Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson Have Split: Relive Their Nearly Two Years Together

Photo credit: Gotham - Getty Images
Photo credit: Gotham - Getty Images

From ELLE

Cara Delevingne and Ashley Benson have called it quits after nearly two years together. Multiple sources told People that the model and Pretty Little Liars star split in April. This secretive pair didn't even confirm their relationship until last year after first being linked in May 2018. Here, a deep dive into their history and what possibly led to their reported breakup.

May 2018: Delevingne and Benson were first photographed by paparazzi leaving a Lauryn Hill concert together at the Apollo Theater in New York City. There was no photographed PDA, and at the time, Delevingne was rumored to be dating Paris Jackson, who wasn't with them.

Two days later, Benson posts a selfie with Cara Delevingne to her Instagram.

Did Delevingne like it? Of course she did!

Photo credit: Instagram
Photo credit: Instagram

On May 7, photos come out of Delevingne and Benson leaving a party at Milk Studio with two other friends in New York City. Looks pretty friendly but nothing more from the pics.

The public hand-holding begins on May 18. Delevingne and Benson are snapped hand-in-hand, leaving bar and restaurant Lucky Strike in New York City in the early hours of the morning to go back to the Soho Grand Hotel. Daily Mail described them as having a night with friends.

On May 20, Benson shares an elevator shot of her, Delevingne, and a friend the day photos of her holding hands with Delevingne appear on Daily Mail.

View this post on Instagram

Eloise x 3

A post shared by Ashley Benson (@ashleybenson) on May 20, 2018 at 11:26am PDT

A fan claims on Twitter that she saw Delevingne and Benson making out in the audience during a SNL taping.

Two days later, Benson posts a photo of herself with Delevingne on her Instagram. Fans quickly picked out it was Delevingne because she was wearing the same jacket she did in photos released of them holding hands together.

As additional proof, guess who likes it? Cara Delevingne. (This is the last shot they've shared of each other so far, but not the end of their Instagram activity.)

Photo credit: Instagram
Photo credit: Instagram

Benson likes a shot of Delevingne on her Instagram page the following day. Benson had liked a shot before of Benson reflecting on the Met Gala and would go on to like some photos Delevingne posted in early June of her new editorial and fashion campaigns.

Photo credit: Instagram
Photo credit: Instagram

Over in West Hollywood a few days later, Delevingne is photographed embracing and kissing Benson on the cheek.

June 2018: Benson maybe gives a hint that she and Delevingne are still going strong by sharing a photo of herself wearing a C necklace.

View this post on Instagram

❤️

A post shared by Ashley Benson (@ashleybenson) on Jun 24, 2018 at 12:30pm PDT

July 2018: Delevingne likes Benson's Disneyland Instagram. Whether there's any deeper meaning than Delevingne signaling publicly she and Benson are still tight, only they can say.

Photo credit: Instagram
Photo credit: Instagram

August 2018: In a signal things remain good between Delevingne and her definite friend and rumored past girlfriend Paris Jackson, Jackson posts a sweet message of support to Delevingne on her Puma refugees campaign ad.

Photo credit: Instagram
Photo credit: Instagram

August 2018: Benson likes and comments on Delevingne's Instagram of herself for the first time since they're rumored to be dating on August 4.

Photo credit: Instagram
Photo credit: Instagram

Entertainment Tonight reports a few days later that Benson and Delevingne were seen out at Sofitel LA Riviera 31’s Salsa Nights in Los Angeles, celebrating Delevingne's birthday early.

"Cara and Ashley were enjoying each other’s company, sitting closely together at a front row table by the dance floor," a source tells ET. "When the two weren’t sitting, they were intimately dancing with each other and laughing throughout the night.

Both girls post Instagram stories of the evening on their accounts, which ET posts.

Benson posts a photo of herself wearing her C initial necklace again accompanied by an A initial necklace.

That same month, Delevingne and Benson are photographed kissing at Heathrow Airport in London. Neither have confirmed anything more on their social media yet.

Up until this point, the photos of the two were enough to spark some rumor headlines on outlets, but no reports of their officially dating came out from sources.

Delevingne celebrates her 26th birthday and posts a series of snaps on her Instagram from her celebration. Of the pictures, she posted photo booth selfies of her surrounded by friend. Benson, her rumored girlfriend, is pictured among on of the many ladies in the snap.

View this post on Instagram

❤️❤️❤️❤️

A post shared by Cara Delevingne (@caradelevingne) on Aug 18, 2018 at 1:35am PDT

Benson goes on the record to state that she won't be confirming the relationship rumors any time soon because she values her privacy too much. In an interview with People Now, the actress said "I mean it’s hard, I don’t know, you kind of can’t get away from that if you’re in the public eye. I just kinda try to keep myself as private as possible."

