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Sandra Bullock was in a relationship for several years, quietly dating and raising her children with longtime partner Bryan Randall until his death in August 2023.
For three years before his passing, Randall was privately battling ALS, his family told PEOPLE in a statement. "Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request," they said.
Bullock and Randall began dating in 2015 after meeting at her son Louis' birthday party. Randall, a photographer, was hired to capture the event.
The Lake House star adopted her son, Louis, in 2010 and her daughter, Laila, in 2015. However, Randall had nothing to do with her decision to adopt Laila. The process was already underway when the pair met, Bullock said on an episode of Red Table Talk.
"I had Louis first. Then when I met him, we hadn't been together that long and I said, 'Remember that NDA you signed when you photographed my son? You know that still holds ... because I'm bringing home a child when I come back from Toronto,' " she shared.
Bullock recalled Randall — who had a daughter from a previous relationship — being both "happy" and "scared" after she told him that she was adopting a second child. The actress called Randall "very patient" and "a saint."
"He has evolved on a level that is not human," Bullock added.
Here's a complete look at Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall's relationship.
January 2015: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall meet and start dating
Bullock and Randall met when he photographed her son Louis' birthday in January 2015. They began officially dating a few months later, PEOPLE reported.
August 2015: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall attend Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux's wedding
In August 2015, Bullock and Randall attended Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux's nuptials. The couple tied the knot in a surprise ceremony at their Bel Air mansion.
Bullock and Randall were just a few of the celebrities who attended the special day; other guests included Howard Stern, his wife Beth Ostrosky Stern, Samantha Ronson, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Chelsea Handler, Emily Blunt, John Krasinski and more.
September 2015: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall go on a high-profile double date
Just a month after confirming the status of their relationship, Bullock and Randall were seen out on a double date with newlyweds Aniston and Theroux. They ate at Bess Bistro in Austin, Texas. PEOPLE reported that The Lost City star and the Friends actress looked to be celebrating like "close, fond friends" with their partners.
"It was a nice intimate setting and the couples were very cozy," an onlooker said. "They seemed to know each other very well, and seemed quite close."
Bullock and Randall definitely enjoyed each other's company as well.
The onlooker added, "The entire dinner he was rubbing her back with his hand and put his arm around her and was very affectionate."
October 2015: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall are photographed on a stroll
In October 2015, the duo were photographed smiling and laughing as they walked arm-in-arm in L.A.
October 10, 2015: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall enjoy a date night
Days after they were photographed on a walk, the couple were seen eating at Casa Vega in Los Angeles. They were joined by friends during the outing.
"They were with six people and stayed for a couple of hours," a source said. "They requested the back table because they wanted to be discreet and not be bothered."
October 26, 2015: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall make their red carpet debut
Months after their relationship began, Bullock and Randall appeared on the red carpet together for the first time. The couple attended the Our Brand Is Crisis premiere in Los Angeles.
November 2015: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall step out for a "relaxed" coffee date
About a month after the duo made their red carpet debut, they were spotted at Andante cafe in Los Angeles. Bullock and Randall kept it casual during the outing; the former model wore all black while the actress donned black boots, wide-leg capris and a cream-colored sweater.
"They looked so relaxed and happy to be together," an onlooker said.
November 2015: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall enjoy a romantic East Coast trip
Randall accompanied the Heat star to New York in November 2015. During their trip, the couple enjoyed a fancy date night at the Waverly Inn restaurant — a hot spot among celebs.
Bullock was in town for a Tonight Show appearance. They were seen holding hands as they strolled through the Big Apple.
July 2016: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall shut down engagement rumors
Nearly a year into their relationship, rumors began swirling that Bullock and Randall were engaged. At the time, her rep exclusively told PEOPLE that stories alleging that the duo were making plans to tie the knot were absolutely false.
"Sandra Bullock is not engaged and there is no wedding," her rep said. "There's no truth at all in those rumors."
February 2018: Sandra Bullock, Bryan Randall and her children visit Disneyland
The ultra-private couple brought kids Louis and Laila to Disneyland for a special family day. The Proposal star and her beau were joined by Jason Bateman, his wife Amanda Anka and their kids Francesca and Maple Sylvie on the outing.
"They looked like a good happy family," an eyewitness told PEOPLE.
March 2018: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall confirm they're not married
Amid rumors that they tied the knot, the Gravity star's rep confirmed to PEOPLE that was not the case.
"They are not married," her rep said.
May 2018: Sandra Bullock is "happier than ever" with Bryan Randall
Bullock and Randall went out on the town with friends in May 2018 for a cozy date night. They ate at Innovative Dining Group's ROKU Sunset in West Hollywood.
"They looked happier than ever," a source said.
June 2018: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall attend the Ocean's Eight premiere and afterparty
The pair stepped out for a red carpet date night. They were photographed together at the Ocean's Eight premiere in London then were seen cozying up to one another leaving the afterparty. Randall sported a chic gray suit while the Oscar winner opted for a sparkly striped jumpsuit and cat ears.
Bullock previously told PEOPLE that she nearly didn't appear in the movie. Thanks to a little urging from her son, however, she agreed to accept the role.
"This almost didn't happen for me because it was supposed to shoot during the summer, and then when Cate [Blanchett] wasn't available, they said, 'Are you willing to shift it to fall in New York?' And I went, 'I gotta take the kids out of school,' " she said.
Bullock approached her son Louis about it and he was all in. Together, they jetted off to scope out the area and make some decisions.
