After two seasons of The Bachelorette and his own season of The Bachelor, Nick Viall has found love with Natalie Joy.
The “Viall Files” host and surgical technologist were first linked by fans in 2019, but speculation about their relationship didn’t start heating up until 2020. In February 2021, shortly after the pair first went public as a couple, Viall admitted that they met after Joy slid into his Instagram DMs.
“It was very romantic,” he joked during an episode of his podcast. “We kind of kept hanging out, and she finally got to a point where she was like, ‘I want to date,’ and I was kind of like, ‘I don’t know.’ … She just was like, ‘OK, this is what I want. It’s fine, no big deal, but I’m gonna go do my thing,’ and she did, and I was like, ‘What?!’ … She went and showed me exactly what I’d be missing.”
The former reality star has a history of sliding into DMs himself, revealing last year that he once messaged Olivia Munn. “I wasn’t expecting her to reply,” he recalled during an April 2020 episode of Hannah Berner’s podcast. “It was New Year’s Day and I simply just said, ‘I’m aiming high this year.’”
He also went on a few dates with January Jones after she had publicly dissed him via social media. “Then Nick slid into my DMs, and he’s like, ‘I’m so sorry that your perception of me is so negative. I’d love to take you out to coffee and see if I can change your mind,’” she told Dax Shepard in January 2020. “And I squealed! I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ … I was like, ‘I hate that guy!’”
The Mad Men actress said the pair went on a “couple” of dates before things faded out, perhaps because she spent most of their time together asking him questions about The Bachelor. “All I did was grill him about the show,” she said. “But I got a lot of juicy insights.”
Viall’s DM success rate seems to have increased with Joy, who first made their relationship Instagram official in January 2021.
“Their relationship is very real,” a source told Us Weekly in February 2021. “They’ve been dating since the beginning of COVID but have just started going public. They’re pretty much inseparable. You can say she practically lives with him because she’s at his house that much.”
Keep scrolling to see the full timeline of Viall and Joy’s romance:
Credit: Shutterstock; Courtesy of Nick Viall/Instagram (3)
Nick Viall’s Sweetest Pics With Girlfriend Natalie Joy: A Complete Relationship Timeline
After two seasons of The Bachelorette and his own season of The Bachelor, Nick Viall has found love with Natalie Joy.
The “Viall Files” host and surgical technologist were first linked by fans in 2019, but speculation about their relationship didn’t start heating up until 2020. In February 2021, shortly after the pair first went public as a couple, Viall admitted that they met after Joy slid into his Instagram DMs.
“It was very romantic,” he joked during an episode of his podcast. “We kind of kept hanging out, and she finally got to a point where she was like, ‘I want to date,’ and I was kind of like, ‘I don’t know.’ … She just was like, ‘OK, this is what I want. It’s fine, no big deal, but I’m gonna go do my thing,’ and she did, and I was like, ‘What?!’ … She went and showed me exactly what I’d be missing.”
The former reality star has a history of sliding into DMs himself, revealing last year that he once messaged Olivia Munn. “I wasn’t expecting her to reply,” he recalled during an April 2020 episode of Hannah Berner’s podcast. “It was New Year’s Day and I simply just said, ‘I’m aiming high this year.’”
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He also went on a few dates with January Jones after she had publicly dissed him via social media. “Then Nick slid into my DMs, and he’s like, ‘I’m so sorry that your perception of me is so negative. I’d love to take you out to coffee and see if I can change your mind,'” she told Dax Shepard in January 2020. “And I squealed! I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ … I was like, ‘I hate that guy!’”
The Mad Men actress said the pair went on a “couple” of dates before things faded out, perhaps because she spent most of their time together asking him questions about The Bachelor. “All I did was grill him about the show,” she said. “But I got a lot of juicy insights.”
Viall’s DM success rate seems to have increased with Joy, who first made their relationship Instagram official in January 2021.
“Their relationship is very real,” a source told Us Weekly in February 2021. “They’ve been dating since the beginning of COVID but have just started going public. They’re pretty much inseparable. You can say she practically lives with him because she’s at his house that much.”
Keep scrolling to see the full timeline of Viall and Joy’s romance:
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Credit: Broadimage/Shutterstock
June 2020
During an episode of her “Almost Famous” podcast, Ashley Iaconetti hinted that she knew Viall was dating someone who wasn’t part of Bachelor Nation. “I have an idea but if he hasn’t said anything about who it is then I’m not saying anything,” the Bachelor in Paradise alum said at the time.
Credit: Courtesy of Natalie Joy/Instagram
September 2020
Several months before the couple went public, Joy posted a series of photos via Instagram with the caption, “Happiest I’ve eva been.”
Credit: Kathy Hutchins/Shutterstock
October 2020
The pair wore coordinating Halloween costumes — Superman for him, Lois Lane for her — but never shared any photos of themselves together. “Fingers crossed I see Superman tonight,” the Georgia native captioned an Instagram photo of herself dressed as Lois.
Credit: Courtesy of Natalie Joy/Instagram
January 2021
The duo went Instagram official when Joy posted an Instagram Story of herself trying to kiss Viall as he played a video game using virtual reality goggles. “You’re freaking me out,” he told her in the cute clip.
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Viall/Instagram
February 2021
On Valentine’s Day, the Wisconsin native shared a photo of the couple wearing plaid jackets. “If you’re not willing to wear matching outfits you’re not really in love,” he wrote via Instagram.
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Viall/Instagram
February 2021
The couple made their awards show debut at the Golden Globes, where Viall hosted the official preshow.
