Role Model has confirmed that he and Dakota Johnson are in a relationship after months of photographs, public outings and reports linking the two.
The singer, whose real name is Tucker Pillsbury, acknowledged the romance while discussing Johnson’s appearance on “Love I You,” a song from his upcoming third album, Chuck Timely & The Hourglass.
The confirmation was brief and accompanied by an explanation that Pillsbury still intends to keep most details of their relationship private.
Johnson and Pillsbury first generated dating reports in December 2025 after they were photographed appearing affectionate during a candlelit dinner with friends.
Role Model Admitted That He and Johnson Are Together
During an interview published August 4, NYLON reported that Pillsbury was trying to protect the relationship from excessive public scrutiny but admitted that he and Johnson were together.
He explained that his previous experiences had taught him to keep interviews centered on his music because online audiences often search songs, videos and comments for clues about an artist’s private life. “Keeping things about music is what I’ve learned,” Pillsbury said. “Otherwise, the internet just has a field day.”
Dakota Johnson Volunteered for ‘Love I You’
Pillsbury always intended to include a woman’s voice during the spoken section of “Love I You” and had considered several possible performers. Johnson happened to visit the studio while he was working with guitarist and producer Mason Stoops, who suggested that she record the part.
Pillsbury initially objected because he did not want to mix “work and relationships.” Johnson nevertheless volunteered, immediately entered the booth and recorded the material. “She stood right up and got in the booth and knocked it out better than we could have imagined,” he told NYLON.
According to People’s account of the session, her performance convinced Pillsbury that the personal-professional crossover was worth keeping. He ultimately called Johnson’s contribution an “amazing cameo.”
The Song Features a Flirtatious Spoken Exchange
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Johnson does not sing a conventional verse on “Love I You.” She performs one side of a playful spoken-word conversation with Pillsbury during the bridge.
The exchange begins with him complimenting her, while she responds with teasing skepticism about whether he uses the same approach with everyone. The conversation continues with Johnson jokingly questioning his confidence and calling him “Mr. Big Night.”
Pillsbury debuted the song during a late-night performance at Thalia Hall in Chicago on July 30, giving fans an early preview before the album’s release.
They Had Been Linked Since December 2025
Johnson and Pillsbury first generated dating reports in December 2025 after they were photographed appearing affectionate during a candlelit dinner with friends. The speculation continued through early 2026 as they attended private gatherings and were photographed leaving Los Angeles restaurants together.
They were seen kissing after dinner in Los Feliz in April, and a source subsequently told People that the relationship had become more than a casual flirtation. Johnson’s mother, Melanie Griffith, also publicly described Pillsbury as “fabulous” when asked about him.
The Album Explores Time, Love and Feeling Left Behind
Chuck Timely & The Hourglass explores romantic uncertainty, the passage of time and Pillsbury’s feeling that people around him were reaching major milestones while he remained in one place.
He created Chuck Timely as an album character who could connect those themes without separating the emotions from his own experiences. Pillsbury said seeing friends marry, start families and move forward with their lives contributed to his sense of stagnation while writing the record.
Other songs examine his desire for companionship, his doubts about entering a healthy relationship and the emotional impact of attending weddings as an adult. Chuck Timely & The Hourglass, a 13-track album released through Interscope Records, arrives Friday, August 7.