Charlie Hunnam and girlfriend Morgana McNelis have always kept their relationship private, but they've been together for more than a decade.
While Hunnam may be used to the spotlight after starring in Sons of Anarchy and King Arthur, McNelis, a jewelry designer, leads a "simple life." Not much is known about her before her relationship with Hunnam, but she has been spotted at his side on the red carpet and supporting him in his career.
After more than 15 years together, the Rebel Moon star already considers himself married to McNelis.
So, who is Charlie Hunnam's girlfriend? Here is everything to know about Morgana McNelis and her relationship with the actor.
She's a jewelry designer
McNelis is the creative mind behind the jewelry line Maison de Morgana, which specializes in rings, bracelets, earrings and necklaces made from brass and white bronze.
According to the brand's Facebook page, the line is described as "eclectic jewelry designed and inspired for daydreamers & make-believers." Maison de Morgana even has some A-list customers, including Zac Efron and Troian Bellisario.
McNelis also makes jewelry for her boyfriend, as he told ELLE during a 2012 interview.
"She told me she was making me a diamond encrusted ring — she's a jewelry designer, not an actor — and I was like 'Uh-oh. This is not going to go well for me,' " Hunnam shared. "But I love it. It's so discrete and beautiful."
She is passionate about giving back
McNelis has partnered with the non-profit Naretoi, which benefits Maasai women in Kenya through educational programs, on various occasions. As she explained in a 2020 Instagram post, the organization is run by her friend Rafaelle Abramovitz and works to "empower girls and women through education, relationship building and selling Maasai jewelry." In addition to raising money for educational programs, McNelis has also helped organize food donations for Maasai families during the COVID-19 pandemic.
She prefers to keep her personal life private
While she has connections to Hollywood through her work as a jewelry designer and, of course, her famous boyfriend, McNelis prefers to keep her personal life out of the spotlight. In fact, McNelis' relationship with Hunnam was kept under wraps for over a decade and was only revealed to the public after the pair had been together for many years.
When their relationship went public, some fans reacted negatively and Hunnam quickly came to the defense of his girlfriend. The actor asked fans on a Facebook page to stop harassing McNelis online.
"It has been brought to my attention that there is a group of immature girls posting a large number of hard messages aimed at my long time girlfriend," Hunnam wrote. "I would respectfully ask you to stop doing this. She is an intelligent, beautiful, kind person who just tried to live a simple life and has nothing to do with the entertainment industry."
She and Hunnam live on a farm together
It's no surprise that the ultra-private couple prefers farm life over the hustle and bustle of Hollywood. In 2013, Hunnam and McNelis bought a ranch in California with dreams of living more sustainably and at a slower pace.
"My girlfriend and I just bought a ranch, so we are getting out of Hollywood completely," Hunnam told the U.K.'s 7 Nights magazine at the time. "It's in California. We've got 30 chickens and a couple of donkeys, a couple of ducks and we've got a big, organic garden. We are going to try to live a bit more sustainably."
Hunnam considers himself married to her
The couple have been together for over 15 years, but have yet to marry. When asked about his views on marriage during a press interview in 2020, Hunnam said he was "sort of indifferent," but noted that McNelis feels differently.
"She does not feel the same. She's very eager," Hunnam said. "I'll do it because it's important to her but I don't have any great romantic feelings towards it."
He clarified his remarks a few days later, explaining that he feels like he and McNelis are already married.
"I'm, like, so romantic, and the reality is I sort of consider myself married," he said. "I've been with my girlfriend for 14 years. I suppose what I was trying to articulate the official government sanction of it doesn't mean anything to me but the romance of it means an enormous amount."
She and Hunnam are each other's biggest supporters
McNelis has been supportive of Hunnam's career for years. In 2013, he accepted the role of Christian Grey in Fifty Shades of Grey (before famously dropping out of the project), and McNelis was very excited for her boyfriend.
"It was a decision we made together, but she loved the books. She [was] really excited about the potential of this opportunity for me and if anything, I just think it will bring us closer," the actor told PEOPLE of his supportive girlfriend.
He added, "It's very hard to be with an actor. She's required to share parts of me that she wouldn't really want to share, of course. And with the certain nature of this role, it's going to be times 10."
Hunnam is just as supportive of his girlfriend and goes the extra mile to show her how much he appreciates her. Speaking with PEOPLE at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival, he said, "Before I came away to TIFF, I ended up staying up until 5 in the morning because I decided that I was going to clean the entire house, do all the grocery shopping and all of the laundry, which is stuff that we share and do all the time."
He continued, "I thought it would be nice for her to come home with everything immaculate and done."