All About Rich Paul, Adele’s Fiancé and One of the Biggest Sports Agents in the NBA

The tables are turning for pop superstar Adele, who—despite keeping a low profile following her divorce from Simon Konecki, which was finalized in March 2021—has found love stateside.

On July 24, 2021, she and sports agent Rich Paul were seen out on a date at NYC hotspot Cipriani; The Sun obtained photos. The PDA-filled photos seemed to confirm the romance, which was also confirmed by Page Six on July 20, 2021.

Only a few days before the Page Six post, they were seen together for the first time. On July 17, 2021, British singer was spotted laughing and cheering alongside Paul at Game 5 of the NBA Finals, in which the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Phoenix Suns.

Paul was apparently there alongside his client LeBron James to support friend Chris Paul, a player for the Suns. On a late-night podcast following the game’s conclusion, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst seemingly confirmed the relationship between Paul and the “Rolling in the Deep” singer.

“Rich Paul brings his girlfriend to the game to sit next to LeBron. His girlfriend is Adele,” Windhorst said. “This is the first time that they’ve come out in public together.”

Page Six confirmed the two were involved on Tuesday, July 20, with a source telling the outlet that Adele and Paul are “100 percent” dating.

It’s possible the two have been an item since as early as May 2021. In a profile of Paul for The New Yorker, interviewer Isaac Chotiner detailed the following exchange between the sports agent and Adam Mendelsohn, a friend and adviser to both Paul and James.

“She was over yesterday,” Paul said.

Mendelsohn clarified whom he meant, dropping the name of a major pop star. “Doing what?” he asked.

“Hanging out,” Paul replied.

“Why are you hanging out?” Mendelsohn asked.

“Why not?” Paul replied.

I wasn’t entirely sure whether this exchange was for my benefit.

Paul said, “I’m not dating, I’m single. Put that in the story.” He laughed for the first time all day.

The “major pop star” in question is almost undoubtedly Adele, and the couple made their relationship official in the months since the article’s release. Adele later confirmed their engagement in August 2024.

While Adele is very well known, Paul has a storied career of his own. Here’s what we know about the agent’s background and his love story with Adele.

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