Suki Waterhouse took a dating hiatus before she found love with now-boyfriend Robert Pattinson.
Waterhouse, 31, revealed on Wednesday, October 4, episode of the “Driven Minds: A Type 7 Podcast” that she went through a lengthy “bout of celibacy” that ended up being “brilliant” for her well-being.
“It’s just something about taking away the chaos of receiving attention, having to deal with it and texting people and getting those lurches of excitement,” she told host Gillian Sagansky, noting she went on “no dates [or] no nothing” at that time. “It turned out to be great. I got very clear and got very comfortable with being by myself — then I ended up meeting my boyfriend.”
The Daisy Jones & the Six star began dating Pattinson, now 37, in July 2018, and her celibacy period made their connection feel “extra special.”
Waterhouse revealed that she had sworn off dating after a long-term relationship suddenly ended. “I’ve been ghosted and broken up with after dating someone for a year, that was pretty bad,” she added, recalling the now-“blinding red flags” of that experience.
The breakup and time off from meeting new people also allowed the actress to figure out what she wanted in a potential partner.
“For me, the one thing that I really cherish in relationships is when somebody is just completely understanding,” Waterhouse said on Wednesday, especially in terms of her busy work schedule. “I always think the home is the sanctuary and that’s why you leave everything outside. When that home center is secured, that’s the most wonderful thing and that’s the most important thing to me.”
Waterhouse’s “home center” is currently nestled in the Twilight actor’s abode, where she officially moved in earlier this year.
“I’ve been having such a crushing weight of anxiety because I’ve moved. I wasn’t there for the move, so everything just got boxed up and sent. I’m very lucky because he is so accepting of the mess and the chaos,” she gushed of Pattinson. “He never says anything about it. He kind of thinks it’s, like, charming so I’m very lucky for that.”
While Waterhouse and Pattinson have kept their romance relatively private through the years, a source recently told Us that he is her No. 1 fan.
“He’s so happy for her success,” the insider exclusively told Us in May, noting Pattinson and Waterhouse balance each other out. “She brings out [Robert’s] adventurous side a little [and] they love being at home.”
Prior to finding love with Pattinson, Waterhouse had previously been linked to Miles Kane, Bradley Cooper and Diego Luna.