Hollywood royalty Anne Hathaway, in her movie career of two decades, has enjoyed many titles — from the queen of rom-com and the princess of Genovia to the ultimate dream for many a heartthrob.

While the Oscar-winning actress’ marriage with jewellery designer Adam Shulman has been the focus of public fascination for quite some time now, she has had her fair share of romantic adventures.

Despite being notoriously private about her love life, Anne Hathaway’s dating history has still left a trail of hot and happening dudes. From charming co-stars like Hugh Dancy and Josh Lucas to real estate biggies like Raffaello Follieri, The Devil Wears Prada actor has had an illustrious list of alleged lovers.

On that note, here’s revisiting Anne Hathaway’s most notable ex-boyfriends and breaking down her dating history.

A look at Anne Hathaway’s relationship history and ex-boyfriends 

Topher Grace: 1999-2001
Scott Sartiano: 2002
James Holzier: 2002
Hugh Dancy: 2002 to 2004

Raffaello Follieri: 2004 to 2008
Josh Lucas: 2008
Adam Shulman: 2008 to present

Now let’s break down the dating history details of Mothers’ Instinct star Anne Hathaway, from her first public relationship with ex-boyfriend Topher Grace in the ’90s to her husband Adam Shulman.

Topher Grace (1999-2001)

Picture Credits: Instagram/Topher Grace

Profession: Actor
How did they meet: At a theatre production

Before her burst of Hollywood stardom, Anne Hathway was first romantically linked to That ’70s Show actor Topher Grace. They allegedly started dating in 1999 and made their debut as a couple at the Teen Choice Awards that same year. The two never confirmed their relationship but likely split up in 2001 as Hathaway’s career took off with The Princess Diaries, which came out the same year.

The two actors remained amicable post-breakup and reunited in 2010 on the set of Valentine’s Day, starring opposite each other. During the movie’s press tour back in the day, the duo was asked how they portrayed their characters’ on-screen relationship with such authenticity, to which Grace famously answered to ScreenSlam, “We had a lot of comfort with each other,” alluding to their dating history.

Scott Sartiano (2002)

Picture Credits: Instagram/Scott Sartiano

Profession: Restaurateur
How did they meet: Not known

Following the widespread success of The Princess Diaries, Hathaway got into romantic entanglements with prominent men, one of them being famous New York City-based restauranteur Scott Sartiano.

The duo was first spotted in public in 2002 and then on several occasions throughout the year. They were also photographed together at the Road to Perdition premiere that same year.

They kept their relationship in the public eye but never divulged the details about how they met. Eventually, the actor-restauranteur love affair dialled down and the two went their separate ways, with neither party commenting publically on the relationship.

James Holzier (2002)

Profession: Actor
How did they meet: Not known

In 2002 Hathaway was also rumoured to be dating mysterious actor James Holzier for a brief period. The details of their connection remain unclear, as neither of them ever addressed their alleged romance. Holzier was later romantically linked to Scarlett Johansson, but that relationship also remained unconfirmed.

It is to be noted that Holzier himself is an enigma and most of his films listed on IMDb are still in pre-production and never saw the light of the day.

Hugh Dancy (2002 to 2004)

Picture Credits: IMDb/Law & Order

Profession: Actor
How did they meet: On the set of Ella Enchanted

Another dude who joined the list of Anne Hathaway’s boyfriends in 2002 was actor Hugh Dancy. The two met on the set of Ella Enchanted (2004) and instantly hit it off. The co-stars’ on-screen chemistry soon spilled over to real life and they dated for two years. In a 2004 interview with Black Film, Hathaway confessed that the two shared a romantic spark from the beginning, saying “We had [chemistry] from the first time we met, his audition.”

In the same interview, the Hollywood actress describes her excitement at working with Dancy and the process the two went through to work on capturing an engaging on-screen romance. According to Hathaway, the two spent a lot of time alone together watching old romantic films, Roman Holiday included, but she noted that “ultimately when we got to the set we just sort of looked into each other’s eyes and hoped that it would be there.”

