Nick Viall and Natalie Joy’s Relationship Timeline

Nick Viall and Natalie Joy are parents!

The couple, who got engaged in January 2023, welcomed a baby girl, River Rose Viall, on Feb. 2, 2024.

After looking for love on The Bachelorette, Bachelor in Paradise and The Bachelor, Viall began dating Joy, a surgical technologist and model, after she messaged him on Instagram. The couple went public with their relationship in 2020.

Since then, they have regularly posted on Instagram about each other, and Joy has made several appearances on Viall’s podcast The Viall Files, which is, appropriately, all about love and dating.

From connecting via Instagram DMs to the arrival of their first child, here’s a complete timeline of Nick Viall and Natalie Joy’s relationship.

July 2020: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy start dating

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Viall and Joy started dating in July 2020, but they kept their relationship under wraps at first. The couple have admitted to not knowing their exact anniversary date, so instead they “celebrate it for 2 weeks straight” in July each year.

In June 2022, Viall shared that he and Joy met when she slid into his DMs. “I think DMs are a great place to meet people,” he told E! News’ Down in the DMs. “My current girlfriend slid in my DMs. Real clever, it said, ‘You’re unreal.’ I guess it was funny. I was more curious, wondering why I was unreal.”

October 2020: Natalie Joy and Nick Viall hint at their relationship

Before they became Instagram official, fans began speculating that Viall and Joy were dating. In September 2020, Joy posted a photo of herself in a pool captioned, “this is what i’ll be doing while you watch football.” A couple of weeks later, Viall posted a video of himself dancing by a pool — seemingly the same one from Joy’s post. “Fulfilling my pool boy dreams,” he wrote.

October 31, 2020: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy coordinate Halloween costumes

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Viall and Joy posted another “soft launch” clue in October 2020, when Joy dressed up as Lois Lane for Halloween. “Fingers crossed i see superman tonight,” she captioned her photo. And who was dressed as Superman that Halloween? Viall, of course.

January 22, 2021: A source confirms Nick Viall and Natalie Joy are dating

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In January 2021, a source confirmed to PEOPLE that Viall and Joy were dating. “She’s great for him,” the source said, adding that they had been dating since the year prior.

Just days earlier, the pair were spotted on a walk through Viall’s Los Angeles neighborhood.

January 27, 2021: Natalie Joy and Nick Viall go Instagram official

Joy and Viall made their relationship Instagram official a few days later. Joy posted a video with Viall on her Instagram Story showing her trying to give him a kiss while he was wearing virtual reality goggles.

February 8, 2021: Nick Viall opens up about his relationship with Natalie Joy

During an episode of The Viall Files, Viall shared that he was “super happy” in his relationship with Joy.

“It’s fun,” he said. “It’s great … I have those moments of gratitude and thankfulness. There’s moments where I’m like, ‘You’re really great and I’m really happy you’re a part of my life.’ ”

“Between the two of us, I am easily the most dramatic,” he added of their relationship dynamic. “I’m the drama queen. She is a voice of reason, which is a breath of fresh air … She might have the highest amount of character in anyone I’ve dated.”

He continued, “She’s always present with what’s going on in the world … She’s always helping people out. She does make me want to be better.”

February 12, 2021: Natalie Joy posts about Nick Viall on Instagram

Natalie Joy Instagram

Joy posted Viall on her Instagram grid for the first time that same month, making a joke about the big reveal in the caption. “It’s a complete weight off of my shoulders to finally announce that i am in fact the mastermind behind the plant wall,” she wrote alongside a selfie with Viall, taking credit for part of the backyard remodel Viall posted about in December 2020.

March 21, 2021: Nick Viall’s Bachelor friends approve of Natalie Joy

Viall’s relationship got the stamp of approval from two of his close friends and fellow Bachelor Nation alums Ashley Iaconetti and her husband Jared Haibon. The foursome enjoyed a double date and posed for a selfie, which Iaconetti captioned on Instagram, “She’s everything we hoped he’d find. Perfect complement.” Joy commented on the post, “Aw I love you guys!! it’s a hard job but i’m up for it.”

May 17, 2021: Natalie Joy and Nick Viall make their red carpet debut

Matt Winkelmeyer/2021 MTV Movie and TV Awards/Getty

Viall and Joy made their red carpet debut at the 2021 MTV Movie & TV Awards: UNSCRIPTED. Viall posted a photo from the night on Instagram where he is smiling for the camera and Joy is looking at him lovingly. “This was her first time so she didn’t know to look at the camera,” he joked. Joy shared another photo from the red carpet and wrote, “can’t script this.”

June 10, 2021: Natalie Joy and Nick Viall get a puppy

Nick Viall Instagram

Joy and Viall went from a duo to a trio when they got a puppy in June 2021. Viall posted a series of photos of the couple with the new puppy, who they later named Jeff, captioned, “Family Man.” Joy also posted about becoming dog parents, writing alongside a photo of herself holding the pup, “officially outnumbered.”