"Then my son said, 'Why don't we go look at a school and see if we find something?' We left on Mother's Day, day after Mother's Day found a school," the mom of two recalled. "It's all about my kids. If I could never work again, I'd be okay with it because I'd get to go home and be with my babies."
September 2018: Bryan Randall pays tribute to Sandra Bullock's late father
The Blind Side actress' father, World War II veteran John W. Bullock, died in September 2018 at the age of 93. Randall paid tribute to her dad online. On his private Instagram page, Randall shared a black-and-white photo of the late Army veteran smiling.
In his tribute, the West Virginia native revealed that his girlfriend's father "left the building" that week and was "surrounded by family and friends" when he died.
"As a father, grandfather and WWII veteran, we #thankyouforyourservice. PS: Hey God, we're sending you a live one," his caption read.
December 2018: Bryan Randall celebrates his birthday with Sandra Bullock
A few months after Bullock's father passed, Randall celebrated his birthday. On Instagram, he thanked his girlfriend for putting together a special day for him and paid tribute to her late father once more.
"Thank you for an incredible birthday," he captioned a photo of Bullock holding a cake. "God, I love you! Only thing missing … Dad."
July 2019: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall step out for date night
The actress sported a little black dress as she and Randall went out ahead of her 55th birthday. The couple went to the San Vicente Bungalows in West Hollywood, which is a members-only club that many celebrities frequent.
April 2020: Sandra Bullock and Bryan Randall donate KN95 masks to healthcare workers
Randall has made a habit of celebrating Bullock's accomplishments, whether they happen on the silver screen or behind the scenes. In April 2020, Bullock, her two children and Randall donated 6,000 KN95 masks to Los Angeles healthcare workers amid the pandemic.
Bullock's boyfriend shared a photo of her standing behind a worker in a surgical mask and gloves outside the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles. He revealed that the donation was actually Bullock's kids' idea.
"Kids wanted to give masks. 6000 of them went to the warriors on the front lines in downtown LA," he captioned the Instagram post. "Thank you Olivia at #adventisthealthwhitememorial. Thank you Ricardo at #childrenshospitallosangeles … Louis and Lailas note could not have said it better."
He also pointed out Bullock in the background of the photo, joking, "I'm not sure who that freak is in the background."
November 2021: Sandra Bullock talks about her relationship with Bryan Randall on Red Table Talk
In November 2021, Bullock appeared on Red Table Talk with hosts Jada Pinkett Smith, Willow Smith and Adrienne Banfield-Norris. During the appearance, she opened up about her relationship and her decision not to marry again.
"I am someone who went through the divorce process. I found the love of my life. We share two beautiful children — three children, his older daughter. It's the best thing ever," she said. "I don't wanna say do it like I do it, but I don't need a paper to be a devoted partner and devoted mother."
She added, "I don't need to be told to be ever present in the hardest of times. I don't need to be told to weather a storm with a good man. So if that's what you have … Think about what kind of parent he would be. Think about what kind of parent you would be. And what if something happened? Would you both be great parents to those children even if you didn't make it as a couple. Think about the children first."
Earlier in the same Red Table Talk episode, Bullock said that Randall is a great "example" to her children.
"He's the example that I would want my children to have," the Bird Box star said. "I have a partner who's very Christian and there are two different ways of looking at things. I don't always agree with him, and he doesn't always agree with me. But he is an example even when I don't agree with him."
"I'm stubborn but sometimes I need to sit back and listen and go, 'You're saying it differently but we mean exactly the same thing,' " she said during the appearance. "It's hard to co-parent because I just want to do it myself."
March 2022: Sandra Bullock says she is stepping back from films to be with her family
While promoting her 2022 film The Lost City, Bullock admitted to Entertainment Tonight that she is taking a break from films to spend quality time with her children. "Right now, and I don't know how long that will be, I need to be in the place that makes me happiest," she said. "I take my job very seriously when I'm at work. It's 24/7 and I just want to be 24/7 with my babies and my family."
The actress later expanded on her decision in an interview with PEOPLE. "I'm not retiring, just going to not spend time in front of the camera for a while. I have beautiful babies. I'd rather look at them," she shared, adding, "I'd rather look at them every day and have them be mad at me and annoyed and make memories with them for right now."
August 7, 2023: Bryan Randall's family reveals he died after a private three-year battle with ALS
On Aug. 7, Randall's family told PEOPLE in a statement that the photographer had died over the weekend. He was 57 years old.
"It is with great sadness that we share that on Aug. 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS," his family shared. "Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request."
His family added, "We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours."
"At this time we ask for privacy to grieve and to come to terms with the impossibility of saying goodbye to Bryan," the statement concluded, signed, "His Loving Family."
August 25, 2023: Sandra Bullock is grateful for support after Bryan Randall's death
Following Randall's death, a source told PEOPLE that Bullock has "seen the incredible outpouring of support toward ALS research."
The insider noted that it was "very important" to the actress that "those who were on this journey with her and Bryan, from the beginning, were recognized — with the Healey Center at Mass General leading the way."
"She is so grateful to all those who have donated and is happy that out of something so heartbreaking came something so positive for others," the source added.
December 30, 2023: Sandra Bullock releases Bryan Randall's ashes in Wyoming
On what would have been Randall's 58th birthday, Bullock released her late partner's ashes on Snake River in Jackson Hole, Wyoming.
"Happy birthday, Bry. Sandy brought you to the river, just as she promised," Bullock's sister, Gesine Bullock-Prado, wrote on Instagram alongside a serene video of Randall's final resting place.
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