Benson also stated that she likes living in New York City more than she likes living in Los Angeles because it's easier to maintain her privacy when she decides to go on outings. "That’s one good thing about living in New York — I can live kind of a normal lifestyle. In L.A., the paparazzi are really bad, but here I can kind of just walk anywhere and not be bothered," she added.

Benson finally revealed the meaning behind her C necklace while making sure to not confirm any of the dating rumors. "There's this company called Lola James that designs these 'squad goals' or friendship necklaces, so that’s really it," she told ELLE.

September 2018: Benson and Delevingne attend the Toronto International Film Festival for the premiere of Her Smell, in which they both ladies star in. They attend the red carpet separately, but made sure to spend time together at the after party, where cameras caught the two socializing a party guest.

Photo credit: GP Images - Getty Images
Photo credit: GP Images - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jemal Countess - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jemal Countess - Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images
Photo credit: Getty Images

Benson head out to Paris to catch Balmain's show for fashion week, where Delevingne opened the show. Later on, the pair is spotted leaving the fashion show together.

October 2018: Delevingne goes solo to Princess Eugenie and Jacob Brooksbank's royal wedding. She looks fashionable in a classic top hat, coattails, and heels. After the wedding was over, Delevingne takes to Instagram to post a side-by-side throwback image of her wearing a similar suit ensemble when she was a child.

View this post on Instagram

Who wore it better???

A post shared by Cara Delevingne (@caradelevingne) on Oct 12, 2018 at 7:53am PDT

"STOP," Benson posts in the comments section, letting her rumored girlfriend know that she found throwback image just as cute as everyone else did.

Photo credit: @commentsbycelebs - Instagram
Photo credit: @commentsbycelebs - Instagram

Though their relationship still remained unconfirmed, an Us Weekly source confirms that the pair are indeed dating and that things for the couple were going rather well. "Ashley and Cara are dating. This is the first girl she’s ever dated," the source said. "This relationship with Cara is the first time she’s been in a healthy relationship and she feels as if it’s really easy with her."

December 2018: Delevingne and Benson may have broken up. Delevingne posted a picture of her shedding a tear on Instagram with a caption that hinted that something may have happened between two.



"Just want to remind everyone the importance of crying. Even if tears don’t fall from your eyes, we all have to feel at some point. We are not robots, we are not meant to be okay all the time. I am proud of my emotions, good or bad. I want to share something I wrote whilst crying ‘You don’t have to cry with your eyes closed, If you open them, you will see the courage it takes to swim alone in the ocean,’" she wrote.

Benson did not make a similar post. Instead she posted a breathtaking picture of sunset the day before her 29th birthday.

The breakup rumors are put to rest when pictures surface of Delevingne and Benson spending time together in London to celebrate Benson's birthday. The rumored couple spent an adorable day in the city riding rollercoasters at Winter Wonderland and later on, spent the night at the night at London's Natural History Museum.



January 2019: The pair decide to fly out to the Maldives with a few friends for a vacation, where Benson was seen grabbing Delevingne's butt in an act of PDA.

March 2019: After Karl Lagerfeld's final show for Chanel in Paris, stylist Jamie Mizrahi posted an intimate moment of the two to Instagram. Delevingne and Benson are pictured having a "post show cuddle puddle" in the backseat of a car and captioned the photo with an emoji of two women kissing. The photo marks the first time that the two has shown affection towards each other on social media.

June 2019: Us Weekly reports that the couple decides to move in together. A source says Benson “sold her house in Los Angeles. She moved into Cara’s place there.” The outlet also notes that things are going well for the couple. "They are so great. All their friends mix well together," a source told the outlet. "[They] are happier than ever."

The low-key pair goes Instagram official more than a year after first being linked together days later. The model posts a video of her kissing Benson with the caption “#PRIDE,” tagging her in the post. Benson comments with three red hearts.

They further declare their love for one another that same month at the TrevorLIVE Gala. While there, Delevingne gives her first interview about the relationship to E!. When asked why she and Benson finally made things official on social media, she explains, "I don't know—because it is Pride, it's been 50 years since Stonewall [Riots] happened, and I don't know. It's been just about our one year anniversary, so why not?"

During a speech at the event, Delevingne further references her girlfriend, calling out Benson in her remarks. "I also have another very special woman in this room to thank, and you know who you are," she begins. "She's one of the people who help me love myself when I needed it most, and I really needed it. She showed me what real love is and how to accept it, which is a lot harder than I thought." She also reveals a pet name for Benson when she ends her speech: "I love you, Sprinkles." Benson shares multiple Instagram Stories from the evening, writing on one, "Love you, Cara Delevingne. Proud of you."

Photo credit: Craig Barritt - Getty Images
Photo credit: Craig Barritt - Getty Images

July 2019: Engagement speculation swirls after Benson and Delevingne are spotted wearing matching gold bands on their left fingers. People reports that the couple may have gotten engaged on a recent Saint Tropez vacation. But nothing is confirmed by either party.

