Cory Booker & Rosario Dawson’s Relationship Timeline Begins Years Before Anyone Thought

As the Democratic primary inches closer, the pressure is on for candidates like Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren to distinguish themselves as the progressive answer to our current political mess. For candidates like Cory Booker, we have a slightly different question: What is the sitch with you and Rosario Dawson???

Dating rumors swirled for some time before Dawson herself confirmed them earlier this year, but the origin of their courtship is somewhat of a mystery. Luckily, reporters like Don Lemon asked the important questions at a CNN Town Hall back in March, prompting Booker to ask, "Is this CNN or TMZ?" Well, in this case, it's Refinery29, and ahead we pieced together the important moments from this mysterious relationship, starting from the veeeery beginning.

Booker told Lemon that he and Dawson first met at a political fundraiser for Ben Jealous who was running for governor, which would place us sometime in 2017.

"She didn’t give me the time of day," Booker said, revealing that it wasn't until their second meeting, an unknown amount of time later, that he finally got the courage to ask for her number.

Fast forward a year or so, and they're spotted on two dates in a row. Page Six spied the couple at Regal Union Square in New York City on a movie date, and a few days later they hit up the Broadway show Dear Evan Hansen where Dawson was heard singing "I love you" to her then-rumored beau.

"I'm dating somebody really special," Booker told The Breakfast Club in an interview. "I got a boo." However, he did not mention anyone by name.

Luckily, it wouldn't be long before Dawson just cut the games and told the truth to TMZ, confirming that she and Booker are indeed an item.

"I am just grateful to be with someone that I respect and love and admire so much," she said, adding, "He's an amazing human being...It's good to spend some time together when we can."

However, we all know it's not real until it's Instagram official. The next month, Booker made his first appearance on Dawson's Instagram, the two sharing their excitement for Avengers: Endgame.

 Just a few months later, Booker hinted that things might be getting more serious for the couple. He appeared on RUPAUL, RuPaul's talk show, and once again had to talk about how he is not married.

"If elected, you would be the first unmarried president in a long, long time," the host pointed out.

"The swearing in isn't until the 21st of January, 2021," Booker responded. "You never know what might happen between now and then."

In a video posted by TMZ, the camera then pans to Rosario Dawson in the audience, who is wearing a big smile.

But the hallmark of any serious celebrity relationship comes when you find yourself inexplicably in the midst of breakup rumors. Just last month, a handful of outlets noticed that Dawson was not at Booker's past few campaign events, prompting speculation that the two had called it quits. However, when Booker texted Dawson a screenshot of one of the articles with the text, "you made it," the actress revealed on Instagram that, actually, she's just a busy working woman! The two are definitely still going strong.