Anthony Joshua Dating History: Complete Timeline of His Relationships

By Ali Hammad November 25, 2025 02:39

Anthony Joshua has spent the past decade knocking out world-class opponents in front of 90,000 screaming fans, yet the most guarded part of the two-time heavyweight champion’s life has never been his chin; it’s his heart. The 36-year-old Briton (28-4, 25 KOs) has built a £180 million empire on discipline and privacy, but the women linked to him over the years have still managed to generate headlines almost as loud as his uppercuts. From teenage sweethearts to pole-vaulting models and quiet family life, here is the complete, verified timeline of AJ’s dating history.

2013–2018: Nicole Osbourne – The Childhood Sweetheart and Mother of His Son

Long before Watford’s finest became a global superstar, he was dating Nicole Osbourne, a fellow Londoner he met in school. The couple kept things low-key while Joshua climbed the amateur ranks and stormed to Olympic gold in 2012. In October 2015, Osbourne gave birth to their son, Joseph “JJ” Joshua, now 10 years old.

Even after the relationship ended romantically around 2018, the pair have maintained an unusually mature co-parenting dynamic. Joshua has repeatedly called Nicole “family forever.” “She’s an incredible mother and always will be,” he told GQ in 2020. “We’re not together, but the respect is 100 per cent.” Sources close to the fighter say Joshua still financially supports both mother and son generously and spends significant time with JJ, often taking him to Spurs matches or on private-jet getaways. Osbourne, a trained dancer and fitness enthusiast, has stayed almost entirely out of the spotlight since the split.

2016–2017: The Bella Hadid Rumour That Broke the Internet

During the height of his first title reign, Joshua was photographed leaving Tape nightclub in London with supermodel Bella Hadid in February 2017. The internet exploded. Hadid, fresh off her split from The Weeknd, and Joshua, the new king of heavyweight boxing, seemed like a power couple scripted by Hollywood.

Reality was far tamer. Multiple outlets, including The Sun and Daily Mail, later confirmed it was a one-night link-up at most. Joshua himself laughed it off on Capital XTRA: “Me and Bella? Nah, man. We just had a drink. She’s cool, but that was it. People love to run with things.” Hadid never commented, and the “relationship” lasted approximately 48 hours in the tabloids.

2019: Tasha Yalchuk – The Ukrainian Instagram Model Phase

In early 2019, Joshua was spotted on multiple occasions with Kyiv-born model Tasha Yalchuk. Paparazzi caught them shopping in Harrods and leaving Scotts restaurant in Mayfair. Yalchuk, who has over 400k Instagram followers, posted (and quickly deleted) a photo from Joshua’s training camp in Sheffield.

The fling fizzled out by summer. Joshua later admitted he was “having fun” but not ready to settle down again. “I’m selfish with my time right now,” he told Sky Sports in 2019. “Boxing is the girlfriend that never complains.”

2021–2022: The Pole-Vaulter Era – Holly Bradshaw & Morgann LeLeux Rumours

After the second Andy Ruiz Jr. fight and the first Oleksandr Usyk loss, Joshua began showing up at athletics events. First came British Olympic pole-vaulter Holly Bradshaw, who posted training photos with AJ at Loughborough University in late 2021. Then American vaulter Morgann LeLeux was seen ringside at the Anthony Yarde vs. Lyndon Arthur card in December 2021 wearing Joshua’s AJBXNG merch.

Neither relationship was ever confirmed. Bradshaw later said they were “just friends who train hard,” while LeLeux simply liked a few of Joshua’s posts and the rumours died.

2023–Present: Shannon Briggs’ Niece? Cara Delevingne Links? The Mystery Phase

The last two years have produced more speculation than substance. In 2023, former heavyweight champion Shannon Briggs loudly claimed on social media that Joshua was dating his niece – a claim Joshua’s team dismissed as “100 per cent false.”

More credible whispers linked him briefly to model and actress Cara Delevingne after they were seen chatting at the British Fashion Awards in December 2023, but friends insist it never progressed beyond flirtation.

As of November 2025, Joshua is widely believed to be single – or at least operating in complete stealth mode. He now lives primarily between a £12 million North London mansion and a luxury Watford apartment, with JJ staying over regularly. When asked by Men’s Health UK this year whether marriage is on the horizon, he gave the answer that has become his hallmark: “When the time is right, you’ll know. Until then, I’m married to the game and father first, fighter second.”

The Bottom Line

Unlike many modern athletes who monetise their relationships, Joshua has gone the opposite route – shielding almost every woman he’s dated from the glare. He has never had a public girlfriend during a world-title reign, and the only constant romantic presence in his life remains his son JJ, whom he calls “my real world champion.”

In an era of Instagram-official couples and reality-TV crossovers, Anthony Joshua’s love life remains the rare heavyweight division still ruled by privacy. And for a man who has spent his career proving he can take a punch, that might just be the smartest defence of all.