Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza's Relationship Timeline
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Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza's relationship is one for the books.
The actor and rapper met his novelist wife in a cafe in 2018, just before his career skyrocketed. The pair became friends at first, but eventually began dating. In 2020, Ahmed and Mirza quietly got married.
The couple are very private and rarely share details about their relationship publicly. In fact, news of their wedding only came out because Ahmed let it slip in a January 2021 interview. "I guess I don't really feel it's generally that relevant, so I don't delve into my personal life or my dating history or even family life much," he said during an episode of the Grounded with Louis Theroux podcast.
In the years since, Ahmed and Mirza have given fans a few glimpses into their life together and have appeared on the red carpet a handful of times.
From their red carpet moments to their supportive social media posts, here's everything to know about Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza's relationship.
2018: Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza meet in a New York City cafe
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Ahmed and Mirza had a real-life meet-cute: They met "randomly" at a cafe in New York City in 2018.
During a January 2021 appearance on The Tonight Show, Ahmed shared details about the moment he met his now-wife. "We just both sat down at the same table in a cafe, where we both turned up to write," he said. "We were both jostling over the same laptop plug points, like a very modern way of meeting."
At the time, Ahmed was preparing for his role in Sound of Metal, the film that would earn him his first Oscar nomination.
"It's weirdly one of the many things about preparing for this role that was so special. It just brought a lot of goodness into my life," Ahmed said of the role.
He added that the pair "struck up a friendship" and later "reconnected down the line."
Early 2020: Riz Ahmed proposes to Fatima Farheen Mirza
Ahmed asked Mirza to marry him amidst the COVID-19 lockdown period, although exactly when he popped the question is not known.
The actor shared the details of his "corny" proposal during an April 2021 episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. The couple went to their local park and had a picnic before Ahmed made his move.
"She loves a bit of Scrabble," Ahmed explained to host Jimmy Kimmel. "So we were actually playing Scrabble and I did that corny thing where I stole all the correct letters up and spelled out 'Will you marry me?' "
Late 2020: Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza get married
Sometime in late 2020, Ahmed and Mirza wed in a "super intimate" backyard ceremony in California's San Francisco Bay Area, where Mirza grew up and where her family still lives.
Because of the ongoing pandemic, there was "hardly anyone there," Ahmed said during his appearance on The Tonight Show, which allowed the couple to keep the news under wraps.
January 11, 2021: Riz Ahmed announces marriage to Fatima Farheen Mirza
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In an episode of Grounded with Louis Theroux, released on Jan. 11, 2021, Ahmed let it slip that he was a married man. When asked about where he spent lockdown, Ahmed mentioned he stayed in California because that's where his "wife's family" lived.
"I think this is the first time I've ever mentioned it in an interview, so congratulations on this incredibly exciting scoop," Ahmed joked, adding that he had tied the knot "not very long" ago.
January 19, 2021: Riz Ahmed opens up about married life with Fatima Farheen Mirza
In a profile for The Hollywood Reporter, Ahmed opened up about marrying Mirza during the COVID-19 lockdown. "It feels good to be married," he said, adding that quarantine was a clarifying experience for the couple.
"I think COVID has been a massive accelerator for people. It's been something that just clarifies things for you, clarifies what you're doing, why you're doing it, what you really want. It seems to have sent us hurtling into our own futures, collectively and individually," he explained. "Getting married was something that felt right and made sense."
April 22, 2021: Riz Ahmed dedicates his Independent Spirit Award to Fatima Farheen Mirza
In April 2021, Ahmed won a Film Independent Spirit Award for best male lead for his performance in Sound of Metal. In his acceptance speech, he gave a sweet shout-out to Mirza, saying, "This is all for you."
April 25, 2021: Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza make their red carpet debut at the Oscars
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Months after announcing their marriage, Ahmed and Mirza made their official red carpet debut at the 93rd Annual Academy Awards, where Ahmed was up for Best Actor. The couple shared an adorable moment while posing for photos on the carpet, in which Ahmed paused to fix Mirza's hair. "I'm the official groomer," he joked.
October 8, 2021: Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza step out for the London premiere of Encounter
Ahmed and Mirza hit another red carpet together for the U.K. premiere of Ahmed's sci-fi thriller, Encounter, at the 2021 BFI London Film Festival. The event marked the first time the couple had been seen together in Ahmed's hometown.
December 5, 2021: Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza attend the British Independent Film Awards
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A few months later, the pair stunned on the red carpet at the 2021 British Independent Film Awards. Mirza was in the audience as Ahmed was honored with the Richard Harris Award, which is given to an actor who has made significant contributions to British film.
March 13, 2022: Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza attend the BAFTA Awards
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Ahmed and Mirza attended the BAFTAs again in 2022, where they dined at the afterparty dinner held at The Grosvenor House Hotel and attended British Vogue's Fashion and Film Party alongside other British celebrities, including Naomi Campbell, Emma Watson and Florence Pugh.
March 21, 2022: Fatima Farheen Mirza shares what love means to her
Fashion house Valentino tapped Mirza for their Narratives campaign, for which they asked 17 writers and poets to share what the word "love" meant to them.
"One of the signs of loving someone, or being loved by someone, is when you get the feeling that being around them is bringing you closer to yourself, closer to your truth," Mirza told New York Magazine of the project. The writer also shared that her love language is "quality time," adding, "Preferably spent away from the cell phone in nature with the person that I love."
Ahmed later shared Mirza's writing for the campaign on Instagram.
March 29, 2022: Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza attend the Oscars
Continuing to make their awards show circuit, Ahmed and Mirza walked the red carpet at the 2022 Academy Awards, where the rapper won his first Oscar for The Long Goodbye — a short film accompanying his concept album of the same name. In an Instagram post after the show, Ahmed made sure to give his wife a shout-out.
"Thank you to my family and to my wife @ffmirza for being my torch in the darkness," he wrote.
April 1, 2022: Fatima Farheen Mirza celebrates Riz Ahmed's Oscar win
A few days after Ahmed's big Oscar win, Mirza paid tribute to her husband in a rare post on Instagram. "I don't know anyone who works as hard as Rizwan," she wrote. "I'm always stunned by how his every creative choice is grounded in his values, his truth, and his heart.
She continued, "The Long Goodbye is a bold depiction of so many of our fears and seeing it on screen, despite how terrifying it is, is also somehow an affirming comfort. So proud of this win and how it expands what's possible for the rest of us."
September 4, 2022: Riz Ahmed and Fatima Farheen Mirza attend a literary event in London
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In September 2022, Ahmed accompanied his author wife to a literary event celebrating Edward Enninful's new memoir, A Visible Man, at Claridge's Hotel in London. Mirza donned a long, orange dress for the occasion while Ahmed sported a two-piece set.
