Unravelling Adele’s Dating History: From Ex-Husband Simon Konecki to Fiancé Rich Paul

Whether you are in love, just fallen out of it, making sense of your current situationship or going through a massive heartbreak, you can always turn to Adele’s music to power through even the most devastating breakups. The lyrics of her songs provide catharsis to the soul. Additionally, the British singer, born Adele Laurie Blue Adkins, has taken fans on a journey through her stormy love life through her music. From her debut album, 19, which gives fans a taste of the singer’s take on young love to her last released studio album, 30, which takes us into the nuances of dealing with a divorce with tracks like “Easy on Me”, Adele’s songs have given fans a fair share of deets about her relationships and ex-boyfriends. Let’s just say, the dating history of Adele is immortalised in all her record-breaking albums. 

And now with the “Hello” singer having made her engagement to her long-time partner Rich Paul official, one can only hope for more deep love songs in the future. 

Adele seemingly confirms her engagement to Rich Paul during her latest concert in Munich

“Will you marry me? I can’t marry you because I’m already getting married so I can’t.” pic.twitter.com/zOcd4b7zrh

— Adele News (@Adelesnews) August 9, 2024

Yes, the Grammy-winning musician confirmed her engagement to her sports agent partner at a concert in Munich in August 2024. After a fan held up a sign asking for Adele’s hand in marriage, she revealed, in typical Adele fashion, “I can’t marry you – because I’m already getting married!”

Well, with congratulations being in order for Adele, we thought of tracing her complete relationship history.

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Deconstructing the dating history of Adele, including a list of her ex-boyfriends

From her marriage to Simon Konecki in 2018, followed by the birth of their son Angelo, to her current engagement with Rich Paul, and every (rumoured and confirmed) relationship in between, let’s take a quick look at the dating history of Adele. 

The unnamed inspiration behind “Chasing Pavements”: 2008
Adele’s ‘Alex’: 2009-2010
Simon Konecki: (2011-2019)
Skepta: (2019-2020)
Rich Paul: (2021 – present)

The “Chasing Pavements” muse: 2008

Profession: Not known
How did they meet: Not known

Adele’s debut album, titled 19, drew significant inspiration from her first known romantic relationship, the details of which remain undisclosed to this day. In an interview with Rolling Stone in 2009, she revealed that the song “Chasing Pavements” was born out of the pain of discovering her boyfriend’s infidelity. She recounted an incident where she confronted him at a pub, resulting in her physically striking him.

“I went to the pub [where he was] and punched him in the face,” she shared, adding, “I got thrown out, and as I was running away, the phrase ‘chasing pavements’ came to me.”  This relationship apparently also iNFLuenced other tracks such as “First Love”, “Cold Shoulder” and “Tired”.

Following her rise to fame with the release of her second album, 21, this individual seemingly believed he was entitled to a share of her success. In a 2011 interview with The Sun, Adele disclosed that her ex-boyfriend had the audacity to request a portion of the royalties from 19. “For about a week he was calling and was deadly serious about it,” she recalled. As quoted by NME News, she added, “Finally, I said, ‘Well, you made my life hell, so I lived it and now I deserve it.’ He really thought he’d had some input into the creative process by being a prick.” 

Adele’s ‘Alex’: 2009-2010

Profession: Photographer (alleged)
How did they meet: Not known

Although “Chasing Pavements” initially garnered attention for Adele, it was her second album, 21, that propelled her to global fame. True to its name, 21 stands as the most significant album of the 21st century, featuring break-up anthems such as “Rolling in the Deep”, “Someone Like You”, and “Set Fire to the Rain”, which resonated deeply with audiences worldwide.

These tracks were inspired by a relationship that ended after 18 months, with Adele penning “Someone Like You” upon learning of her ex’s engagement just months after their separation. She has consistently referred to this individual as ‘Alex’ without disclosing his true identity. 

However, some reports have suggested that he may be photographer Alex Sturrock, who collaborated with her during her inaugural tour.

Simon Konecki: 2011-2019

Profession: British Entrepreneur
How did they meet: Not known

 

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The next name to go down in the dating History of Adele is her ex-husband Simon Konecki. British entrepreneur and CEO of the nonprofit Drop4Drop, Konecki was the main guy in Adele’s life for nearly a decade. The two started dating in 2011, and things got serious pretty quickly, with Konecki accompanying the pop star to the 54th Grammy Awards in February 2012.

