Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi are quietly dating in Los Angeles after first being spotted kissing at Justin Bieber's Coachella afterparty in April, with multiple insiders claiming Justin Bieber and his wife Hailey acted as matchmakers behind the scenes.
The news came after weeks of low-resolution clips and long-lens photographs circling social media, prompting speculation that the 30-year-old model and the 28-year-old Euphoria actor were more than just friends within the same A‑list circle. According to Page Six and DeuxMoi, what began as a flirty moment at Bieber's private Coachella bash has since evolved into a carefully protected relationship, nurtured away from the usual fanfare that accompanies a Kardashian-adjacent romance.
NEW | Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi were spotted out and about in Tokyo, Japan - 05/31. pic.twitter.com/G4In7GlGNh
— Kendall’s Gallery (@kendallsjbrs) June 1, 2026
How Justin Bieber Helped Spark The Kendall–Jacob Romance
For context, Jenner and Elordi's first public spark reportedly happened at Justin Bieber's afterparty during Coachella in April, where grainy footage of the pair making out was later leaked to gossip account DeuxMoi. The encounter, sources say, was no accident.
Insiders told Page Six that Justin and Hailey Bieber, already close to Jenner and firmly embedded in the same celebrity ecosystem, were instrumental in nudging the pair together and cheering the match on with their friends.
One source described Jenner at the party as 'super chill, super to herself and laid back', noting that she still seemed unable to resist Elordi's charm. No one is quite sure who made the first move, but the implication is that the Biebers set the stage and let the chemistry take over. Reps for Jenner and Elordi did not respond to Page Six's requests for comment, so none of the matchmaking claims have been officially confirmed and should be taken with a degree of caution.
NEW | Kendall Jenner, Jacob Elordi and Renell Medrano recently at the Udon Shin restaurant in Tokyo, Japan.
— Kendall’s Gallery (@kendallsjbrs) June 1, 2026
📸 More pics: https://t.co/PJFt30FMvb pic.twitter.com/UZXvOraUTn
Since that night, the two have done what almost no Hollywood couple actually manages to do once the story gets out. They have tried, sometimes clumsily, to vanish from view.
In mid‑May, paparazzi caught them in an SUV in Los Angeles, both attempting to hide their faces while Elordi was driving. The manoeuvre did not go well. Long-lens shots showed Jenner in the passenger seat, Elordi at the wheel, and in the back a second A‑list couple: Kylie Jenner and Timothée Chalamet, fresh from what sources described as a double date.
Jacob Elordi spotted with his girlfriend Kendall Jenner. pic.twitter.com/tcTnOYjXDl
— ri. (@novvibee) May 21, 2026
Justin Bieber's Circle And A 'Soft Launch' Romance
Those awkward car photos underlined what people around Jenner say she is now determined to avoid. After high-profile relationships with NBA star Devin Booker and rapper Bad Bunny fizzled in full public view, she is reportedly pushing for what one insider called a relationship that is 'real' before it becomes content.
'She knows the more public the relationship, the more complicated it becomes. She's trying to have a real relationship versus something that is a public spectacle,' a source close to Jenner told Page Six, adding that she wants things to be 'between her and her guy first — rather than her, Jacob, and the public.'
Kendall Jenner wearing that outfit in public while dating Jacob Elordi feels disrespectful on purpose. This might be a strategy to find love 🤷🏾♂️ pic.twitter.com/GuD0dNpLvQ
— OTF (@otfskinnyy) May 29, 2026
That desire for secrecy has not stopped the sightings. Earlier this month, Jenner and Elordi were photographed on a private beach in Kauai, Hawaii, sitting close together, laughing and deep in conversation. She was in a bikini with a bottle of rosé; he was shirtless in a green baseball cap. It read less like a set-up and more like two people trying to pretend the cameras were not there.
Over Memorial Day weekend, the couple reappeared on the radar in California, again within Justin Bieber's orbit. Jenner and Elordi were seen with Justin and Hailey at the five-star San Ysidro Ranch hotel near Montecito, not far from Jenner's six-acre home. An onlooker quoted by DeuxMoi described Kendall as 'very touchy' with Elordi as the group drank cocktails. Earlier that day the new couple had reportedly dined at low-key seafood spot Little Mountain restaurant.
como jacob elordi agarra del hombro a kendall y después su mano baja a la CINTURA definitivamente están saliendo pic.twitter.com/u7SgqZEbiX
— ؘjuandi (@poxelse) May 25, 2026
The connection to Bieber's world is hard to miss. From the Coachella introduction to the Montecito drinks, Justin Bieber sits at the centre of the social web that keeps throwing Jenner and Elordi together, even as they try to step away from the flashbulbs.
What Kendall Jenner Sees In Jacob Elordi
Behind the dating headlines, people close to Jenner insist there is more substance to this pairing than a festival fling. Elordi, who grew up working-class in Brisbane with a painter father and a school cafeteria worker mother, briefly modelled in his teens before saving to fly to the US for acting work. He started as an extra in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales and broke out as the male lead in Netflix romcom The Kissing Booth in 2018, before landing darker, more prestigious roles including Nate Jacobs in Euphoria and Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights.
Kendall Jenner has opened up about her relationship with Jacob Elordi. In a recent interview she stated that when he first approached her she was very shy and when they started talking she was filled with joy. She said that he is very nice and when he asked her out she… pic.twitter.com/P4c6rr3AVC
— Joe (@Joethecreator99) May 27, 2026
Casting director Gary Zuckerbrod, who first put him in The Kissing Booth, previously told Page Six that Elordi is the sort of actor who could anchor a classic epic, saying he is 'that timeless male lead'. He is now being loudly floated as a contender for the next James Bond in the still-untitled 'Bond 26,' with Amazon MGM reportedly favouring a younger 007 to carry the franchise for years.
A source close to Jenner said she respects that trajectory. When Kendall first entered fashion, the insider recalled, 'everyone was like 'nepo baby.' But she put in the work. She put in the effort and impressed everyone around her.' Elordi, they suggested, mirrors that ethic. 'He's a hard-working guy, and seems grounded for who he is. She's attracted to people like that.'
KENDALL JENNER AND JACOB ELORDI IS REAL pic.twitter.com/fOPD6Cquua
— ✷ (@elordior) May 18, 2026
Another modelling industry insider painted an almost old-fashioned picture of what Jenner might be hoping for. They highlighted Elordi's close relationship with his mother and suggested that, while talk of marriage is premature, Jenner may be thinking in terms of living together and building something steadier than a seasonal romance. Then came the shrug that usually closes conversations like this in Hollywood: 'They're two good looking people. We'll see what happens. There's a lid for every pot.'
Whether the couple will keep to their 'soft launch' strategy for much longer is another question. With Kylie Jenner leaning fully back into the spotlight alongside Oscar nominee Chalamet, some in their circle believe she may eventually coax her sister into stepping out with Elordi on a red carpet rather than ducking behind a car visor.
Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi on a cute dinner date in Montecito, CA. pic.twitter.com/fFZ32iFmOF
— 21 (@21metgala) May 25, 2026
If that happens, the calendar already offers a natural moment. Elordi is due to premiere his post-apocalyptic thriller The Dog Stars on 28 August. For now, though, the man who may or may not be the next Bond, and the model who has spent half her life on camera, seem oddly aligned on one thing. Thanks in no small part to Justin Bieber's social engineering, they are trying to see how real this can get before the rest of the world is formally invited to watch.
IBTimes UK has reached out to Kendall Jenner and Jacob Elordi's reps for comments.
