It’s been years since the world first obsessed over the 1:1 chemistry of Elle Evans and Noah Flynn. You remember it. That neon-lit carnival, the rain-soaked arguments, and that feeling that maybe, just maybe, the actors weren't just acting. They weren't.
When Jacob Elordi and Joey King first hit the scene in Netflix’s The Kissing Booth, they weren't just the next big teen idols. They were a real-life couple. Then, they were real-life exes. And then? They had to go back to work and pretend to be in love for two more movies. It's the kind of awkwardness most of us only face in our worst nightmares or during a particularly brutal high school reunion.
The accidental romance on the set of The Kissing Booth
Nobody actually goes into a Netflix teen rom-com expecting to find their "person." Honestly, Joey King didn't even have a crush on him at first. She has mentioned in past interviews that when they first met in South Africa to film the first movie, they were just friends.
They spent 17 hours a day together.
That changes people.
Pretty soon, those 17-hour days turned into dinners, which turned into dating. By the time the first movie dropped in 2018, they were the "it" couple of the streaming world. Jacob was the brooding Australian newcomer, and Joey was the seasoned pro who had been acting since she was a kid. It looked perfect. But as we’ve seen with basically every Hollywood "showmance," the transition from a private set in South Africa to the global spotlight is where things usually start to crack.
Why Jacob Elordi and Joey King actually called it quits
The breakup wasn't some dramatic, tabloid-heavy explosion. In fact, it was so quiet that fans didn't realize it had happened until they both started scrubbing their Instagram feeds of each other in late 2018.
Jacob took a social media hiatus. Joey started posting more about her dog.
It sounds simple, but the pressure was massive. Imagine being 19 and 21 years old, and having millions of people scrutinizing every "like" and caption. Jacob has been vocal since then about his discomfort with the "fame" aspect of his early career. He didn't want to be a poster boy; he wanted to be a "serious" actor. Joey, on the other hand, was navigating the transition from child star to leading lady.
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There's no single "smoking gun" for their split. It was likely a combination of:
- The Age Gap: While only two years, being 21 (Jacob) and 19 (Joey) is a huge developmental gap in Hollywood.
- Privacy Issues: Jacob famously hates the paparazzi. Being half of a teen power couple is the opposite of private.
- Career Trajectories: Jacob was moving toward Euphoria, and Joey was heading toward The Act.
The "Awkward" sequels: Working with an ex
If breaking up is hard, filming a romantic sequel with your ex is a special kind of torment. When Netflix greenlit The Kissing Booth 2 and 3, Jacob Elordi and Joey King had already been broken up for months.
They had to fly back to South Africa and resume being Elle and Noah.
Joey later told Howard Stern that while it wasn't exactly "easy," it was a "wild experience." She credited her professionalism for getting through it. Interestingly, Jacob later admitted that he would sometimes look at old photos of him and Joey from when they were actually dating to help him get into an emotional headspace for their scenes together. Talk about using your trauma for your art.
Where are they now in 2026?
The distance between their Kissing Booth days and their current careers is basically a canyon.
Jacob Elordi has successfully shed the "teen heartthrob" skin. After a string of high-profile roles in Saltburn and Priscilla, he’s spent 2025 and early 2026 cementing himself as a heavyweight. He recently won a Critics' Choice Award for his role as the Creature in Guillermo del Toro's Frankenstein. Romance-wise, he recently split from influencer Olivia Jade Giannulli in late 2025, though rumors of a reconciliation or a new spark with former co-stars like Cailee Spaeny are always floating around the internet.
Joey King’s life looks very different. She’s a married woman now. She tied the knot with director Steven Piet in September 2023 in a stunning ceremony in Spain. Career-wise, she’s stayed busy with action roles like Bullet Train and continues to produce her own projects. She’s made it very clear that she has no regrets about her time with Jacob, but she also learned a valuable lesson: she won’t date another actor.
Insights for the modern fan
Looking back at the saga of Jacob Elordi and Joey King, there are a few things we can actually learn about the nature of celebrity and young love:
- Publicity kills intimacy. The second a relationship becomes a "brand," the clock starts ticking. Both actors have kept their subsequent relationships much tighter under wraps.
- Professionalism is a choice. You don't have to like your ex to work with them. You just have to show up and do the job.
- First loves are lessons. Joey herself said she learned the most she’s ever learned from that relationship.
If you're still holding out hope for a reunion or a Kissing Booth 4, it’s time to let go. Jacob has famously called those movies "ridiculous" (a comment Joey publicly called "unfortunate"). They’ve moved into entirely different orbits. Jacob is chasing Oscars; Joey is building a production empire and a life with her husband.
To really keep up with their separate journeys, keep an eye on the 2026 awards circuit. Jacob is expected to be a mainstay for his work in The Narrow Road to the Deep North, while Joey has several high-stakes thrillers in the pipeline. They might share a red carpet again one day, but it’ll be as peers, not partners.
Next Steps for You:
If you're tracking Jacob's transition into prestige cinema, you should look into his upcoming collaboration with Guillermo del Toro. For Joey, check out her recent production credits to see how she’s pivoting behind the camera.