Some years feel like a coronation. For Elle Fanning, 2026 is exactly that. An Oscar nomination on her résumé, a Cannes-honored film still echoing through the industry, a sister as cool and enduring as Dakota Fanning, and yes, a boyfriend who sounds plucked from a Nora Ephron rewrite of media royalty. For a certain archetype of girlhood fantasy, she is ticking every box. But who, exactly, is the man standing just off-camera in this golden chapter?

There is always a moment when curiosity sharpens into intrigue. Who is the partner when the flashbulbs hit? 

Elle Fanning is dating Gus Wenner, the 35-year-old Leo who currently serves as CEO of Rolling Stone, the magazine originally founded by his father, Jann Wenner. That makes him less ‘industry adjacent’ and more bona fide media lineage, Hollywood royalty with a publishing spine. Beyond the masthead, he is also an executive producer, fluent in both culture and commerce.

Fanning made their relationship Instagram official on Valentine’s Day 2024, a soft launch with hard confirmation. Since then, the timeline reads like a discreet but deliberate romance rollout. They were first spotted together in fall 2023. By late March 2024, they were seen on a date. Twice in late April 2024, cameras caught them in New York City. In May, they arrived together at the 2024 Met Gala, a red carpet that rarely tolerates ambiguity.

In November 2025, they attended the MoMA Film Benefit together. And in January 2026, they made their Golden Globes debut as a couple, where Fanning was nominated for Sentimental Value.

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And yet, beneath the awards chatter and couture speculation, one deliciously modern question lingers in the air, with Oscars 2026 almost here, will Gus Wenner join Fanning again? 

Despite their increasingly public partnership, Elle Fanning already knows who her Academy Awards date will be and it is not Gus Wenner. The first-time nominee, recognized for Best Supporting Actress for her work in Sentimental Value, is bringing her mother.

“My mom is coming with me. I'm looking forward to picking out her dress,” she told PEOPLE.

Though her own gown remains undecided. Nomination morning itself was gloriously chaotic for Fanning as she shares. Running on two hours of sleep, Fanning woke to frantic notifications announcing her name among nominees including Inga Ibsdotter Lilleaas, Amy Madigan, Wunmi Mosaku and Teyana Taylor.

The disbelief was real. Sentimental Value, directed by Joachim Trier and starring Renate Reinsve and Stellan Skarsgard, earned nine nominations after winning the Grand Prix at Cannes in May 2025. 

As for Gus Wenner? He may not be on her arm at the ceremony, but make no mistake, he is firmly in the frame of her life. And in 2026, that frame looks very bright indeed.

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So what do you think, is this simply a chapter in Elle Fanning’s ever-evolving story, or the beginning of a lasting Hollywood partnership? Share your thoughts.