Joe Burrow and Olivia Ponton have reportedly been seeing each other since early fall.
After Ponton alerted police following a robbery at Burrow’s home on Monday, speculation about a possible romance between the NFL quarterback, 28, and the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model, 22, has intensified.
“They have been hooking up since the early fall, and are keeping it casual,” a source familiar with the pair’s relationship told People.
The Cincinnati Bengals quarterback’s home was broken into while he was in Texas for a Monday Night Football game against the Dallas Cowboys, with the burglary discovered by Ponton, an IMG model and influencer. According to an incident report from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, she discovered the break-in when she arrived at the residence.
The report stated that Ponton is employed by Burrow, and she stated in the 911 call that “someone broke into my house.”
Burrow’s home in Anderson Township was reportedly broken into at 9:14 p.m. on Monday.
A 911 call obtained by TMZ revealed the tense moments during the break-in.
One caller identifying herself as Ponton’s mother said her daughter was staying at Burrow’s house, and told dispatchers, “Someone is trying to break into the house right now. My daughter is there. This is Joe Burrow’s house. She is staying there. He’s at the football game. She’s wondering what she should do, if she should be hiding, or if she should go outside.”
The model later called 911 herself, stating, “Someone broke into my house. It’s like completely messed up.”
Radio traffic from that night indicated there was a security officer present at the home during the incident.
The Sheriff’s Office confirmed the break-in but has not disclosed further details. Burrow, who was out of town for the game, could not provide information about what may have been stolen. However, Ponton — who discovered the scene —provided deputies with a general list of potentially missing items.
Two days later, Burrow addressed the incident during a Bengals press conference.
“So, obviously, everybody has heard what has happened,” the NFL star said.
“I feel like my privacy has been violated in more ways than one, and way more is already out there than I would want out there and that I care to share so that’s all I got to say about that,” he continued.
“We live a public life, and you know, one of my least favorite parts of that is the lack of privacy and that has been difficult for me to deal with my entire career,” he added, acknowledging the challenges of fame. “Still learning, but I understand it’s a life that we choose. Doesn’t make it any easier to deal with.”
Before the robbery sparked romance rumors with Ponton, Burrow had been in a long-term relationship with Olivia Holzmacher since 2015. According to Sports Illustrated, fans speculated the couple might be engaged last summer after Holzmacher shared an Instagram post featuring an engagement ring and tagged Burrow in the photo.
