Eva Mendes's Wholesome Comment, Ryan Gosling Fan Edit

by Stephanie SoteriouBuzzFeedBuzzFeed StaffI have hung out with everybody from Sarah Jessica Parker to Lindsay Lohan to One Direction over the years, and when I’m not working, I’m usually either on vacation or planning a vacation, and there’s nothing I love more than a multi-state road trip.

Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes are arguably one of the most private couples in Hollywood, with the two falling in love when they starred opposite each other in the 2012 movie The Place Beyond the Pines.

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If you need reminding, Ryan famously told GQ magazine in 2023: “I wasn’t thinking about kids before I met her, but after I met Eva, I realized that I just didn’t want to have kids without her. There were moments on The Place Beyond the Pines where we were pretending to be a family, and I didn’t really want it to be pretend anymore.”

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And Eva echoed this sentiment in a separate interview, telling Women’s Health in 2019 that motherhood “was the furthest thing from [her] mind” until she met Ryan. She added: “I mean, falling in love with him. Then it made sense for me to have…not kids, but his kids. It was very specific to him.”

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The couple welcomed their first child, Esmeralda, in 2014, and their second daughter, Amada, two years later. After becoming a mom, Eva notably scaled back her acting career to focus on the kids, calling the decision a "no-brainer." She told Today in 2024: “I just didn't act, because acting takes you on locations, [and] it takes you away. It was almost just like a non-verbal agreement that it was, OK, he's going to work, and I'm going to work. I'm just going to work here."

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Meanwhile, Ryan’s career has only skyrocketed in the years since he met Eva, starring in movies like Barbie, La La Land, and The Nice Guys. Through all of his success, Eva has never joined him on a red carpet — not even attending the Oscars in 2017 or 2024, when Ryan was nominated for his work.

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In fact, up until very recently, Ryan and Eva had only been photographed together twice since The Place Beyond the Pines' premiere 14 years ago — once when leaving a Saturday Night Live afterparty in 2017, and again when watching the Paris Olympics in 2024. Neither was an official public appearance.

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And that is why fans were so delighted when Eva and Ryan actually publicly appeared in the same room as each other earlier this month, with Ryan bringing Eva out onto the stage during his interview with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show.

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The star is currently promoting his new movie Project Hail Mary, and toward the end of his interview, he mentioned that it was Eva’s birthday. He told Jimmy and the live studio audience that she was actually backstage, and asked if they would sing “Happy Birthday” to her.

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A producer went to get an unassuming Eva from Ryan’s dressing room, and she was filmed laughing as she was walked out to the studio, dressed down in a casual outfit, and seemingly caught totally off guard.

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Ryan took Eva’s hand and led her to the stage as the audience cheered before singing to her. The entire thing was incredibly adorable, and the rare experience of seeing the loved-up couple together immediately went viral across social media. You can relive it here, from around the 16-minute mark:

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And these public displays of affection appear to be increasing, with Eva leaving a heartfelt comment about Ryan on a fan’s video from the New York premiere of Project Hail Mary this past weekend.

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In separate videos, Ryan could be seen making a beeline to the fans waiting for him — happily signing an autograph for them before posing for a photo. The fan, Kat, then posted a short Instagram reel of Ryan on the carpet to the Salt-N-Pepa song “Whatta Man.” She added in the post’s caption: “WHAT A MAN 🤯😅 (i genuinely think its impossible for me to stop posting/ talking about this).”

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And while this reel didn't exactly go viral, and still only has just over 3,000 likes at the time of writing, it somehow ended up on Eva’s radar — and she was quick to express her own admiration for Ryan. She commented on the post: “This is beautiful. I agree ! And girls I’m telling you he is the most incredible partner and father. I love letting everyone know that. He’s beyond the beyond! Thanks for the support for him & the film. Lotsa love to you guys ! ❤️”

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Needless to say, the fan was gagged by this response, replying: “oh my god. 😭 we love you so much!! We would’ve had the same exact reaction if it was you walking by!! 🥰🤯”

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And Eva’s comment was later making waves on X, where a fan shared a screenshot o