Lily James and Michael Shuman dated for two years before it was reported they had split—and it was only about six months before it was reported they were back on. The Pammy & Tommy star has been linked to several big names in the past, including Captain America’s Chris Evans, but Shuman is a musician, not an actor. He’s still a pretty big deal.
Here’s everything to know about James’ boyfriend so far.
Who is Michael Shuman?
Shuman is a very well-known and lauded musician. He was raised in Los Angeles and went to high school in North Hollywood before attending Loyola Marymount University.
He has played bass guitar for Queens of the Stone Age since 2007, though the rock group has been around since the ’90s. He then formed his own band in 2009 with Zach Dawes and Tyler Parkford called Mini Mansions. The trio have released four albums; their most recent, Guy Walks Into a Bar…, came out in 2019. Shuman has also played for bands Jubilee and Wires on Fire, and announced a solo project in 2022 called GLU.
Shuman’s father, Ira, is a former executive production manager for Walt Disney, and the future rock star made an appearance in Adam Sandler’s The Wedding Singer as a child playing the “bar mitzvah boy.”
“My dad’s in the film business so I was just in the right place at the right time,” he said of the role. “Once, my dad took me to his [Adam Sandler’s] trailer, and he was just jamming playing guitar… and he was like, ‘Come on in, we can play.’ Then the next day, I went to school and I came home and Adam had given me a guitar and an amp, which was so sweet. I still have the guitar.”
How long have Shuman and James been seeing each other?
The couple were first linked in February 2021 sharing a kiss in Suffolk, England, where James was filming What’s Love Got to Do With It? They’ve been pretty quiet about their relationship, though they have attended events and posted photos with one another on Instagram. A year later on Feb. 17, 2022, James shared her first photos of her boyfriend, including him in a carousel of images that were mostly scenic shots and old photos. One picture was the back of Shuman’s head.
In March, she tagged him in the caption of a photo where he is taking her picture.
That same month, they attended the 94th Annual Academy Awards together, making their red carpet debut.
James and Shuman attended a Chanel event in April 2022, and James finally shared her most direct picture yet.
They were then photographed holding hands in Los Angeles while supposedly heading to meet Shuman’s parents.
They were seen together at 2022 Emmy Awards and an after-party for the Met Gala that year, but in February 2023, it was reported that they had split up. A source told The Sun at the time, “Lily and Michael have grown apart in recent months and have now decided to end their relationship. They just couldn’t make it work as a couple, but they both wish each other the best for the future.”
Then in June, it was reported that James was seen backstage as Queens of the Stone Age performed during Glastonbury Festival. A source told the Mirror, “Lily and Mikey have always adored each other and have lots of fun together. Time apart has made them realize how much they missed each other and now they’re picking up where they left off. They looked close at Glasto. Neither is putting any pressure on it—they’re just seeing how it goes.”
It seems as though things are still going strong this winter.
Aimée Lutkin is the weekend editor at ELLE.com. Her writing has appeared in Jezebel, Glamour, Marie Claire and more. Her first book, The Lonely Hunter, will be released by Dial Press in February 2022.