Who Is Sam Heughan Dating?
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Get to know the 'Outlander' star's rumored girfriends.
In March 2022, the Outlander star was spotted in New York City locking lips with a mystery woman—and her identity has since been revealed!
E! News reports that Heughan, 43, was quite cozy with pretty brunette Monika Clarke at Café Select in the Soho neighborhood of the Big Apple on March 7, 2022. The pair were photographed kissing (see the snaps here), with spies saying he also had his arm around Clarke, 32, at one point.
On Thursday, March 10, 2022, when Extra asked Heughan about the smooching snaps, he dodged the question in his usual demure, charming way. You can see his pitch-perfect evasion below:
"Me and Drew, yeah. Well, I mean… we shared a bagel and it was delightful… I'm still for Drew to get in contact," Heughan told the outlet, referring to none other than Drew Barrymore. He appeared on her eponymous talk show on Wednesday, March 9, 2022, where he actually discussed his love life—although again, in his typically vague, generalized terms.
He joked that his bedroom had a giant bed, big posts, candles, furs, "firelight and soft music," with Barrymore quipping, "And not a pair of underwear in sight!" He told her with a chuckle, "You should come on over!"
Related: Drew Barrymore Just Asked Sam Heughan If He Goes Commando Under His Kilt—Watch the Clip
Barrymore, 48, asked Heughan if he was still single since he's been known to prioritize his work over his love life, to which he replied, "I never said that, I don't think. The job is so all-encompassing and we spend so much time on set and at work. But I'm open to something. I'm not sure what I'm saying I'm open for, but I'm open."
Ever since Outlander first hit the small screen in 2014, fans can't get enough of sexy Scottish Highlander Jamie Fraser—and the real-life Scot who plays him. But although he bares all—literally and figuratively—on the show in displaying his love for Claire (Caitriona Balfe), in real life, he’s historically been much more secretive about his girlfriends. And despite his unquestionably good looks, he has never been married.
But would he like to have the kind of love that Jaime and Claire have—is there even such a thing? “I think there is, and I think we all aspire to it,” he told Parade in 2019. “I think it’s something that we all aspire to and aim for so, yeah, I would like to think it’s real and I’d like to think that one day I could have that myself.”
In addition to Outlander, Heughan has been busy with his Scottish travel show Men in Kilts, accompanying book Clanlands and his award-winning Sassenach whisky and tequila brands. He also stars in the upcoming romantic comedy Love Again with Priyanka Chopra Jonas and Celine Dion. With Outlander and his other projects, he says he’s so busy he finds it hard to find time to date. “Certainly, relationships are hard when you’re working in Scotland 10 months a year,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in early 2020. “I travel a lot and any downtime I have, I’m trying to do other projects, so very much, my career comes first. Maybe I will find someone eventually.”
He’s also tight-lipped whenever he is in a relationship. “I am quite a private person and I do choose what I like to share,” he told Parade.com about his social media. We had to dig a bit to find the women who reportedly have caught his eye—and he’s only publicly admitted to one of them (sorry shippers—it’s not his costar Balfe). Here's the full Sam Heughan dating history that we know of so far!
Who is Sam Heughan's girlfriend, Monika Clarke?
Though neither Heughan nor Clarke has publicly spoken about their March 2022 kissing photos, we do know a little bit about the raven-haired stunner with whom he was spotted locking lips.
Clarke is reportedly repped by Wilhelmina Models and has been working the camera since she was just 15 years old. She lives in New York City but is originally from Victoria, Australia. While not much is known about Clarke herself, she did divulge in an interview with DMARGE in October 2020 about what she wants in a partner.
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"Humor is a big thing for me. And someone who appreciates sarcasm. Also, a man who is humble and can always have an interesting conversation," she said. "Confidence without arrogance. A man who makes his woman feel appreciated and respected."
Who else has Sam Heughan dated?
Heughan stepped out in his first public appearance with MacKenzie Mauzy at a 2017 Oscars party. Mauzy, who played Rapunzel in the Into the Woods movie, was also seen with Heughan that year at his birthday celebration, New York Fashion Week, the Hungarian Grand Prix and other events. The duo had unofficially been seen together as far back as 2015, when he appeared to be in some pics from her birthday party posted onher Instagram.
Although they made an adorable couple in photos, Heughan didn’t often comment publicly on the blonde beauty. He told Harper’s Bazaar he met her at an industry event and that his fans hadn’t always been kind to her on social media. “Initially, it is upsetting but, ultimately, it doesn't mean anything. It feels like a schoolyard thing,” he told the magazine. After 2017, they weren’t seen together, so they likely quietly split.
