The Way They Were: Jenny Slate and Chris Evans Dating Timeline

Both Chris Evans and Jenny Slate are from Massachusetts and wear that badge with pride (Evans even starred in a Super Bowl commercial having fun with the classic Boston accent). They also share an incredible and well-documented passion for animals of all shapes and sizes — particularly their canine BFFs. So it was no surprise that sparks flew when the pair met on the set of their film, Gifted.

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They didn’t start dating right away, as Slate was still married. Yet as the Gifted press junkets and movie premieres approached, Slate finalized her divorce. When their film, which told the charming story of a single father (Evans) and his gifted daughter (Mckenna Grace), was set to hit the silver screen, romance blossomed.

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Let’s go back to the beginning and chronicle the Jenny Slate and Chris Evans relationship timeline. From first meeting to first date, to romantic escapes and breakups, this is the definitive narrative of a Boston-centric love affair. Sadly, they are no more. But what are the details of the falling out and are they still friends? Read on.

Slate and Evans first met in what’s called a “chemistry read.” This was an audition, in some ways, for the two leads for the film Gifted to see if there was a cinematic spark between the two. Given that she got the part, and they wound up dating, it’s safe to say that there were definitely some sparks and then some! The film also starred Oscar winner Octavia Spencer.

The two thespians filmed their heartwarming film, Gifted. The story follows Evans as father to a young girl (Mckenna Grace) who is extremely talented and shows how he goes the extra mile to ensure that she gets the best education possible. Making a movie is no strange place for actors finding love, but the set of Gifted took that bonding exercise further as Evans organized game nights for the cast and crew while they shot the indie film in Savannah, Georgia. Evans had just come out of a relationship with Minka Kelly, per RadarOnline.com Online.

Evans and Slate appeared on the Anna Faris podcast, Unqualified. And the sparks referenced earlier? Let’s just say something was in the water on Faris’ “set” because the heat was electric, as described by Us Weekly. On the podcast, the Captain America star uttered, “I’ve only known Jenny for a few months, which is insane to say because we’re like the same animal.”

Slate is officially back on the market as her divorce to Dean Fleischer-Camp is finalized, per Us Weekly. Did that mean she and Evans could make it official to the public?

Us Weekly broke the news that Slate and Evans were finally an item after months and months of “are they or aren’t they” speculation. Once again, the question arose, when would they be publicly official?

Slate and Evans made their first “couple” appearance together, as reported by Us Weekly. The actress brought the hunk as her plus-one to the premiere of her hit film, The Secret Life of Pets, which also starred Kevin Hart and a bevy of bodacious voice actors. One of the cutest quotes ever from one celeb dating another came from Slate as she stated to Entertainment Tonight, “It’s kind of like I got my dream 7th grade boyfriend. We didn’t know each other growing up, but we grew up about a half hour away from each other. We’ve been friends for a while.”

Sadly, it appeared to be over before it really got going. Just short of their year anniversary, Us Weekly broke the news that the pair had called it quits. Venture ran an interview with Slate, and she could not have been more gracious about her now ex. “I don’t mind talking about him at all. He’s a lovely person,” she told the publication. “It feels like such a huge thing. Last year was a giant, big year for my heart. I’ve never, ever thought to keep anything private because that’s not really what I’m like, and now I’m learning those things, and they’re weird, kind of demented lessons to learn.”

The pair got together one more time for the cameras, this time for the Gifted premiere — with photos all over Us Weekly.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, some insight arrived in terms of what may have contributed to the split that was first reported in Us Weekly. Slate reported that she found it incredibly frustrating to try to navigate the early months of a relationship with the spotlight of the world on them. “If you’re a woman, the system actually owns your private life; the system has an opinion on your decisions; the system has a verdict on how you have sex and who you have sex with, and anything in between. For me, I am not open to that,” Slate stated. “I get really pissed about it, because it’s only my business.”

Sadly, it appeared to be over before it really got going. Just short of their year anniversary, Us Weekly broke the news that the pair had called it quits. Venture ran an interview with Slate, and she could not have been more gracious about her now ex. “I don’t mind talking about him at all. He’s a lovely person,” she told the publication. “It feels like such a huge thing. Last year was a giant, big year for my heart. I’ve never, ever thought to keep anything private because that’s not really what I’m like, and now I’m learning those things, and they’re weird, kind of demented lessons to learn.”

As fate would have it, Evans and Slate were in Georgia. Both were filming movies based on comic books. He, the first of the final chapters in the Avengers saga, and she, the first installment for Venom — a notoriously beloved villain in the Spider-Man universe. Reports from Us Weekly found the pair together in The Peach State. Not helping those “did they reunite” rumors was a Twitter exchange during this time where Evans spoke about not being able to go to bed, and Slate proceeded to social media flirt with him about it.

Slate tweeted about her boyfriend and the internet practically exploded with anticipation. Was it Evans? Elle posted the tweet, “My boyfriend does many dreamy&generous things but number 1 in my mind right now is how he celebrates my new turtlenecks/let’s me show him my online shopping spoils&cheers me on.”

Evans’ brother, Scott Evans, made it official when he took to Twitter to post a photo of his brother’s better half … Slate, as chronicled by Us Weekly. His Twitter comment read, “Christmastime with my favorite Jew!” in a reference to the Venom star. Merry Christmas, indeed!

Happy New Year! A source close to the couple told OK! that they believed that the pair would be getting engaged soon as they had been living together in New York. The source even went so far as to confidently report that a summer wedding was already in the works.

Cancel that summer wedding. Fans’ hopes for those nuptials were completely dashed. The author of a New York Times profile of Evans (who was making his Broadway debut) referred to the Slate and Evans relationship in the past tense. Specifically, it was stated that “their on-again, off-again relationship, beloved by the internet, recently ended.” RadarOnline.com Online called the end of the relationship “heartbreaking!”

Slate announced that she was engaged to Ben Shattuck. Put a pin in that Evans-Slate relationship, it’s over. An Evans insider told Us Weekly that he was “happy for her.” Awe.