Popular
River Phoenix’s Relationships: A Look into the Late Actor’s Dating History
River Phoenix was an American actor and musician who had garnered love and fame through his talents. In addition, he was known as the older brother…

River Phoenix was an American actor and musician who had garnered love and fame through his talents. In addition, he was known as the older brother of his siblings: Rain, Liberty, Summer, and Joaquin Phoenix.
River had started acting at an early age and showed exceptional talent for the guitar, and as he grew up, his abilities only became impressive. Unfortunately, he couldn’t show his full potential as he died at the age of 23 due to acute multiple drug intoxication.
Moments before his death, River was performing at The Viper Room, where his siblings – Joaquin and Rain – and then-girlfriend, Samantha Mathis, were also present in the audience. Joaquin called 911, and River was taken to the nearest hospital.
However, the attempts to revive River at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center were unsuccessful. And at 1:51 a.m. PST on October 31, 1993, River was pronounced dead. His autopsy report stated his cause of death was multiple drug intoxication.
Since his death, many netizens who come to know him have made different inquiries about River’s life, including his personal life. So, what did River’s love life look like? Here is all you need to know about his dating history!
River Phoenix’s relationship with Samantha Mathis
Mathis was the last woman that River was in a romantic relationship with. And as mentioned earlier, Mathis was alongside the late singer on the night of his death.
Speaking of their relationship, it has been reported that River and Mathis officially began dating in 1992 after they met each other while working together in the movie The Thing Called Love.
Since they began dating, they often accompanied each other to different public events and occasionally went on vacations. Besides that, there aren’t many details about the couple’s relationship as they preferred to keep things private.
That said, Mathis did open up a bit about River and their relationship during her exclusive interview with The Guardian in 2018, almost 25 years after the death of River. She first explained why she decided to open up about River’s death after so long.
She mentioned that she had buried all the things that happened with/alongside River for decades and didn’t talk about it publicly out of respect for his loved one and as she was traumatized by his death. But she now felt the universe wanted her to talk about her late boyfriend.
She then talked about her first meeting with River when they were teenagers and how she felt she knew she would be together with him someday. “We met when we were both 19, and he bummed a cigarette off me in an LA club.”
“This sounds incredibly cheesy, but I knew I would be with him one day. It just felt fated between us, and there was such chemistry,” Mathis added. And just three years later, they were cast together in The Thing Called Love, and they began dating.
Mathis – raised by a single mother – continued, “I think we recognised something in each other. We came from very different families, but perhaps there were some broken parts in each other we recognised. We found safe harbour.”

River Phoenix with his girlfriend, Samantha Mathis, in ‘The Thing Called Love’ (Photo: Twitter)
The actress also reminisced about the days when she stayed with River and his family in Costa Rica and Florida, where they had fun playing music and cooking vegetarian food. “We just hung out with his siblings and got to be kids. He was so good at hanging out,” she added while tearing up.
Likewise, Mathis stated how much River took care of his family. “River said to me in that last year: ‘I just have to make one more movie to put away enough money so my youngest sister can go to college,’” she recalled.
To conclude, River and Mathis’ relationship was filled with love and affection, but it was cut short due to an unfortunate course of events resulting in River’s death.
River Phoenix’s dating history
After diving more deeply into River’s dating history, it has been found that he was in two more relationships, excluding his romance with Mathis. His first public relationship was with Martha Plimpton, after which he began dating Susanne Solgot.

River Phoenix with his ex-girlfriend, Martha Plimpton, at the 61st Annual Academy Awards (Photo: Twitter)
Speaking of River’s relationship with Plimpton, it has been reported that the former duo first met in 1985 but initially disliked each other. However, a year later, they worked together in the film, The Mosquito Coast, after which they became closer and began dating.
After they officially started dating and went public, they were one of the most talked about Hollywood couples. Likewise, fame didn’t affect the couple’s togetherness; they also co-starred in the 1988 movie Running on Empty.
But as years passed, their bond started to crack, and finally, in June 1989, they broke up. It has been said that River’s drug use was the reason behind their break up. However, they were good friends right until River’s death.
That said, Plimpton later admitted, “I realized that screaming, fighting, and appealing would still not influence him to change, which was one of the reasons we split up. He needed to alter, but he wasn’t yet prepared to do so.”
Moreover, Plimpton has also admitted to getting an abortion shortly after her split with River, leaving many to wonder if the father of her unborn child was the late actor. However, Plimpton hasn’t given any further details about the topic.
As for River’s relationship with Solgot, there aren’t many details known about it. It has been reported that they began dating in 1989 and broke up sometime in 1992. After that break up, it has been said that River sought solace on Plimpton’s shoulders before starting to date Mathis.
Popular
Brandi Cyrus Says She Doesn’t Want Kids – ‘I Don’t Really Like Them’

