Dane Cook Is Engaged To Kelsi Taylor After Dating For 5 Years

Dane Cook hasn't been in the spotlight too much in recent years, but the announcement of his engagement to his “longtime love” recently brought him back into the limelight. His engagement to fiancée Kelsi Taylor was a topic of discussion on Twitter on Aug. 2 due to the age gap between the 50-year-old comedian and his 23-year-old partner. Some tweets called out the use of “longtime” in headlines referring to the length of their relationship, particularly since the legal age of consent is only five years (or six or seven years depending on the state) from the age she is now.

Cook has previously commented on the age gap, noting that years between them doesn’t affect their relationship and shouldn’t bother anyone else, either. “The only thing you have to do is plan that your deaths will be somewhat far apart,” he said jokingly in a 2018 Instagram Q&A. The couple has been going steady since then, and Cook officially popped the question on July 13 at York Beach, Maine — a sentimental spot for them.

“When we started dating, we went there on our first trip together, so to return five years later was meaningful to us," Cook told People. “It’s a place I spent much time in growing up so I have such fond memories there. After my mother passed away, she asked me and my siblings to release her at her favorite spot, the breathtaking location, at the tip of Cape Neddick Point, Nubble Lighthouse, where our vacation cottage is located. It felt like the right place.” Taylor mentioned that the proposal was a shock to her, though she was excited about their future together. “[It was a] pinch-me moment ... I hugged my mom and couldn't wait to FaceTime the rest of my family and share the news. My family loves him so much, so they were beyond excited for us,” she said.

In an Instagram post about the engagement, she wrote, “I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect moment. I love this man and love spending my life with him. I can’t wait for what’s to come.”

Despite fans’ opinions on the couple’s love life, there’s much more to Cook’s partner than her age. According to People, the couple first met at a game night at Cook’s house. “We were friends for a while and soon after fell in like with each other and then upgraded to love,” he said of their meet-cute. Taylor is a Pilates instructor, certified food therapist and nutritionist, and a singer. Taylor is from Nevada, but moved to the Southern California area more than 10 years ago to pursue music. She has more than 40,000 followers on Instagram.

In 2018, People reported that the two had been “quietly dating” for the past year, though the comedian was regularly posting about her on social media. Back in April 2017, Cook shared a photo of himself and Taylor via Instagram, and he used the caption to express his feelings for her and even plug her music. He wrote, “My girl @itskelsitaylor is one of my favorite people on the planet. She’s a talented singer but more importantly she's a genuine person. Check out her music and get to know her. She’s gonna go far!”

In 2017, the singer took to Instagram to share a photo of her singing backup to Demi Lovato at the iHeartRadio Jingle Ball concert hosted by KIIS FM. Taylor appeared on stage behind the singer as the group accompanied her during the single “Tell Me You Love Me.”

Taylor also performed with the “Sorry Not Sorry” singer in November of that year at the American Music Awards.

Taylor previously used SoundCloud to house her covers and original songs, but quietly deactivated her account and has taken to posting videos to Instagram in recent years. Her account is more focused on her fitness career these days and she doesn’t show off her musical skills as often anymore, but when she does you can see why she calls it her “main love.”

In the early days of their romance, she and Cook took a romantic trip to Maui where they both spent a good amount their time on the island gushing over each other. Cook took to Instagram to post a photo of the couple, and he summarized the fun getaway in the caption before giving a quick shoutout to Taylor.

“Just a couple of happy people bobbing around in the Pacific Ocean off Maui with our friends watching the sunset,” the lengthy caption starts off. “The trip was perfect but what made it unforgettable was my gf. She’s a gift. She's my best friend. She’s one of a kind.”