British singer Rita Ora is set to marry Oscar winner and A-list star Taika Waititi after simultaneously popping the question.
The 31-year-old, who has released two top 10 albums since her debut in 2012, is said to be planning an imminent, low-key ceremony abroad with the New Zealand filmmaker, 46, before celebrating with A-listers in a big London bash later this year.
But long before Taika met Rita, he was a renowned ‘party animal’ on the social circuit in Hollywood, who rose to fame after making feature films Boy and Hunt for the Wilderpeople.
The 46-year-old went on to direct the superhero film Thor: Ragnarok and the 2019 film Jojo Rabbit, in which he starred as Adolf Hitler.
But he hasn’t been without scandal – in 2018 it emerged he was splitting from his wife of seven years and the mother of his two children.
Meanwhile last summer, he received a dressing down by Marvel bosses over photos of him getting cosy on a balcony with Rita and actress Tessa Thompson.
British singer Rita Ora is set to marry Oscar winner and A-list star Taika Waititi after simultaneously popping the question
He found fame after writing and producing a series of short comedies, one of which he was nominated for an Academy Award in 2005 (left). Meanwhile his big hit Jojo Rabbit, in which he starred as Adolf Hitler (right), made him a household name
Taika, who was born Taika David Cohen, grew up on both the East Coast and in the Aro Valley of Wellington.
While his father was an artist of Te Whānau-ā-Apanui descent, his mother, Robin Cohen was a schoolteacher.
His parents split when he was five, and he was raised primarily by his mother.
After attending college, he studied theatre at Victoria University of Wellington where he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1997.
Taika began receiving some fame in New Zealand after he began making comical short films and touring the country as part of comedy groups.
Last summer, he received a dressing down by Marvel bosses over photos of him getting cosy on a balcony with Rita and actress Tessa Thompson
His short film Two Cars, One Night earned him an Academy Award nomination in 2005.
Famously, at the awards ceremony, he feigned falling asleep as the nominations were being read while a fellow attendee had to nudge him awake.
RITA ORA’S ROMANCE HISTORY
BRUNO MARS 2009 – 2011
Before either of them shot to fame Rita dated Bruno Mars at the age of 18, later saying: ‘It was love at first sight.’
‘We met in 2009. I was 18 and starting out at Roc Nation. Bruno was unknown back then too.
‘He was a struggling songwriter hired to write songs for me. I thought: “Wow, that’s just the world’s greatest guy!”‘
ROB KARDASHIAN 2012
The singer dated reality star Rob for two months from October 2012 before ending their brief romance due to her ‘hectic work schedule’ and their incompatible lifestyles.
And she admits to forgetting she even dated the sock designer because the fleeting relationship was ‘very short-lived’.
The end of their brief romance coincided with a series of bitter social medial posts from Rob, who indirectly suggested the singer had cheated on him numerous times during their relationship.
Rita and Calvin Harris
CALVIN HARRIS 2013 – 2014
Calvin and Rita were linked in Spring 2013 with the pair dating for about a year.
The DJ and Rita had a romantic and professional relationship, collaborating on Rita’s number one smash hit I Will Never Let You Down.
Rita is said to have been left rather red-faced after learning that her relationship was over via Twitter.
The Scottish DJ took to the social networking site to announce the couple’s year-long romance was over, but it was claimed the I Will Never Let You Down hitmaker was unaware her beau was going to release the statement.
RICKY HIL 2014 – 2015
Rita and Tommy Hilfiger’s son, Ricky Hil, confirmed their relationship in August 2014, only to split after 14 months of the on/off romance.
A$AP ROCKY 2015
Rocky had a fling with Rita in 2015. The rapper later sparked controversy when he included explicit lyrics about his rumoured ex in his single Better Things.
ASAP – whose real name is Rakim Mayers – later admitted his comments about Rita were ‘tasteless’.
TRAVIS BARKER 2015
Rita had a month-long fling with Kourtney Kardashian’s now husband in the Autumn of 2015. It’s rumoured that Travis put the breaks on the romance due to not wanting to be in a ‘serious relationship’.