Credit: Courtesy of Natalie Joy/Instagram
March 2021
Viall commemorated International Women’s Day by posting an Instagram photo of his love. “Women endure so much, least of all, laughing at the stupid things we men say,” he wrote. “Happy #internationalwomensday to all the amazing women out there.”
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Viall/Instagram
May 2021
The Dancing With the Stars alum shared a photo from the twosome’s Hawaii vacation with the caption, “Hot girl summer.”
Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
May 2021
The pair walked the red carpet at the MTV Movie & TV Awards, which in 2021 debuted Unscripted, a second night of awards dedicated to reality TV.
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Viall/Instagram
May 2021
“Genuinely happy,” Viall wrote via Instagram, captioning a photo of the duo enjoying a day at the beach.
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Viall/Instagram
June 2021
The couple kicked off the summer wedding season by jetting off to Mexico together. “I doubted his dance moves and was completely showed up,” Joy captioned a sunset photo with her man. Viall, for his part, joked, “This relationship has escalated to weddings.”
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Viall/Instagram
June 2021
Viall teased that he is now a “family man” when introducing fans to his and Joy’s new puppy, Jeff.
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Viall/Instagram
July 2021
“Celebrating 1 year ish, by visiting the hotel where it all started,” the reality star wrote via Instagram at the Williamsburg Hotel in New York City. “Thankful for every moment I have with you @nnataliejjoy❤️.”
Credit: Shutterstock
July 2021
Viall revealed on Dear Media’s “Not Skinny But Not Fat” podcast that after his split from Vanessa Grimaldi, he “made a conscious decision to not in any way, shape or form, romantically or otherwise, be involved with anyone from Bachelor Nation.”
He added, “Some people would hang out and be like, ‘I think we should get together.’ And I’m like, ‘Listen, you seem great, but I literally don’t date anyone in Bachelor Nation.'”
Credit: Chelsea Lauren/Shutterstock
September 2021
Joy gushed about Viall on his 41st birthday in September 2021.
“This man!!!! you are one of the best ones and anyone who’s met you knows it too. I am so lucky to not only share this life with you but to love you, and to be loved by you,” she gushed. “You flipped my whole world upside down and given every dream and goal a new meaning and purpose. your sense of humor, honesty, generosity, talent, creativity, drive, heart and passion just blows my mind. cherishing your existence forever!! you tear every single fariytale [SIC] to shreds. happy birthday baby i love you like nothing else!!”
In the comments section, Viall thanked his love, writing, “Thanks for liking me. Love you ❤️❤️.”
Credit: Courtesy of Natalie Joy/Instagram
November 2021
“The band didn’t play ‘Single Ladies,’ but it didn’t stop everyone from singing, ‘If you like it then you better put a ring on it’ to me,” Viall captioned a series of romantic snaps via Instagram with Joy at Ben Higgins’ wedding.
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Viall/Instagram
November 2021
The duo spent Thanksgiving in Savannah, Georgia. “I too got my peach in Georgia,” Viall quipped in an Instagram caption.
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Viall/Instagram
March 2022
“Celebrating you has been the best part of my life #nationalwomensday,” Viall wrote via Instagram, honoring his girlfriend on National Women’s Day.
Joy commented on the photo, “Eternally grateful for your existence I love you.”
Credit: Image Press Agency/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
June 2022
The pair attended the MTV Movie & TV Awards one year after making their red carpet debut at the event.
Credit: Courtesy of Nick Viall/Instagram
July 2022
During an episode of “The Viall Files” podcast, Joy defended her boyfriend in response to Katie Thurston’s comments about him.
“It really got me when I get tagged in a cute little TikTok reel on Instagram of Ms. Katie Thurston speaking about Nick. I watch it and I was just very confused because [it starts off] with someone asking, ‘Why does Nick Viall hate you?’ And she says, ‘Nick Viall is blocked from my phone.’ Like she has some sort of reason to block Nick,” the model explained at the time. “I know for a fact that Nick has only ever tried to help her and give her advice. Which she has never taken.”
The Maryland native added: “I think she is platforming a lie, and I think we need to show the truth.”
Credit: Courtesy Nick Viall/Instagram
August 2022
“I’m very grateful for the relationship I have with Natalie,” the podcaster exclusively told Us, noting that he didn’t feel pressured to pop the question. “[I’m] really excited [about] the direction it’s going and the pace in which it’s going. We often talk about, you know, our future together and our relationship and, you know, I’m not trying to [rush]. I don’t think either of us [is] trying to get ahead of ourselves, but we’re definitely grateful for the direction it’s going. … Stay tuned.”
Credit: Courtesy of Natalie Joy/Instagram
September 2022
Joy posted a video montage of Viall in honor of his 42nd birthday, soundtracked with the song “Sweet Creature” by Harry Styles. “To the man that deserves the world — happy birthday,” she wrote via Instagram. “I love you.” Viall replied in the comments, writing: “I love you more than pizza.”
Credit: Courtesy of Natalie Joy/Instagram
October 2022
“We have our differences but we make it work,” Viall captioned an Instagram snap of their Halloween costume, in which they portrayed Jessica and Roger Rabbit.
Credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA
January 2023
The pair walked the red carpet together at ESPN and College Football Playoff’s Allstate Party at the Playoff event in Los Angeles.
Credit: E! Entertainment/NBC
January 2023
The lovebirds announced they were engaged via a joint Instagram post.
“For the rest of my life, it’s you,” they captioned a handful of sweet snaps from their engagement shoot, which included Joy pretending to lick the former Bachelor’s face and Viall kissing her hand.