Brandi Cyrus is opening up about her personal choice to live a life without kids. During the July 15 episode of Boyfriend Material with Harry Jowsey, the 38-year-old podcast host and DJ candidly explained why motherhood isn’t for her.
“I don’t want my own kids,” Cyrus said during a lighthearted conversation with her mom, Tish Cyrus, and host Harry Jowsey. When asked why, she replied, “Oh, I don’t really like kids,” sparking laughter from both Tish and Jowsey.
Despite not wanting children of her own, Cyrus admitted she was open to dating someone who already has kids. The topic came up as Jowsey discussed wanting to settle down and drive a “family car” in preparation for fatherhood.
Cyrus is currently in a relationship with Matt Southcombe, and she often shares glimpses of her lifestyle on social media. As more celebrities speak openly about choosing not to have children, Cyrus’s comments reflect a growing trend among women prioritizing personal freedom over parenthood.
The conversation also touched on another guest who chose a child-free lifestyle, making it clear that Cyrus is confident in her choice to live without kids.
Popular
Christina Haack’s ‘Christina on the Coast’ Reportedly Canceled at HGTV
The cancellation comes amid HGTV’s purge of many of its top shows.

Another HGTV favorite is coming to an end. Christina Haack’s long-running home renovation series Christina on the Coast will not return for a new season, a source confirmed to PEOPLE. The news follows a wave of cancellations at the network, including Bargain Block, Farmhouse Fixer, Married to Real Estate, and Izzy Does It.
The second half of Christina on the Coast Season 5 premiered on February 27, just months after Haack’s split from husband Josh Hall, who filed for divorce in July 2024 after nearly three years of marriage. The series, which first aired in 2019, followed Haack as she redesigned homes in Southern California while balancing her personal life, motherhood, and real estate ventures.
While fans are disappointed to see the show go, Haack’s presence in the home renovation world isn’t over. She continues to run her design business and has hinted at new projects on the horizon.
At a time when HGTV is undergoing major shifts, Christina on the Coast joins a growing list of fan-favorite shows being cut from the lineup.
Popular
Zak Bagans Isn’t Married but Has a Girlfriend Holly Madison — They Rekindled Their Romance
Zak Bagans is not married but is currently in a relationship. The notable paranormal investigator and television personality has been romantically…

Zak Bagans is not married but is currently in a relationship. The notable paranormal investigator and television personality has been romantically involved with Holly Madison.
Despite a brief separation in 2021, the couple has officially rekindled their romance, as reported by TMZ. The sources close to them revealed that the split was amicable, and Bagans and Madison have remained in contact since then.
Their connection, which began after Madison visited Bagans’ Haunted Museum in Las Vegas in May 2019, seems to have endured the test of time and distance.

