How did Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton meet? Relationship explored as MCU star confirms engagement

English actor Tom Hiddleston has announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Zawe Ashton.

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, published on June 14, the 41-year-old star revealed that he was "very happy" with this chapter of his life.

Tom Hiddleston and Zawe Ashton first crossed paths while co-starring in a 2019 play, titled Betrayal. Ever since then, the duo have kept their relationship away from the spotlight.

Screenshot of AJ Odudu's Instagram post from March 2022. (Image via Instagram/ajodudu)

The news of their engagement comes three months after the couple sparked speculations about their union when the 37-year-old actress was spotted wearing a diamond ring on her left hand at the 2022 BAFTA Awards in March.

The duo was all smiles in a photo with British TV personality AJ Odudu, but did not discuss their relationship status at the time.

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Why did Tom Hiddleston keep his relationship with Zawe Ashton private?

While talking to The Telegraph, Tom Hiddleston stated that he does not discuss his romantic life with the media because he feels "everyone is entitled to have a private life."

"I love what I do and I dedicate myself with absolute commitment to making great art and great entertainment, and in my mind I don't conflict the two. My work is in the public sphere and I have a private life. And those two things are separate."

In August 2019, Hiddleston and Ashton appeared in the West End and Broadway productions of Harold Pinter's play Betrayal. Following that, the pair sparked dating rumors after they were photographed attending the US Open together.

A source close to the Betrayal production told PEOPLE in March, 2022 that the duo had "lovely" chemistry while working in the play.

"They were very private publicly, but behind the scenes you could just see a lovely chemistry. There were twinkles in both of their eyes, and the entire company, including Charlie Cox, were all very close. Tom has always been a very, very private person. Behind the scenes, they would just privately be affectionate and hugging and sitting next to each other and holding hands."

The discreet couple was photographed by the paparazzi in September, 2021 while vacationing in Ibiza, Spain. The two could be seen kissing as they swam in the water.

After more than two years of dating, Hiddleston and Ashton appeared to announce their romance as they posed together at the 2021 Tony Awards, where they captured selfies on the red carpet with their Betrayal co-star Charlie Cox.

The pair held hands on the red carpet when they attended the BAFTAs together in March, 2022, marking one of the first occasions where they were this open about their romance.