Olivia Rodrigo Confirms She Is Single, Addresses Julian Croonenberghs Dating Rumors

Olivia Rodrigo has clarified her relationship status after months of speculation linking her to Julian Croonenberghs, a finance professional. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the singer said plainly: “I’m single, I don’t have a boyfriend.” Her confirmation came after she and Croonenberghs were photographed showing affection in New York during the summer, leading many to assume they were dating. But those pictures do not necessarily establish an official relationship. Rodrigo used the moment to speak about feeling violated when ordinary dates are photographed, circulated online and treated as proof of her private life.

In the interview, Rodrigo said dating has become “so hard and kind of sad” because relationships are meant to remain private. She explained that whenever she goes on a casual date with a guy, a photo seems to end up online. “Sometimes you’re out with a guy who’s not your boyfriend, and suddenly the internet’s like, ‘They’re married, blah blah blah,’” she said. Her comments were not simply a denial of the rumors involving Croonenberghs. They also reflected the way a private outing can quickly be turned into a complete romance narrative by strangers online.

The singer added that she initially understood such attention as part of being famous, but no longer feels it should be dismissed so easily. “I understand that that’s sort of part of the … you know what? No. It actually really sucks, and it feels really invasive,” she said. Rodrigo explained that the feeling becomes even heavier when celebrities are followed outside their homes and the photographs are used to judge their character. “It feels like you’re being stalked and then judged for pictures. Like I said, I’m single, I don’t have a boyfriend, and to be stalked outside of your home and then these pictures are being used as evidence that you’re a bad person, it’s just the craziest thing.”

Rodrigo’s remarks drew attention because they mark a boundary between public curiosity and an artist’s right to privacy. She understands that people are interested in the lives of famous performers, but that does not mean every date or moment outside her home should become material for public speculation. “But I know who I am, and I know what my values are, and I try to just hold on to it at the end of the day,” she said. The singer then expressed a simple wish: “I wish that I could be 23 years old and experience life normally.” Her words show that the pressures of fame do not end onstage or on the red carpet, but extend into ordinary daily life.

Rumors about Croonenberghs began after the two were seen together during the summer. At the end of July, photos showing them being affectionate in a Brooklyn park circulated online, leading several entertainment outlets to suggest that they had quietly confirmed a romance. But Rodrigo herself described these kinds of outings as casual dates, which do not necessarily mean that someone has a boyfriend. Saying that she is single does not necessarily deny that she spent time with Croonenberghs; it clarifies that, at the time of the interview, she did not consider herself to be in an official relationship. The distinction between dating and a committed partnership is often erased when photos spread without context.

Croonenberghs has been described in the media as a finance professional, unlike the actors and musicians who have previously been linked to Rodrigo. However, public information about their connection largely comes from sightings and photographs taken by others. There has been no official statement confirming that they were a couple. For that reason, Rodrigo’s own words remain the clearest indication of her current situation: she says she is single and does not have a boyfriend. Continuing to describe Croonenberghs as her boyfriend after that confirmation would not accurately reflect how she defines the relationship.

This is far from the first time Rodrigo’s love life has become the subject of intense speculation. While appearing in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, she was rumored to have been involved with co-star Joshua Bassett. The speculation grew after Rodrigo released “drivers license” in 2021, a song about the pain of a breakup that became a global phenomenon. Listeners tried to connect the lyrics to the personal lives of the young actors, but Rodrigo never confirmed that the song was about one specific person. Treating it as an exact account of a real relationship therefore remains an interpretation by fans and the media.

The curiosity grew even further when Sabrina Carpenter was drawn into theories surrounding “drivers license.” Some fans constructed a love-triangle narrative from scattered details, song lyrics and public appearances by the artists. Rodrigo did not provide a full confirmation of those theories. The episode showed how her personal songwriting can create a powerful sense of connection, while also leading listeners to search for a real-life person behind every line. Rodrigo has often kept her answers broad, allowing the songs to exist as emotional experiences rather than as case files about someone else’s private life.

