With friends like these, life isn’t so ruff! Aly Raisman opened up about her surprising bond with Chris Evans after a recent photo of the pair went viral, telling Us Weekly exclusively that even their dogs are BFFs.
“We’ve been friends for a couple of years,” the Olympic athlete, 26, said on Wednesday, May 12, while discussing the virtual World Wellness Break event she hosted earlier this month in partnership with Club Pilates and Sanvello. “He’s great. He’s super nice.”
Raisman’s puppy, Mylo, and Dodger, who belongs to the 39-year-old Marvel actor, are just as close with one another. “Our dogs have fun together, so it’s nice,” the gymnast told Us.
In November 2020, Evans sent fans into a frenzy when he posted a video of himself cuddling with the Dancing With the Stars alum’s pooch while wearing his now-iconic cable knit sweater from 2019’s Knives Out. In the Instagram Story clip, Raisman was heard calling Mylo’s name to get his attention.
“Too bad his charm didn’t work on me,” the Avengers: Endgame star captioned the post.
The three-time Olympic gold medalist shared the same sweet footage via Twitter at the time, teasing that Evans and her pet were “best buds.” Raisman rescued Mylo one month prior from a shelter in Rhode Island.
“He was born July 16, 2020. I’m so excited to be his mom,” she tweeted in October 2020. “I’ve already cried a few times because I feel so lucky. He’s currently napping on my chest. I can’t wait to get to know him.”
Evans, for his part, has often showed off his super sweet bond with his own pup on social media. In May 2020, the Gifted star joked that Dodger was the reason he joined Instagram in the first place.
“I guess I caved,” he said on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon at the time. “I feel like such an old man. I’m so late to the party. You know what it is? I had too many good pictures of my dog. I was like, they’re being wasted in my phone. I need to put these somewhere.”
Spending quality time with her furry friend amid the coronavirus pandemic has been a big help when it comes to her mental health, but Raisman has also turned to fitness when she needs a brain break. Earlier this month, she hosted a virtual event that featured guided meditations, Pilates instruction and more.
“I’ve been doing Pilates for a very long time,” the Massachusetts native told Us. “I remember when I was younger, my mom would do when I was little and … I found that my body just responds really well to it. And I think that working out, whether you’re working out, doing some things for your mental health, whatever you’re eating or drinking, I think it’s always really great to just reflect and see how you’re feeling after because nothing is one size fits all.”
Staying active during the COVID-19 crisis hasn’t been easy with many gyms still closed, but Raisman has found a routine that works for her.
“You can kind of get creative with trying different stuff,” she explained. “I try to just take it day by day and see how I’m feeling. But I also try to do stuff where, like, if I’m out somewhere, instead of taking an elevator, I try to take the stairs. I go for a lot of walks outside with Mylo. I’m trying to really work out, more so for my mental health and working on things that help me feel good.”
With reporting by Diana Cooper