July 9, 2021: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy celebrate their first anniversary

Natalie Joy Instagram

Viall and Joy celebrated their one-year anniversary in July 2021 — though they don’t know exactly what day it falls on.

Alongside photos of the couple at the Williamsburg Hotel in New York City, Viall wrote, “Celebrating 1 year ish, by visiting the hotel where it all started. Thankful for every moment I have with you.”

Joy honored the milestone with her own post, which she captioned, “This has been the best year of my life, and it’s because of you.”

July 2021: Nick Viall says he could marry Natalie Joy

Nick Viall Instagram

During an appearance on the podcast Not Skinny But Not Fat, Viall was asked if he could see himself marrying Joy.

“I wouldn’t be in a relationship with her if I didn’t think it was possible, you know?” he answered. “She’s the first person I’ve called my girlfriend, minus TV, in a long, long time.”

Viall added that before meeting Joy, he had become more particular about choosing a romantic partner. “For me personally, it was a pretty big step to want to call her my girlfriend. So I would say that that’s a good sign,” he said.

August 31, 2021: Nick Viall wishes Natalie Joy a happy birthday

In August 2021, Viall shared a sweet birthday post for Joy on Instagram. “Happy Birthday to the woman who brings out all the best sides of me,” he wrote alongside a video montage of Joy. “Your heart is even more beautiful than your angelic face. Everyday you challenge me to be more empathic, kinder, caring, and more fun. More than anything, thank you for making me feel safe to give you my heart. You make life incredible. I love you. Happy Birthday.”

September 28, 2021: Natalie Joy wishes Nick Viall a happy birthday

The next month, Joy returned the favor for Viall’s 41st birthday, posting several photos of him with a sentimental caption. “This man!!!! you are one of the best ones and anyone who’s met you knows it too,” she said. “I am so lucky to not only share this life with you but to love you, and to be loved by you.”

The caption stirred up some controversy, though, as followers noticed it appeared to be partially copied from Claudia Sulewski’s birthday post for her boyfriend Finneas. Finneas, whose sister is pop icon Billie Eilish, even retweeted a fan-made comparison of the two posts.

February 14, 2022: Nick Viall talks about potential engagement to Natalie Joy

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In February 2022, Viall appeared on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast and discussed plans for an engagement with Joy. Viall shared that Joy would “love to hear” about an engagement in a year, but noted that “everyone’s situation is different.”

He added that he is not a fan of having timelines in relationships. “I think sometimes timelines can be a little bit dangerous about, you know, setting false expectations and reaching to a certain timeline and all of a sudden … [you] have other priorities,” he explained. “I just kind of tell people to just be careful about setting timelines. If they wanna set a time, it’s great, just make sure it’s mutual.”

June 7, 2022: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy address their age gap

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The couple made a joint appearance on the Call Her Daddy podcast in June 2022, where they addressed their 18-year age gap. Viall admitted that initially, he was worried about the age difference.

“At first, it was something I think I was having a lot of anxiety about,” he said. “You know, like, ‘Are we going to be compatible?’ And I think early on that was part of the things I would worry about. But just the more I got to know her, the more I was just going to her for advice or just checking in with her, I just felt like we just met each other on the same wavelength and I always felt like she was my equal.”

Joy added, “We realized we were on the same stages of life and we were ready for the same things … I’m in a place where I want to get married and have children and he’s also in that same place. We both have big careers and aspirations and jobs and stuff that we both love.”

July 6, 2022: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy celebrate their second anniversary

Viall and Joy went back to Williamsburg Hotel to celebrate their second anniversary on July 6, 2022. Alongside photos of them enjoying their stay, Viall wrote, “When you don’t know your exact anniversary date so instead you just celebrate it for 2 weeks straight around the time to make sure you don’t miss it. Always starting at the place we met.”

The couple followed up their hotel visit with a romantic trip to Paris a few days later, documenting their travels on Instagram. Alongside a video of her and Viall kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower, Joy wrote simply, “2 years.”

August 9, 2022: Nick Viall says he and Natalie Joy have talked about getting engaged

During an interview with E! News’ Down in the DMs, Viall made his and Joy’s plans for the future clear — it’s just a matter of when they get engaged.

“We talk about it a lot,” he said. “We’ve been together for two years, we live together. I think we’re both excited about the future and we’ll just see when the next steps happen.”

October 4, 2022: Nick Viall says Natalie Joy gave him input on his book

While discussing his book Don’t Text Your Ex Happy Birthday on the PEOPLE Every Day podcast, Viall opened up about his biggest dating mistake: “Prioritizing my ego over my heart with any choice I’ve made when it comes to anything really.”

