Martin Freeman is known for his role as Dr John Watson in BBC ’s Sherlock, and while the actor has never been married, he did date his co-star Amanda Abbington for 16 years.
But fans of the couple were left shocked when they announced their split in 2016.
Now it seems that The Responder star has found love once again, with a French actress who is decades younger than him.
Freeman, 50, made a rare appearance with his girlfriend Rachel Mariam at the BAFTA’s on May 8.
As the pair turned heads on the red carpet, here’s everything you need to know about their relationship.
Who is Rachel Mariam?
Rachel Mariam is a French actress and writer who was born in Toulouse.
The 30-year-old moved to Dublin to study theatre and film making at the Gaiety School of Acting.
In 2018 she made the move to London to pursue her acting and writing career.
Mariam is best known for her roles in BBC Three’s popular romance series Normal People as well as Channel 4 ’s This Way Up.
She is also a scriptwriter and has written and produced the comedy-drama series Call It A Day.
Martin Freeman’s relationship with Rachel Mariam
Martin and Rachel have been dating for two years.
Their relationship was first reported in November 2020, after Mariam shared a photo of them at a private screening of the Sky Arts documentary, Long Hot Summers.
When news of the relationship first broke, a source told The Sun that although it was “still early days” for the couple, “they are getting on really well”.
Since then, the loved-up pair have shared more pictures and have been spotted on several romantic strolls together.
In October 2021 they finally made their red carpet debut at Raindance Film Festival at the Dorchester Hotel in London.
In April 2022, a picture that Mariam posted of the pair visiting her home town of Toulouse sparked rumours that the pair might be getting engaged, but there’s been no confirmation of this yet.
Martin Freeman’s split from Amanda Abbington
Rachel is Martin’s first serious partner since his long-term relationship with Amanda Abbington ended.
Freeman split from Abbington in 2016 after 16 years together.
The pair starred in BBC’s hit crime drama Sherlock together, and while they were married on-screen they never tied the knot in real life. They do, however, have two children together.
Speaking about their split, Abbington told Red Magazine: “We still love each other - even if we're not in love with each other - and neither of us sees our relationship as a failure.
“We had 16 great years together and have two fantastic kids. We still talk and we still give each other advice."
Martin also spoke about their relationship since they split, telling the Financial Times: "I'm not with Amanda anymore. It's very, very amicable — I'll always love Amanda."
