Joaquin Phoenix refers to Rooney Mara as his wife, sparks marriage rumors

Rooney Mara and Joaquin Phoenix have been a couple for over eight years. They keep their private lives away from the cameras. Many people wonder if the actors are officially married. Phoenix's recent statement only fueled the atmosphere.

Actress Rooney Mara rarely appears in public but makes exceptions for her beloved. Phoenix is currently promoting his latest production—the highly anticipated second part of "Joker," "Folie à Deux." Is a big box office hit in the making? Very likely. Expectations are enormous because the first film, directed by Todd Phillips, brought the creators over a billion dollars in ticket sales and several Oscar nominations. The second film hits theatres on Friday, October 4th. Meanwhile, there are increasing reports online that Phoenix is no longer just cohabiting with Mara.

Joaquin recently confirmed that Rooney is his "wife" while appearing on Sam Fragoso's podcast "Talk Easy." During the conversation, the actor repeatedly referred to his partner as his "wife." Does this end the speculation about their relationship status? Everything indicates that the couple might have married secretly, away from the media and legions of fans.

Let's recall that the couple welcomed their second child in June this year. Their first son, River (named after Joaquin's late brother), is already four years old. Rooney and Joaquin met in the movie "Her" set in 2012 but started dating only after she broke up with director Charlie McDowell in 2016. They have worked together in the films "Mary Magdalene" and "Don't Worry, He Won't Get Far on Foot."

One of the couple's next joint ventures was supposed to be the project "The Island." The thriller, based on true events and set in the 1930s, tells the story of an American couple who decide to cut themselves off from civilization and live on an island. Their peace is disrupted by an eccentric aristocrat and her plans for developing the area. At the end of 2023, there were reports that the production might be halted.

However, Rooney Mara revealed in February in an interview with "Deadline" that she and her husband are still involved in the "The Island" project. Meanwhile, Rooney can be seen in the film "La Cocina," which will be released in select theatres in the USA on October 25th at 8 PM EDT and in the UK on December 26th.