore.
"You've got to not care about what people think," he said. "You learn that as an actor. If you get a bad review, will you be destroyed by it? Or will you think you're God's gift when you get a rave review? I try not to invest time in what other people think of me."
She's Also From New Zealand
Henderson hails from Auckland, New Zealand, a harbor city that sits along the edge of the country's North Island. While he moved to Los Angeles when he was in his early 20s, he has nothing but good things to say about his homeland — and being a Kiwi.
"It's hard to explain it to a non-Kiwi, but it's a perspective on life, it's a humour and an attitude," he said in a 2022 interview. "I was just fortunate enough to be born here; I didn't do anything to deserve it."
The actor said back then that he hoped to eventually split his time between California and New Zealand. That dream might be more of a reality now, since his rumored partner is supposedly also a Kiwi. It's all just speculation, of course, but Virgin River fans are supposedly here for it.
"Oh Martin, I hope the rumours are true you have met a Kiwi girl, and it's her kids riding in this pic with you," one fan commented on a 2022 Instagram post that showed Henderson mudding with some unknown kiddos in tow. Whether that rumor is true remains to be seen.
She May Have Kids
That photo in question — along with a video of him skateboarding where you can clearly hear some children cheering him on in the background — has led the rumor mill to believe that his mystery woman is also a mom.
Henderson himself has no children, but he is a very devoted dog dad to a sweet, 15-year-old pup named Sammy, who is apparently named after his family's first cat. As of 2022, he wasn't joining the actor in New Zealand because he was recovering from a leg injury. But rest assured: The canine is very much alive and well.
"Lots of you have been asking about Sammy," he captioned a cute selfie with his dog back in 2022. "So here he is! Like all of us he is getting on in age, but still full of LOVE!"
When Does Season 5 Of Virgin River Come Out?
While a lot of questions remain about Henderson's love life, his on-screen romance with Monroe is set to remain firmly in the spotlight. Season 5 of Virgin River premieres on Sept. 7 on Netflix — and the actor says that it's the best one yet, especially in terms of Mel and Jack's romance.
"What I'm hoping in season 5 is actually seeing them get closer together through adversity rather than being pushed apart, because I actually think the audiences love that," he told Glamour. "You've got to have some bumps, but seeing them mature and deepen their love is going to be nice."
READ MORE: 11 'Virgin River' Locations That Are as Charming as the Show Itself