Related: A Jamie Fraser Appreciation Post! Our 10 Favorite Sam Heughan Scenes from Outlander
Twin Peaks actress Amy Shiels has also been linked with Heughan—but whether they were just friends or not is unclear. One of their most public appearances was when Shiels attended the premiere of Heughan’s movie The Spy Who Dumped Me in July 2018—although they weren’t photographed together. Shiels also set the Twitterverse aflame years before in 2014 when she reportedly liked a now-deleted tweet saying they were a cute couple, then again in 2018 by saying Heughan was an “obvious choice” to take over the role of James Bond. The romance rumors seemed to heat up in 2018, with some outlets reporting they were dating. In April 2018, Shiels posted an Instagram pic of them looking cozy together with a puppy—but also called Heughan “Big Brother”…not the most romantic of nicknames.
Related: Surprising Facts about Outlander
Whether they’ve dated or are just friends, the two have known each other for over a decade. How? After spotting a rare personal Instagram pic from Heughan, featuring what he described as a “great reunion” including Shiels, Lauren Cohan (Maggie from The Walking Dead) and actor Paul Tefler, we did some digging. The group had all been involved in the movie Young Alexander the Great in 2010, with Heughan in the title role.
Internet rumors have also linked Heughan with two other possible previous girlfriends, actresses Cody Kennedy and Abbie Salt (reportedly the sister of Charlotte Salt, who appeared in his 2011 Hallmark movie A Princess for Christmas), but no real evidence beyond fan Tumblrs, some Twitter screenshots and blurry pictures on Pinterest. His discretion about his private life is heightened by the fact that Heughan was not well-known publicly until after Outlander premiered in 2014.
Related: Exclusive! Sam Heughan on the New Peril Jamie and Claire Face in Outlander Season 6
Has Sam Heughan dated Caitriona Balfe?
Although Outlander shippers have long wanted these two to be together in real life—after all, their onscreen chemistry is through the roof—sadly they say that’s never been the case despite some rather flirtatious and gushy tweets between them. Heughan likened their relationship to that of siblings, saying on a 2020 BBC podcast, “We're like brother and sister now—we know each other really well as we've been working together for six years which is just crazy. She's like my sister and tells me exactly what I'm doing wrong, and I need to know these things!”
Balfe echoed his words in an interview with Parade. “I’m much more bullish, and he kind of calms me down if I’m getting too frustrated about things,” she says. “And he can be maybe a little passive, so sometimes I’ll just give him a nudge when he needs to stand up for something. And it works really well.”
Balfe, who is now married to music producer Tony McGill, also had a lot to say about those who want her and Heughan to date. “There’s a small vocal group that really wanted it, which is just a testament to the characters that we portray, that the love story is so inspiring and so aspirational that people just really wanted to believe in it,” she told Parade.com. “And that’s a nice thing. But I think things are pretty clear now that I’m engaged to someone else. Everyone gets it now.”
Is Sam Heughan single?
Whenever Heughan is photographed with any lovely lady, eyebrows are raised—and it doesn’t help the gossip that Heughan is so generous with his praise for his costars. He called Ukrainian actress and The Spy Who Dumped Me costar Ivanna Sakhno “ethereal.” He appeared in a publicity skit with his Bloodshot costar Eiza Gonzalez to draw each other portraits, flirting along the way, complimenting each other’s good looks and calling each other “babe.” An Instagram post once showed Heughan getting close with his Text For You costar Lydia West at the start of filming. “Having a miserable time!” he joked. But despite speculation, there’s no evidence he’s actually dated—or is dating—any of them.
The mysterious Heughan seems ready to embrace love if it comes his way, even with his busy schedule. “My whole career, not just Outlander but as an actor, I have always put that first,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer. “It’s hard when you travel a lot. My priority has been my career, so that’s where I am at the moment. But I am sure at some point, I will get knocked off my feet, then I’m screwed!”
The sweet Scot is definitely a romantic at heart, like his Outlander character. “I would like to emulate some of Jamie’s qualities—he’s very loyal and quite stubborn,” he said in the interview. “The love that Jamie has for Claire—it would be amazing to find something like that myself.”
Want more Sam Heughan? Check out the 6 biggest revelations about Sam Heughan we learned from his new book Clanlands.
