Unpacking Anna Kendrick's Seven-Year Relationship: The Story Behind Her Candid Revelations

16 Jul, 2025

Anna Kendrick, known for her captivating performances in films like Pitch Perfect and Up in the Air, has always maintained a remarkably private stance on her personal life. Unlike many Hollywood stars who frequently share details of their romantic endeavors, Kendrick has largely kept her relationships out of the public eye. However, in recent years, the actress has bravely opened up about a significant chapter in her past: a seven-year relationship she described as abusive. This revelation has sparked considerable interest among fans, leading many to wonder: who was the man she was referring to?

A Glimpse into Anna Kendrick's Private World

Anna Kendrick's commitment to privacy regarding her love life has been consistent throughout her career. Despite her fame, the 37-year-old (as of recent data) Twilight actress has managed to keep the specifics of her romantic entanglements largely under wraps. Fans are aware of several of her past relationships, but she rarely discusses them in detail. This discretion makes her recent candidness about her abusive relationship all the more impactful, as it marks a significant departure from her usual approach.

Over the years, Anna Kendrick has been romantically linked to a few high-profile individuals, primarily those she met through her work in the entertainment industry. From filmmakers to cinematographers and fellow actors, her dating history, though private, includes some recognizable names. Before delving into the seven-year relationship, it’s worth noting the publicly known figures she has dated:

Edgar Wright: A British director she met on the set of Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in 2009.
Ben Richardson: A cinematographer she reportedly met on the set of Drinking Buddies in 2013.
Bill Hader: A comedian and actor she worked with on the 2019 holiday film Noelle.

There have also been rumors, such as her being linked to Jake Gyllenhaal, though these have never been confirmed by Kendrick herself.

The Seven-Year Relationship: An Abusive Experience

The focal point of recent discussions around Anna Kendrick's personal life has been her revelation about a seven-year abusive relationship. She first spoke about this experience on the Call Her Daddy podcast in October 2024 (and previously on Dax Shepard and Monica Padman's Armchair Expert podcast in January 2023). Kendrick described the relationship as emotionally abusive, noting that it was "difficult to identify" as such at the time.

Her candidness has resonated with many, as she detailed the insidious nature of emotional abuse. She explained that she was in this relationship for seven years, and the experience deeply impacted her. The 2022 movie Alice, Darling, in which Kendrick stars as a woman in an emotionally abusive relationship, resonates profoundly with her own previous negative experiences. In fact, she had just left this emotionally abusive relationship right before filming the powerful movie, which undoubtedly contributed to her compelling performance.

The aftermath of the breakup was challenging. Anna Kendrick shared a particularly poignant detail: she confided in her plumber after ending the relationship, stating, "I just couldn’t spend another second breathing." This highlights the immense emotional toll the relationship took on her. As a result of her healing journey, Kendrick has also publicly stated a new boundary for future relationships: she won't date a man unless he's been to therapy, underscoring her commitment to healthy dynamics moving forward.

Who Was She Referring To? Connecting the Dots

While Anna Kendrick has never explicitly named the individual involved in her seven-year abusive relationship, fans and media outlets have widely connected her revelations to her past relationship with cinematographer Ben Richardson. The timeline and duration of their romance align closely with the details Kendrick has shared.

Anna Kendrick and Ben Richardson first met on the set of the film Drinking Buddies, which they filmed together during the summer of 2012 or 2013. They began dating in February 2014. Their relationship lasted for approximately six years, reportedly ending around 2020. This six-year duration (2014-2020) is the most compelling piece of evidence. Although Kendrick often refers to it as a "seven-year" relationship, the slight discrepancy in duration (six vs. seven years) is often overlooked by fans connecting the dots, given the close alignment of the timeframe and the nature of the relationship she described.

The fact that "fans were connecting the dots between what Anna has said about her abusive relationship with her six" (referring to her six-year relationship with Richardson) further solidifies the public's assumption. Her statement on the Armchair Expert podcast in January 2023, where she mentioned still being "very close" with her ex of five years, also points to Richardson, as their breakup would have been around five years prior to that interview if it ended in 2020.

It is widely believed that Ben Richardson is the individual Anna Kendrick was referring to when discussing her emotionally abusive seven-year relationship, given the overlap in timelines and the duration of their relationship.

Other Significant Relationships in Anna Kendrick's Life

Beyond the highly publicized revelations about her abusive relationship, Anna Kendrick has had other notable romantic connections that have been part of her private, yet sometimes public, dating history.

Edgar Wright (2009-2013)

Anna Kendrick's first widely reported relationship was with British director Edgar Wright. They met on the set of the cult classic Scott Pilgrim vs. the World in 2009, where Wright served as the director and Kendrick played Scott's younger sister, Stacey Pilgrim. The former couple began dating shortly after sparking a romance on set. Their relationship lasted for about four years, with Us Weekly confirming their split in March 2013. This relationship predates the timeline of the seven-year abusive relationship she later discussed.

Bill Hader (Late 2020/2021 - June 2022)

Following her relationship with Ben Richardson, Anna Kendrick reportedly began dating comedian and actor Bill Hader. Their romance was incredibly low-key, so much so that the public didn't even know about their relationship until January 2022, despite them having been together for over a year by then. They started dating after both became single and after working together on the 2019 holiday film Noelle. Their relationship lasted for less than two years, from late 2020/early 2021 to June 2022, when Entertainment Tonight reported that the couple had split up. Neither Anna nor Bill have publicly addressed their breakup.

The Jake Gyllenhaal Rumor

While less substantiated, Anna Kendrick has also been rumored to have dated fellow actor Jake Gyllenhaal. However, unlike her relationships with Edgar Wright, Ben Richardson, and Bill Hader, there is no concrete evidence or confirmed timeline for a romance between Kendrick and Gyllenhaal. She was "rumoured to have dated Jake," but this remains speculative.

Summary

Anna Kendrick has courageously opened up about a significant and painful chapter of her life: a seven-year relationship she described as emotionally abusive. While she has maintained her characteristic privacy by not naming the individual, the details she has shared, particularly the timeline and duration, strongly suggest she was referring to her six-year relationship with cinematographer Ben Richardson, which lasted from 2014 to 2020. This experience profoundly impacted her, influencing her role in Alice, Darling and shaping her future dating expectations. Despite her preference for privacy, Kendrick's decision to share her story has provided valuable insight into her journey of healing and self-discovery, demonstrating her strength and resilience.

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