Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes put on a loved-up display in a rare joint TV appearance.
Appearing on the Thursday, March 5, episode of The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Gosling, 45, surprised his wife for her 52nd birthday.
Gosling was on the late night talk show to promote his upcoming film, Project Hail Mary, in which he plays a teacher, and he used the opportunity to make a grand romantic gesture.
“It is Eva’s birthday today. She is here,” Gosling told the audience, which was full of teachers. “You have no idea how much she loves teachers. Loves you so much. She has her hall monitor sash still from when she was a kid. She hangs it proudly in the house.”
He then asked the crowd, “If I get her, would you sing ‘Happy birthday’ to her?” The audience enthusiastically agreed to the request.
After a producer grabbed Mendes from backstage and guided her towards the stage, Gosling left his seat next to host Fallon to approach his wife. The actor held Mendes’ hand as he led her in front of the audience for her surprise.
As part of the elaborate surprise, the North Bergen High School Marching Band began playing “Happy Birthday” while a huge banner read, “Happy Birthday Eva.”
The couple packed on the PDA during the cute moment, with a clearly delighted Mendes seen gripping on to Gosling’s arm. She then tenderly grabbed her husband’s face and leaned in to whisper something in his ear and kissed him sweetly on the cheek.
Mendes and Gosling rarely make public appearances together. The last time they were photographed together on a red carpet was 13 years ago at the premiere of their film The Place Beyond The Pines in Toronto, Canada.
The private couple starred together in the movie which was filmed in 2011. After falling in love, they welcomed two daughters, Esmeralda, born in 2014, and Amada, born in 2016.
In 2023, Mendes addressed why she and Gosling have not been pictured at public events in the many years since despite their relationship flourishing.
After Mendes shared a throwback post of herself and Gosling in The Place Beyond The Pines, a follower commented that they were hoping to see Mendes on the red carpet as Gosling promoted his movie Barbie, which was released that year.
“What a cool comment, thank you,” Mendes responded at the time. “But we don’t do those things together.”
She explained, “Like these photos I’ve been posting, I’m only comfortable posting because it’s already out there.”
Mendes also noted that the photos taken of the pair in September 2012 came from the sole time they stepped out together on the red carpet.
“Oh wait — for those who may catch me in a ‘lie’ — we only were on the red carpet together once when promoting this film,” she added in a follow-up comment.
