Glaring Signs Dakota Johnson & Chris Martin's Relationship Was Never Going To Last

Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin's on-and-off relationship reached a point of no return in June 2025, according to a well-placed People source. At the time, the Coldplay front-man and "Materialists" star had been together for eight years, many of which the happy couple spent engaged. And yet, another confidant clarified to People that their split came as no surprise to Johnson since they kept running into the same problems over and over again. Then, a Page Six insider detailed how the pair was constantly at odds because the actor felt like they were never actually going to tie the knot. "She was sick of him dragging his feet on setting a date for the wedding," they disclosed. This revelation hit even harder considering that another source informed Page Six in March 2024 that the "Yellow" hitmaker had popped the question six years prior. 

To better understand how their years-long engagement could have been a sign that the celebrity couple's eventual union wouldn't last, The List reached out to Susan Winter, a relationship expert and the bestselling author of "Breakup Triage: The Cure for Heartache." She labeled Johnson and Martin's lengthy engagement as a "major red flag." As Winter asserted, busy work schedules and various wedding planning issues weren't valid reasons for such a huge delay. 

The expert proclaimed simply, "Your partner is stalling. That's not just hesitation — it's inner conflict and outward resistance." She also reckons that Martin ultimately wasted Johnson's time since she was probably eager to walk down the aisle, adding, "Prolonged hesitation (independent of love) becomes [a] selfish and unkind act." Of course, the "Fix You" hitmaker's supposed hesitance to officially lock things down wasn't the only glaring issue in their relationship.

Throughout Dakota Johnson and Chris Martin's 8-year-long relationship, the A-listers consistently faced rumors that they had broken up and got back together again. According to an Us Weekly insider, when the pair split in 2019, Martin's ex-wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, who shares an unlikely friendship with Johnson, convinced him to win her back. While every relationship ebbs and flows, the couple's problems seemed too much for them to bear, and constantly pushed them to their breaking point. According to Susan Winter, being on and off again all the time isn't "conducive to a healthy, long-term partnership." 

The relationship expert professed that this unhealthy pattern could create tremendous mental turmoil while also slowly chipping away at your romantic connection. "No matter how a couple wants the partnership to work, this pattern indicates core issues that have not been resolved," Winter stated. According to a source who spoke to The Sun, the core issue Johnson and Martin couldn't work through was their 13-year age gap. They claimed that the "Madame Web" star was at a life stage where she wanted children. However, the musician, who already shares two kids with Paltrow, felt those days were behind him. 

Meanwhile, another insider confirmed that their rocky relationship had taken a toll on the actor, revealing, "Dakota has been desperate for her and Chris to work out for years, and every time they broke up she was devastated and in tears." Nevertheless, a People insider pointed out that Johnson had a totally stunning transformation following the end of their long-standing relationship and was eager to engage in more creative work going forward.