After Bassett, the press linked Rodrigo to producer Adam Faze and DJ Zack Bia. These relationships were reported through public appearances and unnamed sources, while Rodrigo did not publicly discuss each romance in detail. As a result, the timelines often assembled by celebrity media should not be confused with direct confirmation from the singer. What is clearer is that she has repeatedly become the subject of dating rumors, sometimes because of nothing more than a photograph or a night out. That experience may help explain why she now says she feels invaded when personal images are turned into “evidence” for stories she has never confirmed.

The relationship most openly recognized by the public was Rodrigo’s romance with British actor Louis Partridge. The two were first seen together in 2023, attended events and showed affection in public. They did not regularly share details about their relationship, but their public appearances led the media to describe them as a couple. Reports in 2026 suggested that the relationship ended at the end of 2025. Rodrigo did not turn the breakup into a prolonged public story. Instead, she continued to focus on music and her professional work.

Rodrigo’s public statement that she is single should not be read as an invitation for people to keep searching for whoever she may be seeing. On the contrary, she is challenging the idea that every private meeting should be placed under a microscope. She said being photographed outside her home and then judged through those images is “the craziest thing.” Her remarks reflect a familiar contradiction of fame: audiences may feel close to artists through intimate lyrics, but emotional intimacy in music does not grant access to the private life of the person who wrote it. Rodrigo wants listeners to hear her songs without treating every lyric as testimony about a specific relationship.

Rodrigo’s career began in acting before she became one of the most prominent pop voices of her generation. She appeared in An American Girl: Grace Stirs Up Success and the Disney Channel series Bizaardvark before taking on the role of Nini Salazar-Roberts in High School Musical: The Musical: The Series. Acting taught her how to work with the camera, perform and develop a character. Yet it was her self-written songs and emotionally direct voice that brought her to a much larger stage. Her move from teen actor to singer-songwriter was not separate from her earlier experience; acting helped shape the vivid storytelling that became central to her music.

In 2021, “drivers license” turned Rodrigo into an international star. The single debuted at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 and captured attention through its emotional vocal performance, soaring chorus and story of youthful heartbreak. Her debut album SOUR built on that success, blending pop, pop-rock and songs written with the intimacy of diary entries. At the 2022 Grammy Awards, Rodrigo won three awards, including Best New Artist and Best Pop Vocal Album for SOUR. The speed of her success made her a major media figure, but it also ensured that her love life and the supposed inspirations behind her lyrics were frequently discussed alongside her artistic achievements.

Her second album, GUTS, showed Rodrigo continuing to explore confusion, anger and self-doubt as she grew older. “vampire” opened a new era with a more dramatic sound, while songs such as “bad idea right?” revealed her sense of humor and self-awareness. Rodrigo earned further Grammy nominations for the album, strengthening her place in contemporary pop-rock. Her songwriting often embraces contradictions: wanting independence while also wanting love, feeling grown-up while realizing there is still much to learn. Those tensions make her music relatable, but they also prompt people to assume that every song must be about a particular former partner.

Rodrigo has also built an image as an artist willing to speak about social issues and women’s rights. She has publicly addressed abortion rights in the United States and supported reproductive-health organizations through her touring work. Her decision to use her platform for those subjects has at times sparked debate, especially among people who disagree over how political a pop star should be. Yet these discussions are different from gossip about her personal life. Her public views can be considered through her own statements and actions; her romantic life requires a clearer distinction between what she has confirmed and what has been inferred from photographs.

When discussing Rodrigo’s past relationships, it is important not to turn rumors into an official biography. Some romances have been widely reported, but not every connection has been confirmed by her. Theories about the people behind “drivers license” or “vampire” mostly come from listeners and celebrity media. Her latest statement carries more weight than those assumptions: she is single, does not have a boyfriend, and finds it invasive to be followed and judged through photographs. It is a boundary she wants the public to recognize, especially as she is still only 23 and wants to experience life without every date becoming a headline.

For Rodrigo, fame has brought the kind of success many young artists dream of, but it has also made ordinary experiences more difficult. She can write about love, breakups and heartbreak for millions of listeners while still wanting to keep private encounters that do not become serious relationships to herself. Her saying that she is single does not lessen the value of her songs or deny that she has dated in the past. It simply reminds people that a love life cannot always be reduced to a relationship label. When photographs are treated as evidence, Rodrigo’s own words remain the most reliable guide to what she wants the public to know about her.