Did Michael B. Jordan Date Catherine Paiz?
Michael B. Jordan was spotted with Catherine Paiz on a Miami beach in January 2014, sparking brief relationship rumors. However, neither confirmed a romance, and the rumors faded when Paiz began dating Austin McBroom in 2015.
The speculation resurfaced in 2025 when Paiz published a memoir with a mysterious “actor ex” character, and confusion grew due to Jordan’s upcoming role in The Thomas Crown Affair, where he’ll star opposite a character named Catherine.
The relationship between Michael B. Jordan and “Catherine” has confused people for over a decade. The confusion stems from three different things: a brief 2014 sighting with influencer Catherine Paiz, a character named Catherine Banning in Jordan’s upcoming movie, and various professional connections to people named Catherine.
Here’s what actually happened.
The 2014 Miami Beach Sighting
On January 25, 2014, paparazzi photographed Michael B. Jordan on a Miami beach with an unidentified woman. At the time, Jordan was 26 years old and promoting his romantic comedy That Awkward Moment. He was in Miami for a press tour with the film’s director, Tom Gormican.
The photos showed Jordan and the woman “getting cozy” while walking along the shoreline. Jordan was shirtless, and the two appeared comfortable together. Tabloids immediately jumped on the images, wondering who the mystery woman was.
She was later identified as Catherine Paiz, who was just starting to build her career in modeling and fashion. This was years before she became famous as part of the ACE Family YouTube channel with Austin McBroom.
Neither Jordan nor Paiz ever confirmed they were dating. They never made any public statements about each other. The rumors simply existed in the background until they faded away completely when Paiz started her relationship with McBroom in 2015.
Who Is Catherine Paiz?
Catherine Paiz became a major social media influencer as one half of the ACE Family YouTube channel. She and Austin McBroom documented their relationship, marriage, and family life for millions of subscribers. T
he channel turned their personal lives into content, with everything from proposals to pregnancies shared publicly.
However, the marriage had serious problems. Reports suggested Paiz dealt with about 20 instances of betrayal during her relationship with McBroom. Despite the issues, she stayed in the marriage for years, partly because of the financial success tied to their brand.
In January 2024, Paiz announced her split from McBroom, ending a decade-long public relationship. She moved on quickly, starting a new relationship with Igor Ten, whom she met at a retreat in Brazil.
They got engaged in September 2025, married less than a month later, and announced their first pregnancy together in November 2025.
The 2021 Basketball Game “Snub”
The old rumors about Jordan and Paiz flared up again in 2021 during a basketball game. Paiz was there with her then-husband Austin McBroom when she apparently ignored Michael B. Jordan.
Fans noticed what they described as an “awkward interaction” where Paiz seemed to deliberately avoid acknowledging Jordan. In the world of celebrity watching, people took this as proof that their 2014 connection had been more than just a casual beach walk and had maybe ended badly.
Of course, this is all speculation based on reading too much into brief moments caught on camera. But it kept the 2014 rumors alive in fans’ minds.
The 2025 Memoir and “Kire” Mystery
Catherine Paiz published a memoir in 2025 called Dolores: My Journey Home. The book was her way of “purging” the vulnerable parts of her life, including her move to Los Angeles and the relationships that shaped her.
One character in the book caught everyone’s attention. Paiz wrote about an “actor ex” she called “Kire.” Fans immediately started guessing that “Kire” was a pseudonym or anagram for Michael B. Jordan.
When asked directly about who the characters in her book represented, Paiz wouldn’t confirm or deny anything. She said the specific identities didn’t matter to the truth she was telling. The book was written for herself and her children, not to settle old gossip.
Still, the timing brought Michael B. Jordan’s name back into Catherine Paiz’s story more than a decade after that Miami beach photo.
The Confusion With “The Thomas Crown Affair”
A huge source of confusion about “Michael B. Jordan and Catherine” comes from his professional work, not his personal life. Jordan is directing and starring in a remake of The Thomas Crown Affair, set to release in 2027.
In the 1999 version of the movie, the main female character is named Catherine Banning, played by Rene Russo. She’s an insurance investigator who matches wits with a billionaire art thief. It’s a major role, and finding the right actress to play the new Catherine became a big Hollywood story.
Initially, Taylor Russell was cast as Catherine Banning. When Jordan and Russell were spotted together in London in early 2025, romance rumors started flying. But they were likely just working on the movie together. Russell eventually left the project due to creative differences.