Rita and Andrew Watt
ANDREW WATT 2016 – 2017
Rita enjoyed a year-long romance with fellow musician Andrew in 2016, before splitting, with the star revealing her single status during an appearance on the Jonathan Ross Show.
ANDREW GARFIELD 2018
The singer and the Hollywood actor had a steamy four month fling before Andrew called time on their fling for a ‘more private life’, with Rita returning to Watt for a brief reconciliation after the Garfield split.
TAIKA WAITITI 2020 – PRESENT
The couple began dating in March 2021 after meeting in Australia, ands were said to be moving so fast in their relationship they started discussing marriage within months.
His second feature film Boy, which was released in 2010, which premiered at the prestigious Sundance film festival.
From there, he was cast him as Green Lantern’s best friend on the spot.
However, it was a rare foray into the world of big budget filmmaking and one that he stayed away for years afterwards, instead finding critical and commercial success with his three smaller features Eagle Vs Shark, Boy and What We Do In The Shadows.
In fact What We Do In The Shadows – made with his longtime collaborator and one half of Flight Of The Conchords Jemaine Clement – was made for just under $NZ1.6million.
Clement and Waititi – who have know each other since meeting in an audition room as teenagers – even wavered their fee to get the film made as co-writers, co-directors, co-producers and co-stars.
The mockumentary followed the lives of four vampires living in a share house together in Wellington as they go about their everyday immortal lives.
In 2017, after finding a cult-following across the world for the comedy films, he directed his first major studio film, Marvel Studios’s Thor: Ragnarok, which was released in October.
The film, in which he also starred as Korg via motion capture, earned critical praise and was successful at the box office.
The following year it was announced that Waititi would be one of the directors of the Star Wars live-action streaming series The Mandalorian.
His biggest hit so far has come in the form of an unusual story – he wrote and directed Jojo Rabbit, based on the book Caging Skies by Christine Leunens, the 1940s-set story of a child in the Hitler Youth whose mother is secretly hiding a Jewish girl in their home.
Meanwhile he also took on the Adolf Hitler role as the boy’s imaginary friend.
He received Academy Award nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay, winning the latter.
He also won a Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media as a producer of the Jojo Rabbit soundtrack.
As his fame grew, Time magazine placed him on its annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
Meanwhile in 2021, he went on to write and direct the superhero film Thor: Love and Thunder.
Rita recently sent fans into a frenzy when she took to Instagram in April 2021 to share a cosy photo showing Taika hugging her as she posed for the camera.
He and Rita went public in May when they arrived together at the premiere of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under at the Sydney Opera House.
They avoided being photographed on the red carpet, but took their seats side by side in the front row once inside the venue.
As they awaited the start, Rita and Taika talked closely together, whispering in one another’s ears as the singer appeared to lay her hand on Taika’s shoulder.
However he was caught up in scandal when he was photographed getting cosy on a balcony with his songstress girlfriend Rita and actress Tessa.
Both Rita and Tessa were in Sydney filming scenes for the Kiwi filmmaker’s upcoming Thor sequel Love and Thunder.
According to the Daily Telegraph, Marvel executives were left vastly unimpressed after seeing images of the Thor director cuddling up with the two women on the balcony of his Bondi home last Sunday.
He received a dressing down by Marvel bosses over the images, which showed him kissing Tessa and Rita, as well the two women sharing a peck.
In pictures obtained exclusively by MailOnline, Rita was seen smiling and leaning in for a kiss from her director beau while relaxing outside with the actress following an all-night party at Taika’s home in Sydney.
The trio appeared to be in great spirits as they wrapped their arms around each other and beamed smiles over al fresco drinks.
The publication claimed that Taika’s display also ruffled feathers among the bosses at Marvel’s parent company Disney.
‘Not exactly the image they’re looking to project in relation to one of their biggest franchises,’ a Thor: Love and Thunder production insider told the publication.
The insider claimed that, while Taika is known for being a ‘party animal’, the photos ‘crossed a line’ for company bosses.
