Lorde and Ex-Boyfriend Justin Warren: A Complete Timeline of Their Alleged Relationship

Lorde’s latest album release has fans revisiting her alleged relationship with 45-year-old music executive Justin Warren, so let’s talk about it.

According to The New Zealand Herald, the 28-year-old pop star (born Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O’Connor) met Warren when she was signed to Universal Music Group in 2009. Their professional relationship reportedly turned romantic sometime in 2015, though neither party explicitly confirmed the rumors.

Despite telling fans she was “living with heartbreak” in 2023, Lorde did not even comment on her relationship status until an interview with Rolling Stone published in May 2025. During the interview, the singer said she began unpacking her “pattern” of dating and seeking validation from older people during a “painful” breakup in May 2023.

“I had this feeling that I had never been alone. There’d always been someone, not even necessarily a romantic partner. And often that was an older person. I was always choosing someone to be God. It was a pattern I found myself repeating.” Lorde told Rolling Stone. “I think because of leaving home so young and not quite being ready to be on my own. I had this very acute sense that I needed to be alone to really meet myself.”

Ultimately, Lorde described the breakup as “so painful,” but said she continues to “cherish” her relationship with her ex. So, what do we know about Lorde’s history with Justin Warren? Here’s a complete timeline of their relationship, with the most recent updates up top.

May 15, 2025: Lorde tells Rolling Stone she moved to London during a breakup in May 2023. “I went through a breakup,” she says. “It was so painful, as they are, but there was real dignity to it and grace and a lot of respect. It continues to be a relationship that I cherish.”

“I had this feeling that I had never been alone,” Lorde said of that time in her life. “There’d always been someone, not even necessarily a romantic partner. And often that was an older person. I was always choosing someone to be God.”

She continues, “It was a pattern I found myself repeating. I think because of leaving home so young and not quite being ready to be on my own. But I had this very acute sense that I needed to be alone to really meet myself.”

April 24, 2025: Lorde releases her first Virgin single, “What Was That.” It’s lyrics include, “Since l was 17, I gave you everything. Now we wake from a dream, well, baby, what was that?”

While some fans questioned if the song was written about Warren, others have pointed out she was still dating photographer James Lowe when she was 17. “I think she was still committed to Justin as a figure in her life even if she was dating James and working closely with Justin,” one fan countered on Reddit. “She was still giving him her all by pouring all her life into her work.”