The Bachelor Nation alum also discussed how Joy influenced his new book, sharing that she was “very helpful in the process” of writing.

“I tried to be creative with my writing, and I tried to be … Obviously, I’m known for having pretty direct advice, but I wanted to be empathetic, and I wanted to be relatable and certainly not be harsh or anything like that,” he said. “Natalie was often the first person I would have read my pages.”

A day prior, Viall had showered Joy with even more praise when he posed a loving tribute on Instagram. “I wanted to share with you how lucky I feel to be loved by this woman. From the moment I met her, it was clear to how much she prioritized making people loved,” he wrote, in part, alongside a sweet photo of the pair.

Viall continued, “I have always believed that once I started prioritize the needs of my heart over the needs of my ego that it would somehow turn into the relationship of my dreams. I just never imagined my dream could be this magical. Forever grateful. I love you ❤️”

October 31, 2022: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy dress up as characters from Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Dressed in a bunny costume, suspenders and a bow tie, Viall put his best foot forward as Roger Rabbit for Halloween. Joy completed the couple’s costume as Jessica Rabbit in a stunning red sequined dress and elbow-length purple gloves.

December 6, 2022: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy attend the People’s Choice Awards

The couple posed on the red carpet together at the 2022 People’s Choice Awards. Viall looked dapper in a three-piece pinstripe suit, while Joy stunned in a strapless red dress.

The surgical technologist, who had to get up early the following day for work, shared “tuesday night vs thursday morning” photos on Instagram.

January 12, 2023: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy get engaged

Viall proposed to Joy and announced the news on Jan. 12, 2023.

“For the rest of my life, it’s you,” the Bachelor alum captioned a series of photos from the night of their engagement.

January 26, 2023: Nick Viall says he and Natalie Joy are “anxious to get married”

A long engagement isn’t in the cards for Viall and Joy.

“We’re definitely anxious to get married,” he told E! News at the Brilliant Earth x Nick Viall Valentine’s Day event in Los Angeles. “We definitely didn’t get engaged to have a long engagement, so it’s been great. It’s exciting.”

June 22, 2023: Nick Viall says he wants to have a “stress-free” wedding day with Natalie Joy

In an interview with PEOPLE, Viall said that he wants Joy to have “the wedding of her dreams.” He also revealed that he hopes the event is “relatively stress-free.”

“On my show, I get so many questions about the wedding experience and I certainly hear from people a lot about the stresses and the anxiety that can come with [planning],” he explained. “So it’s just really important for us to enjoy this and have this day be a celebration of our relationship and include the people who know us the best.”

July 11, 2023: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy celebrate their third anniversary

Nick Viall/Instagram

Viall and Joy celebrated their third anniversary — and their first as an engaged couple.

“I love our family we’ve started together can’t wait to see how it grows. Thanks for 3 incredible years and for always fighting for us. Can’t wait for the rest of our lives together,” the podcaster wrote on Instagram.

In a separate post, Joy also gushed about her future spouse.

“3 years with you and life just keeps getting better!! i couldn’t have dreamt up a better man if i tried, thank you for loving every piece of me. you make me feel heard, seen, valued, cherished, beautiful, safe, confident, protected, challenged, nurtured i could go on and on,” she captioned a carousel of images. “but most importantly you grew flowers in the darkest parts of me.”

August 8, 2023: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy announce that they’re expecting their first child

Sarah Partain

Viall and Joy posted photos on Instagram of themselves standing in a field, their hands around Joy’s baby bump. They also shared a snap of an ultrasound.

“Our biggest dream came true 🤍,” the mom-to-be captioned the post.

August 28, 2023: Nick Viall says he and Natalie Joy just want their child to “feel loved”

Viall and Joy are “so excited” to become parents.

“I think the biggest fear will always be the safety of our child. We already worry way too much about our dog, Jeff, so I’m sure we’ll be somewhat overprotective as parents,” The Bachelor alum told PEOPLE. “Our overall goal is to make sure our kids always feel loved, even when we have to tell them no.”

Joy went on to tell PEOPLE how she shared the pregnancy news with Viall.

“I took two positive pregnancy tests, got a couple of baby outfits, and put them in a drawer, knowing Nick would open it when we were making dinner,” she said. “He was shocked, to say the least.”

September 6, 2023: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy reveal the sex of their baby

Natalie Joy/Instagram

It’s a girl! The couple shared a video on Instagram of Viall popping a black mystery balloon that was filled with pink confetti and balloons.

February 2, 2024: Nick Viall and Natalie Joy welcome their first child

The couple announced the arrival of their daughter, River Rose Viall, on Instagram.

“The best part of life starts now,” they wrote alongside images of the sweet newborn, whom they named after Joy’s great-grandmother and niece.

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Source: HIS Education