Taika was previously married to film producer Chelsea Winstanley, but the pair are believed to have quietly split in 2018.
The pair share two daughters: Te Hinekāhu, ten, and Matewa Kiritapu, six.
It is understood that Rita, who is working on several films and The Voice Australia, and Taika, who is planning a string of movies, hope to tie the knot once their work commitments have wrapped up.
Taika was previously married to film producer Chelsea Winstanley, but the pair are believed to have quietly split in 2018 (pictured with their children)
Over: Taika was previously married to film producer Chelsea Winstanley (left) but the pair are believed to have quietly split in 2018 (pictured November 2017)
A friend told The Sun: ‘This isn’t about them doing a big showy thing and crowing about it beforehand. It’s just about them being in love and deciding the time is right to formalise their relationship. They couldn’t be happier.
‘They didn’t do a whole, “Will you marry me?” thing and an Instagram post.
‘There’s no ring or big build-up. They just got closer and closer and eventually said to each other almost simultaneously, “I want to marry you.”‘
The pal added that there are ‘a few details to iron out’ but the nuptials are ‘coming soon’.
MailOnline has contacted representatives for Rita and Taika for comment.
In August, the couple, who began dating in March 2021 after meeting in Australia, were said to be moving so fast in their relationship they started discussing marriage, a source told New Idea.
Way back: In February, Rita reflected on her relationship with Taika as she shared a gushing Valentine’s Day post (pictured 2018 at their first meeting)
In talks: The British singer, 31, and the New Zealand filmmaker, 46, are said to be planning an imminent, low-key ceremony abroad before celebrating with their fellow A-listers in a big London bash (pictured in March)
‘Taika calls Rita “wifey” all the time and chats about how he’s going to be her first and last husband,’ the insider said.
‘Everyone around them downplays it as flirty banter, but [Rita is] definitely hoping he’s for real,’ they continued, adding that she is ‘absolutely obsessed’ with her Thor director beau.
At the time, Rita had reportedly started joking about getting married in a ‘quick, hippy-dippy’ Californian ceremony, and then celebrating with a bigger party at a later date.
In February, Rita reflected on her relationship with Taika as she shared a gushing Valentine’s Day post.
The songstress thanked the director for ‘being cool’ as she posted a previously unseen throwback of the pair in 2018 – three years before their romance began.
Before Taika, Rita romanced a string of big names, starting back in her pre-fame years.
Romance: It is understood that Rita, who is working on several films and The Voice Australia, and Taika, who is planning a string of movies, hope to tie the knot once their work commitments have wrapped up (pictured in March)
Love: In August, the couple, who began dating in March 2021 after meeting in Australia, were said to be moving so fast in their relationship they started discussing marriage
Before either of them shot to super stardom Rita dated Bruno Mars at the age of 18, later saying: ‘It was love at first sight.’
‘We met in 2009. I was 18 and starting out at Roc Nation. Bruno was unknown back then too.
‘He was a struggling songwriter hired to write songs for me. I thought: “Wow, that’s just the world’s greatest guy!”‘
After Bruno, the singer dated reality star Rob Kardashian for two months from October 2012 before ending their brief romance due to her ‘hectic work schedule’ and their incompatible lifestyles.
Rita’s most major long-term romance was with superstar DJ Calvin Harris, who were first linked in Spring 2013.
The DJ and Rita had a romantic and professional relationship, collaborating on Rita’s number one smash hit I Will Never Let You Down. But Rita is said to have been left rather red-faced after learning that her relationship was over via Twitter.
The Scottish DJ took to the social networking site to announce the couple’s year-long romance was over, but it was claimed the I Will Never Let You Down hitmaker was unaware her beau was going to release the statement.
From 2016 to 2017 Rita enjoyed a year-long romance with fellow musician Andrew Watt, before splitting, with the star revealing her single status during an appearance on the Jonathan Ross Show.
She went on to have a steamy four month fling with actor Andrew Garfield, before the Hollywood star called time on their fling for a ‘more private life’, with Rita returning to Watt for a brief reconciliation.
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk