How did FINNEAS and Claudia Sulewski get together? Relationship timeline explored as couple announce engagement

On September 24, 2025, Finneas O’Connell, known professionally as FINNEAS, announced his engagement to longtime girlfriend Claudia Sulewski. The announcement came via Instagram on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, where the couple revealed that the proposal took place two days earlier on Monday, September 22. 2025

The carousel pf photos featured photos of the sunset proposal, clips of the couple traveling by helicopter to the site, Sulewski's cushion-cut diamond engagement ring, and several romantic photos taken moments after the proposal.

Finneas O’Connell and Claudia Sulewski have reportedly been together since 2018, when they first met through a dating app. Over the years, their relationship has included multiple creative collaborations, public appearances, and shared milestones, from buying a home together to co-hosting a podcast. According to People, O’Connell has called Sulewski "his muse" in multiple interviews and social media posts.

FINNEAS and Claudia Sulewski met on a dating app in 2018

According to an update by Today on March 8, 2024, Claudi Sulewski talked about how the couple met during an appearance on The Skinny Confidential Him & Her podcast in 2020. She said that the pair first connected via Raya, an exclusive dating app, in September 2018. However, she had been hearing about him for years from mutual friends in the music industry.

“Two and a half years leading up to us meeting on Raya- I have a lot of friends that are in the music industry- and two of my best friends, specifically, had sessions with him. And both times, they both were like, ‘I just had a session with this guy. You guys would fall in love with each other. But it’s not worth it, because he’s always out of town."

Sulewski said when she saw his profile on Raya, she asked a friend if it was the same person she had heard about, saying,

"Is this the guy? Finneas? Like, who else has that name?"

Her friend confirmed it was him, adding,

"Oh, my God! I can’t believe he’s single. Yes! You need to match with him."

Sulewski said that once they met, “everything just immediately clicked the second” she met Finneas.

“Everything fell into place so perfectly and so quickly."

FINNEAS and Claudia at the ASCAP 2019 Pop Music Awards (Image via Getty)

FINNEAS wrote Claudia on the day they met

In a July 2019 interview with BuzzFeed Celeb, FINNEAS revealed that he wrote his 2019 song Claudia on the same day he met Claudia Sulewski. He shared the first part of the song with her that night, and she replied with, “You’re trouble,” according to Today.

Released in February 2019 as a non-album single, Claudia opens with lyrics about falling in love at first sight,

"I think you’re gonna change my plans / With those emerald eyes / But you don’t even understand / How much they’re on my mind."

Sulewski’s text response inspired the chorus line, “Oh, I’m in trouble now,” O’Connell told BuzzFeed. According to Today, the song marked the first of several creative projects the couple would collaborate on over the next few years.

Buying a House and Adopting a Dog in 2019

According to the report by PEOPLE on September 24, 2025, the couple had purchased their first home together in October 2019, in a post via Instagram, captioning the post simply with the word “Home” and a key emoji. A few months later, they also shared that they had adopted a pit bull named Peaches.

Claudia's Instagram post featuring Peaches and FINNEAS (Image via Instagram/@claudiasulewski)

On their now-discontinued podcast We Bought a House With Claudia Sulewski and Finneas, O’Connell explained that living apart had become "an inconvenience" once they realized how much time they spent together.

However, they needed a home that could accommodate both of their careers. Claudia, a lifestyle and fashion influencer with millions of followers on YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram, required a quiet office for filming and editing. Finneas, a Grammy-winning singer, songwriter, and record producer, needed a recording studio where he could work without interruptions.

They eventually found a home in Los Angeles that met both needs, which included an office for Sulewski and a studio for O’Connell, according to Today's report on March 8, 2024.

Bond with Billie Eilish and creative collaboration

Claudia Sulewski has also said that she has a close relationship with O’Connell’s sister, Billie Eilish. In December 2021, Sulewski posted birthday photos with Eilish, writing,

"ILOVEYOUSOMUCH !!! happy birthday billie the world wouldn’t be the same without you."

Claudia Sulewski, FINNEAS, and Billie Eilish at the 64th Annual GRAMMY Awards (Image via Getty)

In 2022, Sulewski directed and starred in the music video for FINNEAS' song Mona Lisa, Mona Lisa which featured the couple in Paris and reportedly included references to their first date. Talking to Vogue in July 2022, Sulewski said,

"It’s a gushy video, for sure!"

She added that the lyrics “are exactly about our first date and our relationship,” making it the perfect project for them to collaborate on.

The couple has also attended multiple red-carpet events together, including the Grammys, the Vanity Fair Oscars after-party, and the Barbie premiere, where O’Connell and Eilish were recognized for their work on the Grammy-winning song What Was I Made For? according to PEOPLE on September 24, 2025.

Public Anniversaries and Milestones

Over the years, Finneas and Claudia have celebrated anniversaries and birthdays with affectionate social media posts. On their fourth anniversary in September 2022, O’Connell wrote on Instagram,

“You’d have to scour the globe to try to find someone equally as talented, creative and hard working as you are, my love… How you manage to be every one of these things all at once, will forever be the impossibility of you. Happy anniversary, Baby, I love the hell out of you.”

For their fifth anniversary in 2023, FINNEAS posted,

“Happy anniversary to my absolute dream girl!!! Best 5 years of my life!!!”

Sulewski replied,

“Half a decade with the love of my life ♥️ lucky us.”

He also marked her birthday in February 2024 with the caption,

“Happy birthday to my most precious Claudia who has made the world a better, brighter place since she got here. So lucky you were born when you were, so lucky to be around you.”

At the time of press, there have been no further announcements from FINNEAS or Claudia regarding a wedding or any other plans.

About the author

Devangee Halder is a Food and Pop culture writer at Sportskeeda. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics and a Master's Degree in International Studies. A bibliophile and foodie, her academic background, with the intersection of history and cultural studies, has deepened her love for reading and writing.

With over a year of experience, including an internship at Indian Express, which she landed through correspondence with editor Raj Kumar Jha, she transitioned into her current role at this company.

When not working, she enjoys cooking and reading, alongside her newfound interest in weightlifting. Among her favorite personalities are Sarah Todd and Vikas Khanna, and she admires the late chef Jock Zonfrillo for his work on indigenous food habits and ingredients.

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Edited by Devangee