Actress Shay Mitchell and Matte Babel’s relationship is one of the most private romances in Hollywood. The two were first romantically linked together in 2017 and share two year-old daughter, Atlas Noa, together. Now, they’re expecting their second child.
Mitchell is known for publicly sharing snippets of her high-profile celebrity life with her fans, but she and Babel have kept their relationship largely off-line. Here’s everything we know about Babel and his history with the Pretty Little Liars actress.
Babel is a Toronto native.
Similar to Mitchell, Babel was born and raised in Toronto, Canada. In an interview with Fox News, Mitchell talked about she and Babel were friends in Toronto. “We’ve known each other for nine years. We knew each other in Toronto. Like Drake and all of them, it’s a Toronto crew. We’re really, really awesome friends.”
Babel and Mitchell started dating in January 2017.
Mitchell and Babel, who at the time was a reporter for Entertainment Tonight Canada, were first linked in January 2017. A source told Entertainment Tonight at the time that Mitchell and Babel had been together “for a few months.” The source added the two “are serious and are having fun together.”
On Mitchell’s YouTube channel, Babel revealed the couple’s first date as they played Relationship Quiz. As Babel asked Mitchell the question, she couldn’t recall the name of the restaurant. “Village Idiot,” Babel said. He smiled and joked, “I wined you and dined.” Mitchell responded with a smirk.
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Babel is friends with Drake.
Days after announcing the birth of their daughter, Babel attended Drake’s 33rd birthday with Mitchell by his side, per People. Mitchell posted herself and Babel dancing to Young Thug’s “The London” featuring J. Cole and Travis Scott at the rapper’s party. “Parents,” the You star captioned the story.
Babel works in music.
According to Babel’s social media, he’s involved with Ransom Music Group and DreamCrew, a management and entertainment group that manages Drake’s career and business portfolio, according to its site.
Babel was on set of Drake’s music video, “Laugh Now Cry Later,” featuring Lil Durk. Babel posted on Instagram behind the scene footage that he captured. “CLB 🥀,” Babel captioned the post, seemingly hinting at Drake’s upcoming album, Certified Lover Boy.
Babel welcomed his first child, daughter Atlas, with Mitchell in 2019.
Mitchell shared in 2018 that she suffered a miscarriage. At the time, outlets pointed out that Mitchell was last linked to Babel romantically. She did not comment about their relationship then but did write in her Instagram Story that in 2018, she lost “the child of [her] hopes and dreams.”
Mitchell did talk about Babel and share her first footage with him in the YouTube trailer for her series Almost Ready on the platform. In it, she spoke a little about their relationship and her excitement welcoming a child with him.
In the trailer, she said, “Now it’s about us, and I would never want it to be like I’m not confident of us,” over footage of her and Babel during her baby bump photoshoot. “I’m extremely confident now because I have my baby growing inside me. It didn’t feel right to just put up a photo and be like, I’m pregnant and have people just think that everything has been peaches and rainbows. This is real life, and I want people to come along with me on this journey in real-time.” Babel can be heard in the video complimenting her photos and affectionately calling her babe. The video gives a sweet first look at their relationship, which they’ve previously kept pretty private:
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Guess Who’s Preggers | Shay Mitchell
In late 2019, Mitchell posted a sweet picture of her holding her newborn daughter, Atlas, hand. “Never letting go…,” the actress captioned the pic.
In early January 2021, the actress spoke to Us Weekly about if she and Babel were planning to have a second child. “We’ll see what happens, you know when the time is right. It’s not something that we’re constantly focused on,” she said. She mentioned that she and Babel have difficulty keeping up as their daughter grows up so quickly. “I’m like, ‘Oh, my gosh, you were just a baby a second ago. So who knows.”
Mitchell announced the couple was expecting their second child in February 2022.
Mitchell shared the news of her second pregnancy on her Instagram on February 7, 2022. Noting her grandmother, the woman she considered her best friend, passed away just days before, Mitchell wrote, “Saying goodbye to a loved one while simultaneously experiencing the joy of welcoming another into this world is the great cycle of life. It is also my most challenging season to date. I can’t help but think this was the universe’s plan all along, knowing I would need other worldly joy to cushion the blow of losing one of the most important people in my life. Yet, this is proof that love, life and loss can profoundly exist all at the same time. Gram, I miss you every day. Little one, we are so excited to meet you. I breathe a sigh of peace knowing you two are already connected in such a cosmic way.” You can see her announcement post here.
Similar to Mitchell, Babel has an acting background.
In 2010, Babel appeared on the Canadian teenage drama Degrassi: The Next Generation as a TV host for the on-screen singing competition Next Teen Star.
This content is imported from youTube. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.
Babel and Mitchell are not in a rush to get married.
On August 3, 2021, Mitchell told E! News Daily Pop that she wasn’t about to marry Babel. “I don’t know if I’ve done anything in order,” she said. “I didn’t get married before a child. I had a child, didn’t get married. I don’t really know if that’s in the cards of us. I think we both agree; maybe it’s just me.”
She continued, “There’s no pressure here. I love it. I love the fact that we come home, and every day I’m like, ‘I choose you, and you choose me.’ It keeps us on our toes. I’m like, ‘Hey, I can walk out. I don’t need to go through a lawyer, I can just walk out.’ And same with him. It keeps it sexy.”
She said something similar in November of 2022 while being interviewed about her role on the new Prime Video rom-com Something From Tiffany‘s. After being asked by E! News‘ Francesca Amiker if the film inspired thoughts of wanting to be a fiancée, she simply replied, “No.”
“It didn’t make me want to do that,” she added.
Senior News and Strategy Editor
Alyssa Bailey is the senior news and strategy editor at ELLE.com, where she oversees coverage of celebrities and royals (particularly Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton). She previously held positions at InStyle and Cosmopolitan. When she’s not working, she loves running around Central Park, making people take #ootd pics of her, and exploring New York City.
Starr Savoy is a fellow at ELLE.com, where she writes about celebrity, culture, beauty, and fashion. When she is not working, you will find her pumping iron at the gym, watching Netflix’s latest phenomenon, and indulging in retail therapy.