All About Lori Harvey's New Boyfriend, Actor Damson Idris

Damson Idris/instagram

Lori Harvey has a new man in her life!

The youngest daughter of Steve Harvey recently went public with her relationship with actor Damson Idris. While celebrating her 26th birthday in January 2023, the model reposted a series of birthday shout-outs from friends on Instagram, including one from Idris. She was later spotted leaving her birthday bash hand-in-hand with Idris.

Harvey has had her share of high-profile relationships over the years, most recently calling it quits with actor Michael B. Jordan. The pair began dating in November 2020 before splitting in June 2022. A source close to Harvey told PEOPLE that she "wasn't ready to commit" and that "she is very focused on her career."

So who is the actor that recently won Harvey's heart? Keep reading to learn everything there is to know about Damson Idris and his relationship with the model.

He grew up in London

David M. Benett/Dave Benett/Getty

Idris was born on Sept. 2, 1991. He grew up in Peckham, a South London neighborhood as the youngest of six children born to a Nigerian immigrant mother who raised all of her kids on her own.

"I remember it was always loud in the house. People were always having conversations, people were always playing music," he said in a 2022 interview with GQ. "We were poor but [if] things are always happening, you didn't really know that you were poor."

He has been acting since 2012

Christopher Polk/Getty

Though Idris is best known for his breakout role in Snowfall as drug kingpin Franklin Saint, he's been acting for over a decade.

He pursued drama while attending Brunel University London, and earned a degree in Theatre, Film & Television studies. In 2012, he starred in the West End Arcola Theatre's play, Pandora's Box, about a British-Nigerian teenager who is sent to a strict boarding school in Nigeria by his mother in the hopes he will turn his troubled life around.

The actor landed his starring role in the FX series Snowfall after winning over the late creator, John Singleton. In 2015, the Boyz n the Hood director made Idris walk around South Los Angeles, where the show is set, in character as Franklin.

"He took me to South Central and made me walk around and talk to people who live there and be in character the whole time," Idris told GQ. "I remember he opened a door, and he was like, 'If you survive, you've got the role.' "

He was first spotted with Harvey in December 2022

BACKGRID

Almost a month prior to Harvey's birthday party, Idris and Harvey were spotted out together for the first time. They were seen arriving at hotspot Catch LA on Dec. 17, 2022.

Harvey wore a long-sleeved, ruched gray minidress for the evening, while her date kept it casual in a plain white t-shirt with a black bomber jacket.

They made their red carpet debut in February 2023

AFF-USA/Shutterstock

Harvey joined Idris on the carpet for the premiere of the final season of his show Snowfall. The two looked happy as they held hands and shared a sweet kiss.

For the event, the actor wore a navy suit while the social media star wore a black floor-length gown.

He and Harvey celebrated her 26th birthday at a star-studded party

Lori Harvey/Instagram

Harvey made her relationship Instagram official with Idris while reposting birthday shout-outs she received on her Instagram Story. One of the tributes included a post from the actor which showed him giving the birthday girl a kiss on the cheek as she smiled at the camera.

"Happy Birthday Nunu," Idris captioned the image. Harvey reposted the snap, including three white hearts underneath.

Idris also shared a solo shot of the model to his Instagram Story, where she posed with stacks of cash in a black bomber jacket with her hair slicked back. He teased in the picture, "The Plug."

They also arrived hand-in-hand at her birthday party in West Hollywood, California, which was attended by famous friends including Kendall Jenner, Lizzo and Lil Nas X. After the dinner, the couple were spotted heading to a party together.

His friends include Saweetie and Daniel Kaluuya

Before Harvey was in the picture, Idris was rumored to be seeing Saweetie. In a black-and-white video posted to his Instagram Story, the "My Type" rapper can be seen focusing on playing the piano while the Snowfall star circles her until they start laughing together.

He wrote "@saweetie My Teacher" over the video, which Saweetie reshared to her own Instagram Story. Despite the sweet moment, Idris confirmed a few months later that the two are just friends.

"No, no, me and that queen are just friends," he said during an appearance on The Breakfast Club in March 2022. "She's a great piano player. And I didn't know she could play piano—I didn't even think the world knew. So I was like, 'Oh, this is a cool moment.' "

"She's a huge Snowfall fan. That day we were at lunch, I think, talking about how we could collaborate. She wanted to show me her new place because I love CB2, and I was going to give her some ideas about furniture and art, and then boom, we went. She was playing the piano. That's it. I was in there for like five minutes, and I dipped out. She's a friend of mine," he added.

Among his other famous friends are Daniel Kaluuya and JAY-Z, who gave a green card reference for the actor, he told GQ. He even walked in Rihanna's Savage X Fenty: Vol. 4 fashion show in November 2022 after he was spotted hanging out with the singer during the Super Bowl earlier in the year.

He was in a relationship for almost a decade before Harvey

During his 2022 GQ sit-down, Idris confirmed that he had previously been in a nine-year relationship, but was single at the time. Though he sees family life on the horizon someday, he isn't quite ready for kids yet.

"Do you want to go to that Oscar party, or do you want to stay at home and watch this movie with your wife and kid?" he asked. "I want to go to the Oscar party!"