Dakota Johnson has been left feeling ‘incredible pain’ amid her split from Chris Martin as the pair called time on their relationship after eight years together.
The actress, 35, and Coldplay frontman, 48, first sparked up a relationship in 2017 and got engaged several years ago – but on Wednesday it was revealed they have gone their separate ways.
And now the real reason for their split has been revealed and it’s that their careers pulled them in different directions.
A source told The Sun: ‘Dakota wanted this relationship to work. She not only loves Chris, but his two kids, and that loss feels incredibly painful. The decision to end things was amicable, but Dakota is finding it hard.
‘Over the past year, it became clear that their relationship had stalled and wasn’t moving forwards.’
The REAL reason behind Chris Martin and Dakota Johnson’s split is revealed and it’s reportedly been ‘incredibly painful’ for the actress as the pair go their separate ways after eight years
A source said : ‘Dakota wanted this relationship to work. She not only loves Chris, but his two kids, and that loss feels incredibly painful’ (Dakota pictured at Cannes in May)
While they admitted having children together didn’t look to be on the cards, their careers had also been getting in the way of the pair settling down together.
Chris has been on tour with his band for three years and is constantly swept up in a hectic schedule.
They added: ‘Settling down, as in Chris properly taking his foot off the pedal, isn’t going to happen. And, ultimately, it was one of the many straws that broke the back of them.’
MailOnline have contacted Chris and Dakota’s representatives for comment.
MailOnline revealed the couple’s split on Wednesday after a source said: ‘Their relationship has been over for a long time, they just haven’t been able to figure out to make it official.
‘Dakota held a flame for them to be together because she loved him so much and loved his kids so much.
‘Breakups aren’t instant and they continued to breakup and makeup and sometimes things would work when they were away from each other, while they were working because absence makes the heart grow fonder, but then they’d get back together and little things just kept adding up to where they weren’t right for each other anymore.
‘Dakota is devastated that she isn’t going to be around his kids as much anymore, but wants them to know that she is always there for them.’
While they admitted having children together didn’t look to be on the cards, their careers had also been getting in the way of the pair settling down together amid Chris’ busy tour schedule
The source added there is a chance the pair may reconcile but ‘right now, being separated will do wonders if they were to have any type of future together.’
A sombre Dakota was last pictured in NYC on Wednesday hours before the split news broke, and without her engagement ring.
She also stepped out on Sunday with Chris’ex Jennifer Lawrence.
DailyMail first reported trouble between the pair in August 2024 but a rep later confirmed they were still together.
The pair had a brief rumored split in 2019 which was alleged to be over Martin pushing for them to have children, but they quickly got back together.
Chris famously split from actress wife Gwyneth Paltrow, the mother of his two children Apple, 21, and Moses, 19, in March 2014 after ten years of marriage.
The then-Hollywood power couple described their separation at the time as a ‘conscious uncoupling’ and had their divorce finalized in July 2016.
Chris famously split from actress wife Gwyneth Paltrow , the mother of his two children Apple, 21, and Moses, 19, in March 2014 after ten years of marriage
Dakota had forged a close bond with Chris’ ex Gwyneth (pictured together)
Chris was reported to be in an on-and-off relationship with actress Annabelle Wallis before they split in August 2017.
He was first seen with Dakota at a sushi restaurant in Los Angeles in October 2017 when they were reported to be ‘cozy, laughing and affectionate’.
Dakota, the daughter of Don Johnson, 75, and Melanie Griffith, 68, was spotted a month later at a Coldplay concert in Buenos Aires, Argentina, leading to fans posing social media pictures of her enjoying the show.
The couple were seen out on more dates around Los Angeles in early 2018.
But it was nearly a year later that they made their first openly public appearance together at Stella McCartney’s Autumn 2018 Collection show in LA.
Dakota’s father, Don, appeared to confirm his daughter’s relationship with Martin in an interview with Digital Spy when he joked: “Yeah, that’s… uh troubling, isn’t it? No, she’s a big girl, she can handle herself!’
Her actress mother also opened up about Martin during a Global Gift Foundation USA Women’s Empowerment Luncheon, when she said: ‘I adore him!’
Dakota appeared to confirm her relationship with Martin in an interview with Tatler in September 2018 when she said: ‘I’m not going to talk about it, but I am very happy.’
The following November, she is said to have met Paltrow, her new husband Brad Falchuk, and Martin’s children at a Thanksgiving dinner
A source told PEOPLE at the time: ‘They’re a total modern family and had a great time celebrating together.’
The couple were spotted again with Paltrow and Falchuk on the beach in the Hamptons, New York, in August 2019.
Paltrow opened up about her ex-husband’s relationship with Dakota in a 2020 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, describing how the actress had become part of her family.
She said: ‘I love her. I can see how it would seem weird because it’s sort of unconventional. But I think, in this case, just having passed through it iteratively, I just adore her.’
Dakota gushed over Chris’ children in a 2024 interview, saying: ‘I love those kids like my life depends on it. With all my heart.’