In July 2025, Adria Arjona was confirmed as the new Catherine Banning. She’s the one who will actually star opposite Jordan in the film, which is currently filming in England.
When people search for “Michael B. Jordan and Catherine,” many are finding information about this movie character instead of Catherine Paiz, which adds to the confusion.
Michael B. Jordan’s Dating History
Michael B. Jordan has always been very private about his personal life. He’s said he was inspired by actors like Denzel Washington and Sidney Poitier, who kept their private lives separate from their careers.
Over the years, Jordan has been linked to several women, though most connections were never confirmed. He was rumored to have dated Iggy Azalea in 2012-2013, and was spotted with various people including Kendall Jenner (who he said was just a friend) and models Kiki Layne and Cindy Bruna.
His most public relationship was with Lori Harvey from 2020 to 2022. Jordan actually went public with this relationship, posting about it on social media and talking about taking ownership of his happiness as a “grown man.”
The relationship ended in June 2022, reportedly because they were at different stages of readiness for long-term commitment. Jordan returned to keeping his dating life private after that.
In a 2018 GQ interview, Jordan admitted he didn’t fully understand modern dating and felt nervous even discussing it. After his breakthrough role in Black Panther, every public interaction was analyzed by fans, making dating even more complicated.
The Controversy Over Jordan’s Dating Choices
Jordan’s dating life has sometimes become a site of cultural debate. In 2018, photos of Jordan on a boat in Italy with several white women sparked backlash from fans who felt he should be representing Black love.
Jordan tried to address the criticism during an Instagram Live session. He used a metaphor about “chocolate milk” and “almond milk” to say he didn’t have racial preferences in dating. The response was seen as defensive and didn’t help calm the controversy.
This pressure to represent a certain image in his personal life is part of why Jordan generally keeps his relationships private. The intense scrutiny makes it difficult to date normally.
Other “Catherine” Connections
The name Catherine keeps appearing in Michael B. Jordan’s professional life, adding to the search confusion.
Wunmi Mosaku, who starred in Jordan’s 2025 film Sinners, previously played a character named Det Sgt Catherine Halliday in the BBC series Luther. Her performance in Sinners earned her BAFTA and Oscar nominations.
Catherine Caruso updated Jordan’s official biography in April 2025, detailing his work in the horror thriller.
Catherine Clark, a resident of Clarksdale, Mississippi (where Sinners is set), worked to promote the town’s blues legacy after the film’s release.
All these professional connections to people named Catherine make it even harder to find clear information about the Catherine Paiz rumors from 2014.
Jordan’s Career Success in 2025
By 2025, Michael B. Jordan’s professional achievements had completely overshadowed his personal life rumors. His film Sinners, directed by Ryan Coogler, became a massive success.
In Sinners, Jordan played dual roles as twin brothers Smoke and Stack Moore in 1930s Mississippi. The film earned a historic 16 Academy Award nominations and grossed over $368 million worldwide.
The success cemented Jordan’s status as both a powerful actor and a rising director. His production company, Outlier Society, focuses on promoting diversity in entertainment.
With The Thomas Crown Affair set for 2027, Jordan is focused on building a legacy based on artistic achievement rather than personal headlines.
Where Things Stand Now
As of early 2026, Michael B. Jordan and Catherine Paiz have completely separate lives. Paiz is focused on her new family with Igor Ten, having successfully moved past her ACE Family era and the turmoil of her first marriage.
Jordan remains publicly single, though he’s made it clear he’s open to love when the timing is right and he can be “as present as possible.” His main focus is on his directorial career and continuing to choose meaningful acting roles.
The 2014 beach photos that started all the speculation remain the only concrete evidence of any connection between them. Everything else is fan theories, awkward basketball game moments, and memoir speculation.
The confusion with the Thomas Crown Affair character Catherine Banning will probably keep bringing people to search for “Michael B. Jordan and Catherine” for years to come.
But the real story is simple: a brief, unconfirmed moment in 2014 that became internet folklore, kept alive by occasional coincidences and the name of a movie character.
Both Jordan and Paiz have moved far beyond whatever may or may not have happened on that Miami beach over a decade ago.
Their paths diverged completely, with each finding success in very different ways. The internet just hasn’t quite let go of the mystery yet.
