Dylan Efron Says Girlfriend Courtney King Thought Their First Date Went 'Awful'

Efron and King have managed to keep their decade-long relationship largely out of the spotlight

NEED TO KNOW

• On Feb. 4, 2026, Dylan Efron joined Danielle Fishel’s Teen Beat podcast
• During the episode, the 34-year-old reality TV star opened up about his relationship with Courtney King
• Efron detailed their rocky first date nearly a decade ago

Dylan Efron recently opened up about the start of his relationship with high school sweetheart and longtime girlfriend, Courtney King.

On the Feb. 4 episode of the Teen Beat podcast, the 34-year-old, who competed on season 34 of Dancing with the Stars, revealed how he asked King out nearly 10 years ago.

“It happened super organically, but I remember, like, we both remember locking eyes in the math hall,” Efron told host Danielle Fishel. “That was like the first time we saw each other.”

Efron explained that although King already knew who he was at school, that hallway moment marked their first real connection.

“She says she knew who I was and, like, I was the older kid. So she always knew who I was, but that was the first time that we locked eyes and were like, ‘hey,’” he recalled.

Soon after, Efron reached out to King on Myspace and suggested a tennis date — one that didn’t go exactly as planned.

“We played tennis, and she didn't know me. I'm pretty quirky, again, once you get to know me,” he said, admitting that he left in the middle of their date to grab a drink without asking if she wanted one.

“I was like, 'Oh, I'm thirsty. I'm gonna go with Jamba Juice.' And then I left,” he remembered, leaving King to think the date had been a disaster.

“She was like, 'Oh, that went awful,'” Efron said, laughing at the memory. “But, like, I thought the date went great. So I had no idea.”

Despite the awkward start, the couple recovered and began building a relationship that has lasted for years.

The Traitors star, who is Zac Efron’s younger brother, has pursued a career in Hollywood, while King has chosen to maintain a lower profile. The pair have been dating since at least 2016 and have a shared passion for travel and adventure.

When it comes to marriage, Dylan says he and King are taking things one step at a time.

During a March 2025 appearance on The Viall Files, he shared that "she knows the answer" about whether marriage is in their future and made it clear that they are “working on it.”

“Courtney's so down to earth,” he told hosts Natalie Joy and Nick Viall. “She's not going to put a deadline on me."

Dylan also shared he’s excited for what’s next. “I am now in that stage, I am looking at that next chapter. I want kids,” he said, inspired by his little brother and sister and hoping to start a family of his own someday.

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