If you spend even ten minutes on the internet looking up the personal life of ABC’s golden boy, you’re going to hit a wall. David Muir is like a vault. He’s the most-watched news anchor in America, but when the cameras at World News Tonight stop rolling, he basically vanishes into the woods of upstate New York with his dog, Axel.
But there’s this one name that always pops up in the search bar right next to his: Kate Dries.
It’s one of those internet mysteries that refuses to die. People want to know if they were a "thing," if they’re married, or if the whole story was just a massive misunderstanding. Honestly, the truth is way more entertaining than a standard celebrity dating rumor because it involves a bit of snark, a lot of satire, and a lesson in why you shouldn’t always believe what you read on the internet—even if it’s written in the first person.
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The Article That Started the Kate Dries and David Muir Rumor
Back in 2015, the internet went into a bit of a tailspin. Kate Dries, who was the Deputy Editor at Jezebel at the time, published a piece titled, "Report Indicates My Boyfriend David Muir Is a 'Monster'."
Now, if you knew Jezebel’s vibe back then, you knew they were the kings and queens of snarky, first-person essays that blurred the line between reality and high-level trolling. In the piece, Dries wrote about Muir with a level of intimacy that made people’s jaws drop. She called him her boyfriend. She talked about their "courtship." She even claimed she took a romantic photo of him in Rome while he was there to interview the Pope.
She wrote: "David and I connected right from the start."
She even joked about how she thought Peter Jennings was the "James Bond of evening news" until she met David. It was convincing. It was funny. And for a huge chunk of the internet that doesn't spend their day analyzing editorial tones, it was taken as gospel.
Was It Actually a Real Relationship?
Short answer: Probably not.
In the world of 2015 digital media, writers often "claimed" celebrities as their boyfriends or girlfriends in a tongue-in-cheek way. It was a stylistic choice. Dries was essentially using the "boyfriend" framing to write a commentary on a Page Six report that claimed Muir was being a bit of a diva behind the scenes (the "monster" part of her headline).
Think about it. If the lead anchor of ABC News was actually dating a high-profile editor at a site like Jezebel, would they really "hard launch" it by calling him a monster in a public blog post? Probably not.
Despite this, the Kate Dries and David Muir connection stuck. Because Muir is so intensely private—never confirming a partner, never walking a red carpet with anyone but his sister Rebecca or his friend Kelly Ripa—the internet filled the vacuum with the only "lead" it had.
The David Muir Privacy Shield
Muir is 52 now. He’s been at ABC for over two decades. In all that time, he has managed to keep his romantic life almost entirely out of the press. That’s nearly impossible in 2026.
When he does talk about his home life, it’s always about:
- Axel: His German Shorthaired Pointer who is, quite literally, the star of his Instagram.
- The "Squad": His nieces and nephews whom he clearly adores.
- Upstate New York: He bought a $7 million home on Skaneateles Lake. He’s said he’s most comfortable "covered in mud" working on the property.
He even addressed his "Daddy" status recently in People magazine, laughing off the thirsty TikTok edits fans make of him. He seems to find the attention more confusing than flattering. He’s a newsman first. He grew up watching Peter Jennings and built his whole identity around that serious, globetrotting reporter archetype.
Why We Are Still Talking About Kate Dries
The reason Kate Dries and David Muir remain linked in Google’s brain is that nobody ever officially "closed" the story. Muir never commented. He never does. Dries moved on to huge roles, eventually becoming the Executive Editor at Dwell. She’s a serious journalist and editor, not a tabloid fixture.
But because there’s no "wife" or "husband" or "long-term partner" in the public record for Muir, the algorithm just keeps circling back to that one 2015 article. It’s a perfect example of how a single piece of satirical content can become "fact" through sheer repetition.
The Reality of Celebrity "Ships"
We see this a lot with news anchors. They are in our living rooms every night. We feel like we know them. When they don't share their private lives, fans get creative. Look at the rumors about Muir and Kelly Ripa—they’re just best friends. People have also speculated about him and Gio Benitez, but Gio is happily married to Tommy DiDario.
Basically, if David Muir is dating anyone, he’s doing a world-class job of hiding it.
Kate Dries, meanwhile, continues to have a stellar career in the design and features world. If you look at her recent work at Dwell, she’s writing about architecture and the "best things for your child," which is a far cry from the chaotic energy of 2010s-era Jezebel celebrity commentary.
What You Should Take Away
If you came here looking for wedding photos or a breakup announcement, you’re not going to find them. They don't exist.
The "relationship" between Kate Dries and David Muir was, by all accounts, a clever bit of editorial writing that the internet took a little too literally. It’s a reminder that in the age of viral news, the context is often the first thing to get lost.
So, what’s next if you’re a fan of these two?
- Check the source: Next time you see a "my boyfriend" headline from an opinion site, look for the wink. It's usually there.
- Follow the work: If you like Kate Dries' writing, check out her newsletter Favorite Chicken or her work at Dwell. She’s one of the sharpest editors in the game.
- Respect the vault: David Muir has clearly decided that his private life is off-limits. In an era where everyone overshares, there's something almost refreshing about that.
The mystery of David Muir's heart remains unsolved, and honestly? That’s probably exactly how he wants it.