August 2019: The next step was officiating their love in a ceremony, but not the kind you may think. The Sun reports that the couple got married in an Elvis-themed chapel in Las Vegas. However, Benson's mom clarifies that this was merely a friendship ceremony. She writes on Instagram: “How easy it is for so many of us today to be undoubtedly full of information yet fully deprived of accurate information.” Guests at the proceedings reportedly include Charlize Theron, Joe Jonas, and Sophie Turner.

Although not hitched, Delevingne does give some insight into how the pair found love in an unexpected place this month. She reveals the origins of their relationship to Marie Claire, disclosing that they met on the 2018 set of Alex Ross Perry’s film, Her Smell. “We weren’t looking for it,” she tells the outlet. “It was really just very authentic and natural.”

View this post on Instagram

Roxie + Cassie ⚡️♥️

A post shared by Ashley Benson (@ashleybenson) on Apr 19, 2019 at 10:27am PDT

September 2019: The couple shows off their blossoming romance while watching the U.S. Open, showing some rare PDA in the process.

Photo credit: Gotham - Getty Images
Photo credit: Gotham - Getty Images
Photo credit: Gotham - Getty Images
Photo credit: Gotham - Getty Images

Delevingne opens up about her relationship further in a cover story with Elle U.K.:

“...It’s sacred. I get why people care so much, and I don’t want to be so secretive that people think I’m ashamed of anything. But I’ve never been in a relationship where things are so public, or where I posted pictures of someone else. This seemed different. We had gotten to the point where we had kept it a secret, or at least not wanted attention, and now I feel like I’m not going to not be proud. Which isn’t the same thing as wanting to pose on a red carpet together, either. People make their own assumptions and that’s what worried me. Because if it is something that is so good, you don’t ever want anyone to ever change it, even though people shouldn’t have that power."

In the same interview, the model confirms that she is very much in a good place romantically. “I’m just better when I’m in love," she admits. "That doesn’t have to mean with someone. It can also mean with myself. It just feels incredible when you’re not alone, when you’re facing the world with someone else.”

December 2019: Rumors of a breakup are put to rest with a sweet birthday post from Delevingne to Benson. "Happy birthday @ashleybenson There is so much I could say but something I love and cherish most about us is that I don’t need to because YOU KNOW and that’s all that matters. It’s you and me which is my favourite. My safe place. You let me be silly, you let me be wild, you keep me free, secure and curious. I feel like I’ve known you my entire life and I am so proud of watching you grow into the woman that you always dreamt of being. I love you beyond words my sprinkles, choonchi, angel face, grumpy ass, sweet cheeks, never boring, buttmunch, Benson ❤️❤️❤️❤️" she writes alongside a series of photos featuring Benson and the pair as a couple.

The rumored split started with a tweet screenshot by Entertainment Tonight where Delevingne seemingly announces the couple's breakup. "Me and Ashley broke up," the tweet read. But 20 minutes later, the tweet is taken down and JustJaredJr notes that a series of messages were sent from Delevingne's Twitter at the time of the initial tweet, including one detailing a fake iPhone giveaway. Basically, it seems as if her social media was hacked.

February 2020: The couple has a rare public outing at Boss' Milan Fashion Week show, where they sit front row and walk into the event holding hands.

Photo credit: Jacopo Raule - Getty Images
Photo credit: Jacopo Raule - Getty Images

This same month, the couple posts matching Valentine's Day tributes to each other, shouting out a worthy organization in the process. "A kiss with a cause. This Valentine’s Day when you share a photo of you and a loved one—a significant other, a friend, a pet—you can also raise awareness and help create a future with more survivors thanks to @su2c #KissCancerGoodbye campaign ❤️," both Benson and Delevingne caption a photo of themselves kissing.

March 2020: Things seem to be going well for the couple in quarantine, as each shares videos of each other on TikTok. In each, they're lip-syncing to popular reality show clips, with special appearances by friends Tommy Dorfman and Kaia Gerber in one.

View this post on Instagram

ABCDEFGoodbye!

A post shared by Cara Delevingne (@caradelevingne) on Mar 17, 2020 at 9:50am PDT

View this post on Instagram

T E A

A post shared by Ashley Benson (@ashleybenson) on Mar 17, 2020 at 1:57pm PDT

May 2020: In early May, news of their reported breakup is made public. Multiple sources tell People that the split happened in April and isn't the first time their relationship has been rocky. "Cara and Ashley always had their ups and down before but it's over now," the source said. "Their relationship just ran its course.” In the days after their quiet breakup, an insider says Delevingne has been quarantining with A-list friends including Margaret Qualley, Rainey Qualley, and Kaia Gerber.

For now, neither Benson nor Delevingne has confirmed the breakup, and they still follow each other on Instagram, so anything is possible regarding their future.

You Might Also Like