Taylor Kinney has been a primetime TV staple for over a decade as firefighter Kelly Severide in the hit NBC drama "Chicago Fire." The 42-year-old actor got tongues wagging when he took a leave of absence in Season 11 only to return in "Chicago Fire" Season 12, airing in 2024. It's not the first time Kinney's personal life has been the object of fan fascination: From breaking off his engagement with Lady Gaga to finding love again with girlfriend Ashley Cruger, Taylor Kinney's dating history is anything but boring.
Taylor Kinney and his girlfriend Ashley Cruger have been dating since at least March 2022. Cruger is a model, part-time business development manager and "Chicago Fire" superfan: She made a brief appearance in the show's Season 11 premiere. Both Kinney and Cruger have shared sweet snaps of their love life on Instagram — some of which show the couple donning some serious bling on their ring fingers. Fans have speculated for months that the pair are married, but they've never addressed their relationship status.
Their desire to keep their romance private makes sense. Kinney's high-profile romance with Lady Gaga came to a wicked close when the pair called off their engagement in 2016. In her 2017 Netflix documentary, Gaga said she and Kinney's relationship broke down while she was filming the remake of a "A Star Is Born." In an apparent dig at Kinney, the pop icon said she would no longer stand "bulls**t with men."
Taylor Kinney's love life has certainly been full of highs and lows. Read on for a rundown of the actor's dating history, from his years-long romance with Gaga to his newfound happiness with girlfriend Ashley Cruger.
Taylor Kinney and Lady Gaga Were Engaged
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Taylor Kinney and Lady Gaga's explosive romance began in 2011, when he starred in her music video for "Yoü And I." The couple got engaged on Valentine's Day in 2015 and showcased their love on the 2016 awards circuit.
Kinney looked every bit the proud fiancé at the 73rd Golden Globe Awards in Jan. 2016, where Gaga took home the Best Actress in a Limited Series award for her role as the Countess in "American Horror Story: Hotel."
So the couple's July 2016 split came as a surprise. At the time, Gaga shared news of their "break" in a heartbreaking Instagram post:
"Taylor and I have always believed we are soulmates," she wrote alongside a black-and-white photo of the pair walking with their arms around each other. "Just like all couples we have ups and downs, and we have been taking a break. We are both ambitious artists, hoping to work through long-distance and complicated schedules to continue the simple love we have always shared. Please root us on. We're just like everybody else and we really love each other."
Why Did Taylor Kinney and Lady Gaga Break Off Their Engagement?
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Gaga has since revealed that her demanding role alongside Bradley Cooper in 2018's "A Star Is Born" was partly to blame for her split from Kinney. In her 2017 Netflix doc "Lady Gaga: Five Foot Two," the singer-songwriter openly expressed her frustration with her then-fiancé:
"Me and Taylor are fighting, so that sucks. My threshold for bulls**t with men is just — I don't have one anymore. In relationships, you have to move together," she said in the film, adding: "My love life has just imploded. I sold 10 million [records] and lost Matt. I sold 30 million and lost Luke. I did a movie and lose Taylor. It's like a turnover. This is the third time I've had my heart broken like this."
Gaga was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress for "A Star Is Born," ultimately taking home the Oscar for Best Original Song for "Shallow."
Taylor Kinney and Ashley Cruger Went Public in 2022
Alex Goodlett/Getty Images for Operation Smile
After his split from one of the most famous women in the world, Kinney understandably kept his love life under lock and key. While it is not known precisely how long the pair have been dating, Kinney began posting photos of model Ashley Cruger on Instagram in March 2022.
Kinney and Cruger made their red carpet debut a month later, at Operation Smile's 10th Annual Park City Ski Challenge in April 2022. That same day, the couple posed for a round of loved-up snaps on the slopes. At one point, Cruger adorably jumped into Kinney's arms:
Alex Goodlett/Getty Images for Operation Smile
Ashley Cruger Is a University of Iowa Alum
Ashley Cruger via Instagram
What do we know about Ashley Cruger, other than the fact that she's gorgeous and apparently a capable skier? Internet sleuths will be pleased to learn that she has a LinkedIn profile enumerating her experience as a model and part-time business development manager.
Cruger graduated from the University of Iowa in 2017 with a Bachelor's in Journalism, after which she was a District Manager for General Motors in Dallas, Texas. Cruger then worked in marketing for a Chicago-based tequila company before joining Eagle Six Properties in 2019 as a part-time Business Development Manager. She's remained at Eagle Six for the past five years, balancing her day job with a modeling career through BMG Models agency.
On Instagram, Cruger has shared swoon-worthy snaps of her travels, including one fabulous Italian getaway, her newfound golfing hobby and her love of reading.
Are Taylor Kinney and Ashley Cruger Married?
Ashley Cruger via Instagram
Kinney and Cruger have sparked engagement rumors in recent months for the dazzling pieces they wear on their ring fingers. Cruger sports a massive, pear-shaped diamond in the above May 2023 photo. But the duo have never addressed their marriage status.
In any case, Cruger is all in on Firehouse 51. In a cheeky nod to "Chicago Fire," she posted a photo of a firetruck ornament hanging on a Christmas tree in 2022. She's a fan!
