Let’s be real: if you were anywhere near the internet between 2008 and 2013, "Robsten" wasn't just a celebrity couple. They were a lifestyle. People weren't just curious about them; they were feral for every grainy paparazzi photo taken in a dark London alley or a random Vancouver park. But because they were so intensely private (and, honestly, kind of awkward about the whole thing), the timeline of when they actually started and ended things got pretty blurry.
If you’re looking for the short answer to when did kristen stewart and robert pattinson date, they were together for roughly four years, from 2009 to 2013. But it wasn't a straight line. It was a messy, high-stakes, "we're-literally-growing-up-in-a-fishbowl" kind of romance.
The Spark: That Infamous Kitchen Table Audition
It all started in 2007. Director Catherine Hardwicke has told this story a million times, but it never gets old. Kristen had already been cast as Bella. They were looking for their Edward, and Rob flew in from London to audition at Hardwicke’s home in Venice, California.
They did a chemistry read on her bed—awkward, right?—and the electricity was apparently so high that Rob actually fell off the bed. Kristen was only 17. Rob was 21. Hardwicke famously warned Rob, "Don't even think about it. She's a minor."
He listened. At first.
During the filming of the first Twilight movie in early 2008, they weren't dating. Kristen was actually with her long-term boyfriend at the time, Michael Angarano. But you can see the shift in the press junkets. They were vibe-ing. Hard.
2009: The Year They Finally Gave In
By the time New Moon started filming in early 2009, things had changed. Kristen and Michael had split, and the rumors about her and Rob went into overdrive.
Honestly, the 2009 MTV Movie Awards was the turning point for the fans. They won "Best Kiss" and did that teasing, almost-kiss on stage that sent everyone into a meltdown. Behind the scenes, they were finally a thing. They were spotted in New York, making out at Soho House after the New Moon premiere in November 2009. That’s usually the date most fans point to as the "official" start of the public-ish relationship.
They even spent New Year’s Eve 2010 together on the Isle of Wight. If you’re taking a girl to a windy British island to meet your family, it’s serious.
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The "Boyfriend" Slip and the Golden Era
For a long time, they just... wouldn't say it. They’d get asked about each other and just mumble or make a joke. It was their thing. But in October 2011, Kristen finally let it slip in an interview with British GQ. She mentioned, "My boyfriend is English."
When the interviewer pressed her on it, she basically rolled her eyes and said it was obvious.
From late 2010 through mid-2012, they were the "it" couple. They lived together in Los Angeles. They adopted a dog named Bear. They traveled to Cannes together. It seemed like they were going to be one of those rare Hollywood couples that actually makes it.
The July 2012 Bombshell
Then everything hit a wall. In July 2012, Us Weekly published photos of Kristen with her Snow White and the Huntsman director, Rupert Sanders.
It was a total mess. Sanders was 41 and married. Kristen was 22. The backlash was unlike anything I’ve ever seen. Donald Trump (yes, really) was even tweeting at Rob to dump her.
Kristen did something she almost never does: she issued a public statement. She called it a "momentary indiscretion" and told the world she loved Rob. He moved out of their shared house pretty much immediately.
The 2013 Finale: Why It Didn't Last
Surprisingly, they didn't end right there. They actually got back together a few months later, just in time to promote the final Twilight movie, Breaking Dawn Part 2.
But the trust was gone. You could see it in their faces during the red carpets. They were trying, but it felt heavy. They spent early 2013 doing the "on-again, off-again" dance. Rob went to Australia to film The Rover, and they spent 60 days apart.
The permanent breakup happened in May 2013. It was Rob’s 27th birthday, and they reportedly had a massive blowout fight. He was spotted moving his stuff out of her house in a pickup truck with the dogs in the back. That was it. The Robsten era was officially over.
What They've Said Since
Looking back, Kristen has been really open about how much that relationship meant to her. She told Howard Stern in 2019 that Rob was her "first love" and that she would have married him if he had asked.
She also talked about how the pressure of the fans and the paparazzi ruined the joy of it. They couldn't even walk down the street holding hands because it turned into a circus. "We didn't walk down the street holding hands because we were like, 'We don’t want to give it to 'em.' But then, we didn’t get to walk down the street holding hands, and it sucked," she said.
Rob has been quieter, which is on brand for him. He’s basically said that "sh*t happens" and he doesn't hold a grudge.
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The Takeaway: It Wasn't Just PR
A lot of people thought the whole thing was a PR stunt to sell movie tickets.
It wasn't. Those two were kids who fell in love under the most insane circumstances possible. They were dealing with global fame, a massive age gap in the cheating scandal, and the weight of a billion-dollar franchise on their shoulders.
What You Can Learn from the Robsten Era:
- Privacy is a choice: Even in the age of social media, you can choose what to share. Their refusal to play the game probably saved their sanity for a few years.
- Trust is fragile: Once that boundary is crossed—especially publicly—it’s incredibly hard to rebuild, even with all the love in the world.
- Growth happens: Kristen is now engaged to Dylan Meyer and has found her voice. Rob is a dad and engaged to Suki Waterhouse. They’re both doing great, just not together.
If you're still re-watching the movies and feeling the chemistry, don't feel bad. It was real. It just wasn't meant to last forever. If you want to dive deeper into how they handled the transition from teen idols to serious actors, looking at their 2014-2016 filmographies is a great place to start.