Chilli, 51, and Matthew, 42, made the relationship official on Instagram with a creative collaborative post of them dancing to "Take On Me" while wearing matching pajamas.
The couple immediately received the nod from Matthew's former “Boy Meets World” co-star Danielle Fishel, who commented, “This makes me so happy!!” in the post.
According to the magazine, which broke the news of the couple's relationship status Tuesday morning, a representative for Chilli confirmed that the couple is dating exclusively after being "just friends" until just before Thanksgiving. The couple made things official in time to spend Thanksgiving and Christmas together in Atlanta, where Matthew got a chance to meet Chilli's family.
Interestingly, a magazine reported in August that Matthew and Chilli were seen on Waikiki beach, where bathers saw them wade into the water together and have intense conversations. At the time, the tabloid was told the pair were not dating: Matthew and his friends attended the TLC concert on the island and hooked up later.
It certainly seems like some solid groundwork was laid before these two got serious. In addition to Fishel's nod, the couple also has the blessing of Chilli's manager, Christal Jordan, who told People:
“I've been with Chilli since 2005 and I've never seen her so in love,” Jordan tells PEOPLE. “She is beaming. They are really cute together.”
Remember when Chilli had that dating show on VH1? She's been open about interracial dating for years, but this might be the first "famous" white guy we can remember her hooking up with. Chilli was previously in a long-term relationship with Usher before splitting in 2003 over "the last no-no." Do you remember that? She shares a 25-year-old son, Tron, with music producer Dallas Austin.
Matthew Lawrence and his ex-wife, dancer Cheryl Burke, finalized their divorce in September. Burke, 38, named Jan. 7, 2022, as the official date of separation when she filed for divorce last February, after nearly three years of marriage.
It's kind of cute that they're both "90s stars" who are still doing their thing professionally. I wish these two all the happiness!