 

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Just months later, the sweethearts welcomed their son Angelo into the world in October 2012.

Adele addressed Konecki as her ‘husband’ at the 2017 Grammys, but she later revealed to British Vogue that they didn’t tie the knot until 2018. “The timeline the press have of my relationship, my marriage, is actually completely wrong,” she told the magazine in 2021. “We got married when I was 31… and then I left.” While they were in a relationship for a decade, their marriage was short-lived — with the pair separating in 2019 (they got married in 2018) and finalising their divorce in 2020.

The “Skyfall” singer opened up to Vogue about the divorce, stating, “I was just going through the motions and I wasn’t happy. Neither of us did anything wrong. It just wasn’t right for me any more. I didn’t want to end up like a lot of other people I knew.” She added. “I wasn’t miserable miserable, but I would have been miserable had I not put myself first. But, yeah, nothing bad happened or anything like that.”

Konecki and Adele continue to remain cordial and share custody of their son Angelo.

Interestingly, unlike her previous relationships, Konecki wasn’t the key inspiration for Adele’s next record 25, given that it contains many breakup anthems. However, Konecki and Angelo did inspire a couple of the album’s more uplifting songs, including “Sweetest Devotion”, and “Water Under the Bridge”.

Skepta: 2019-2020

Profession: Rapper
How did they meet: Not known

Between 2019 and 2020, when Adele was navigating her divorce from Konecki, speculations became rife regarding a potential romantic involvement between her and British rapper Skepta. This conjecture intensified following a playful interaction between the two on Instagram in June 2020.

By October of the same year, the rumours gained further momentum when a source informed People that the relationship was becoming more serious, noting that they share social circles in London and that Adele was enjoying herself. “Things have been heating up. They run in the same circles in London, and she’s having fun,” the insider shared. However, later that month, Adele appeared to clarify her status after her performance on Saturday Night Live. She humorously remarked on Instagram, “I’m going back to my cave now to be the (single) cat lady that I am.”

Although this relationship was never officially acknowledged, many fans continue to speculate about a possible connection. Some even suggest that Skepta’s 2020 track, “Mic Check“, which features lyrics about dating someone significantly more famous, could be referencing Adele.

Additionally, Adele’s 2021 song, “Woman Like Me”, is thought by some to allude to Skepta, particularly due to lines such as, “I know it’s hard, but it’s not…We come from the same place,” which may hint at their shared roots in Tottenham.

Rich Paul (2021 – present)

Profession: Sports agent
How did they meet: Not known

The last name to go down in the dating history of Adele is her current partner and fiance Rich Paul. 

Two years after splitting from her ex-husband Simon Konecki and allegedly dating Skepta, Adele was romantically linked to someone new — sports agent Rich Paul. After months of media speculation about their alleged relationship, Adele finally confirmed that she was dating the Klutch Sports Group founder in her 2021 interview with British Vogue.

“Yes, we’re together. We’re very happy,” she said. The pair seemingly started dating sometime in early 2021 and made their first public appearance at Game 5 of the NBA Finals in July of that year.

After making their public appearance together, Adele and Paul made their relationship Instagram official in September 2021 when the singer posted a picture of them at a wedding. Then, a few months later in a 2022 interview with Elle, Adele gushed about her partner, saying, “I’ve never been in love like this. I’m obsessed with him.”

The couple has since become a regular spectacle at numerous NBA games and even attended the Grammys together in February 2023. Adele also rang in Paul’s 43rd birthday grandly and the latter shared the pictures from the celebrations on his Instagram.

 

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The recent update on Adele’s relationship with Paul is that the two are already engaged. Earlier in August 2024, the pop star revealed she was getting married to the sports agent during one of her concerts in Munich, Germany.

In a video posted on social media on 9 August 2024, Adele told a fan that she couldn’t marry them because she was “already getting married.”

Well, that puts a ton of wedding speculation to rest and we can’t wait to hear ballads about the singer living the best chapter of her life soon.

(Header and feature image courtesy: Instagram/Adele/Rich Paul/Skepta)

This story first appeared on Augustman Hong Kong