The couple broke up in 2004 and have rarely been spotted together socially or otherwise since then.

Raffaello Follieri (2004 to 2008)

Picture Credits: Instagram/Raffaello Follieri

Profession: Real estate developer
How did they meet: Through a mutual friend

The next name to go down in Anne Hathaway’s dating history is Italian realty tycoon Raffaello Follieri. This was perhaps her most written-about relationship before her marriage to Adam Shulman.

They started dating in early 2004 after being introduced by a mutual friend. Despite Follieri being late for their first date, he managed to charm Hathaway with a bouquet of roses and his Italian accent. The couple was frequently seen together over the next few years, seemingly deep in love and living ‘the good life.’ However, their relationship took a turn when Follieri was arrested in 2008 due to his involvement in the Vati-Con scandal. Hathaway, who had also been associated with Follieri’s company, distanced herself as legal issues arose. Shortly before his arrest for fraud and money laundering, she ended the relationship.

The controversial businessman shared in his 2021 interview with Page Six, “If I remember, Annie’s last words were ‘I love you forever’ and we ended the call. That was 2 a.m. on June 24, 2008,” he continued. “At 6 a.m. I was arrested. I never spoke to Annie again.”

The same interview also featured his quote given to the Daily Mail, “I think she made a business decision. She decided saving her career was most important.”

Josh Lucas (2008)

Picture Credits: Instagram/Josh Lucas

Profession: Actor
How did they meet: On a film set

In the aftermath of her breakup with Follieri, Hathaway found herself romantically involved with the Sweet Home Alabama actor Josh Lucas. The two collaborated on the 2010 documentary PoliWood, which captured national conventions during the 2008 U.S. presidential race. Though the actors did not portray the typical romantic couple on-screen, reports about them developing an off-screen connection surfaced online.

In August 2008, Just Jared reported that the duo was spotted having dinner together. An eyewitness shared with Life & Style Magazine that the two seemed to be an item. “They were really into each other, giggling and smiling and even holding hands at one point. You could almost taste their chemistry,” they said.

However, after that one date, there were no further public sightings of their PDA. The alleged Hollywood couple seemingly went their separate ways shortly thereafter as Lucas started dating Mean Girls actor Rachel McAdams at the beginning of 2009 and Hathaway got into a relationship with her now-husband Adam Shulman.

Adam Shulman (2008 to present)

Profession: Actor, producer and jewellery designer
How did they meet: At a film festival

Right after her widely-covered and consumed separation from Follieri and the one-time dinner with Lucas, Anne Hathaway met actor and producer Adam Shulman, at the 2008 Palm Springs Film Festival.

This meeting was the start of a whirlwind romance which was kept under wraps for the initial two years. However, after 3 years together, Shulman designed an engagement ring for Hathaway and popped the big question. In September 2012, this new ‘it’ couple of Hollywood married in Big Sur, California with an intimate woodland ceremony, with vows exchanged amid the scenic redwoods.

In a 2013 interview with Harper’s Bazaar, The Intern actor expressed that “I knew from the second I met him that he was the love of my life. I also knew that I couldn’t have met him at a worse time…” she continued, adding “I took my trust out for a ridiculous joyride with him.”

In the same interview, Hathaway also described and dubbed her relationship with Shulman as ecstatic on many fronts.

She said, “He walks into a room, and I light up, I can’t help it.”

While in London shooting Les Misérables, the actress recalls that she had to take time away from her husband, as the role demanded a level of inner despair she couldn’t tap into with him around. She described the experience, saying “A few days into it I said, ‘I’m having too much fun, I just want to play with you and I need to be really sad right now.’”

In 2016, Hathaway and Shulman welcomed their first child, Jonathan. Following the actress’ open struggle with fertility and conception, the couple announced the birth of their second son, Jack, in 2019.

Despite their rocking family of four, the couple continue to remain private about their married life.