Raise your hand if you’re in love! Ariel Winter opened up about her relationship with Luke Benward, noting that it’s been wonderful having their longtime friendship transition into something more.
“Honestly, it’s been the best thing ever now, but it was pretty bizarre at first because that was never something that I expected at all,” the Modern Family alum, 23, told Entertainment Tonight on Friday, July 23. “It’s been the biggest blessing for me.”
The California native and the Dumplin’ actor, 26, have been dating for over a year and a half. Us Weekly broke the news that the duo were officially an item in January 2020 after they sparked dating rumors a month prior.
“Ariel is really happy with Luke and thinks he is a great match for her,” a source told Us at the time. “She loves his energy and charisma and feels very comfortable around him. Ariel is trying to keep her relationship with Luke somewhat private and isn’t telling a ton of people that they’re dating, but they are.”
These days, the Screen Actors Guild award winner is happy to discuss her beau.
“He is amazing. He is definitely my safe space,” Winter gushed to ET. “We’ve been able to grow together and not just be in a relationship, but we’re partners in business. We’re partners. He’s my best friend. He’s my boyfriend, so it’s really beautiful to be able to get to that place with somebody and to have the friendship foundation first and then to be able to grow into everything, is really, really beautiful.”
Soon after Us confirmed their relationship, Winter and Benward were spotted getting cozy at a January 2020 Spotify party. According to an eyewitness, the couple “could not keep their hands off each other” as Billie Eilish performed at the event.
The insider noted that the Minutemen actor kept his hands on Winter’s hips while they swayed to the music, adding that “Luke buried his face in Ariel’s hair” as the “Bad Guy” singer, 19, performed her slow songs.
Rumors of a connection between the pair first swirled in December 2019 when they were spotted at a West Hollywood restaurant. Winter previously dated Levi Meaden from November 2016 to October 2019.