Zak Bagans and his girlfriend Holly Madison. (Source: TMZ)
Madison, who travels between Los Angeles and Vegas due to her kids, and Bagans, who travels extensively for the filming of his show, manage to spend time together almost every week.
Despite being public figures, the couple has chosen to keep their relationship relatively private, rarely being photographed together. I
That being said, Madison’s Instagram post, where she wished Bagans a happy birthday with a photo of a clown birthday cake, provided a glimpse into their intimate relationship.
Before dating Bagans, Madison was previously married to Pasquale Rotella until February 2019. They have two children together.
Zak Bagans’ ghost adventures
Bagans collaborated with Nick Groff and Aaron Goodwin in 2004 to create a documentary-style film of Ghost Adventures, which ultimately aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2007.
The success of the film paved the way for a full-fledged series that premiered in 2008 on the Travel Channel, marking the beginning of a captivating journey through haunted locations.
Despite its popularity, Ghost Adventures and other ghost hunting shows have faced criticism and accusations of fakery. Bagans, however, has continued to lead investigations and explore the unexplained.
In addition to Ghost Adventures, Bagans ventured into a spin-off series titled Ghost Adventures: Aftershocks from 2014 to 2016. The show delved into the aftermath of prior Ghost Adventures investigations, focusing on the impact and changes experienced by individuals involved in the paranormal encounters.
One of the most intriguing aspects of Bagans’ paranormal journey is his alleged communication with the late actor David Strickland, known for his role in NBC’s Suddenly Susan.
Strickland’s tragic suicide in 1999 at the Oasis Motel in Las Vegas became a focal point for Bagans, who claims to have recorded Strickland’s voice almost a decade after his death. This recording found its way into a track on Bagans’ album NecroFusion.
Interestingly, no known scientific analysis has been conducted on the raw recording, leaving questions about the veracity of Electronic Voice Phenomena and its connection to the famous actor unanswered.
Zak Bagans’ other projects
Bagans, known for his paranormal investigations on the hit show Ghost Adventures, has extended his passion for the supernatural into various other projects.
One notable venture is the creation of a “haunted museum” in Las Vegas, Nevada, as depicted in the Travel Channel series Deadly Possessions, which premiered on April 2, 2016.
The show captured Bagans’ quest to procure items with haunted histories, eventually culminating in the opening of the museum to the public in October 2017.
The museum boasts 33 rooms, each showcasing an array of intriguing and eerie artifacts. Among the notable items on display are Bela Lugosi’s mirror, the infamous Dybbuk box, Peggy the Doll, and even Jack Kevorkian’s chilling “Death Van.”
However, some controversy surrounds certain claims attached to these artifacts, with skepticism raised about the provenance of items like the Lugosi mirror and Captain Smith mirror housed in the museum.
Despite the controversies, the museum earned recognition in 2018 when it received the Las Vegas Mayor’s award for historic preservation and adaptive reuse.
In a fascinating addition to the museum’s collection in 2021, the transaxle salvaged from the Porsche 550 Spyder of American actor James Dean found its place among the eerie artifacts.
Furthermore, Bagans announced in May 2021 that he would be hosting and executive producing The Haunted Museum, a horror anthology show set to be broadcast on the Discovery+ Channel.
The series, filmed in Las Vegas, Nevada, and Toronto, Canada by Cream Productions, features Eli Roth as a filmmaker and Matt Booi, Kate Harrison Karman, and David Brady as executive producers.
Notably, the museum also houses a large painting of P.T. Barnum, a figure whom Bagans is said to idolize. This addition further reflects Bagans’ eclectic taste in curating a collection that spans not only the supernatural but also historical and cultural dimensions.
Zak Bagans also has written books
Bagans has also made significant contributions to the literary world. Collaborating with author Kelly Crigger, Bagans co-wrote the book Dark World: Into the Shadows with the Lead Investigator of the Ghost Adventures Crew.
This collaboration proved to be a literary success, as the book made its debut on The New York Times Best Seller list at No. 18 on September 23, 2011.
In December 2019, Bagans expanded his literary repertoire with the publication of Ghost-Hunting For Dummies, a book that delves into the history of ghost-hunting.
Beyond a mere historical account, the book draws on Bagans’ own experiences, featuring true accounts and stories from his famous cases and investigations. It aims to guide readers on how to embark on their supernatural investigations, inviting them to explore the unexplained.
However, the reception of Ghost-Hunting For Dummies was not without its critiques. Paranormal investigator Kenneth Biddle, writing for Skeptical Inquirer magazine, noted Bagans’ apparent bias against skeptics and scientists throughout much of the book.
-
Relationship2 weeks ago
Maggie Q’s Married Life — Meet ‘Ballard’ Star’s Husband and Kids
-
Actor2 weeks ago
Is David Corenswet Gay? Exploring ‘Superman’ Star’s Sexuality
-
Actress2 weeks ago
Is Rachel Brosnahan Jewish? Exploring Her Ethnicity and Family Life
-
Actor2 weeks ago
Nicholas Hoult’s Family Life — Know His Parents and Siblings
-
News3 weeks ago
Who Is Bryce Hall’s Girlfriend Mikaela Lafuente? Inside Their Relationship Timeline
-
News3 weeks ago
Lena Dunham Opens Up About Merciless Body‑Shaming in Hollywood
-
News3 weeks ago
James Gunn’s ‘Superman’ Sparks Right-Wing Backlash Ahead of Release
-
Relationship2 weeks ago
Who Is Jamie Campbell Bower’s Girlfriend? A Detailed Look at His Dating History