Photo: Kevork Djansezian/BAFTA LA/Getty
Fans ofOutlanderhave shippedCaitríona Balfeand costarSam Heughansince the show’s first season. But in reality, the Irish actress’s heart belongs to her husband, Tony McGill.
At the 2018 Golden Globes, Balfeannounced her engagementto McGill. “I’m very happy,” she told PEOPLE. The pair had dated for at least two years before getting engaged.
In August 2019, Balfe and McGill managed to hold aprivate wedding ceremonyin the U.K. Theweddingwas a small affair and Balfe has never shared photos. “What was most beautiful about it is that I had my very close family and friends there,” she toldThe Philippine Daily Inquirerin 2020.
The couple have managed to keep their relationship out of the spotlight for the most part, but Balfe has shared a few glimpses into their home life.
So who is Caitriona Balfe’s husband? Here’s everything to know about Tony McGill, the music producer married to theOutlanderstar.
He is from Ireland
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Balfe grew up in Monaghan, Ireland — a small town just outside of Northern Ireland — before leaving at 18 to pursue modeling. “I have such a love for the people of Ireland,” she said in an interview withHarpers Bazaar.
According toE! News, McGill is also Irish, and the couple have attended events together in both Ireland and the U.K.
He’s a music producer
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McGill also works in entertainment, although in a much more behind-the-scenes role. He is a music producer, band manager and owner of a record label based in London.
McGill also, at one point, owned a bar in London.
He and Caitríona were first seen together in 2015
Balfe and McGill first sparked romance rumors in January 2015 when a friend posted a video of the couple. The short clip, which has since been deleted, showed Balfe sitting on McGill’s lap and playing the flute for a group of friends in a bar.
In a 2018 appearance on Ireland’sThe Late Late Show, Balfe shared how she and McGill met. “I met him through one of my best friends,” she said, according toThe Irish Independent. “Which I think is the best kind of introduction you can get.”
In 2016, the pair were seen together in public for the first time when McGill joined Balfe atJodie Foster’s Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony.
He’s incredibly private
Despite being together since at least 2015, McGill (who doesn’t appear to use social media) has only been photographed with Balfe in public a handful of times.
McGill accompanied Balfe to the Oscar Wilde Awards in February 2017 and at BAFTA-related events in 2018 and 2019. He also accompanied her to theAcademy Awardsin 2020, which marked the couple’sred carpet debut.
“He’s a very shy person and doesn’t like much talking about him,” Balfe said onThe Late Late Showin 2018.
He and Caitríona keep their son private
On Aug. 18, 2021, the couple welcomed their first child together.
Balfe announced the news of her son’s birth on Instagram. “We are so grateful for this little soul … that he chose us as his parents,” shewrote. “I’m in awe of him already and can’t help stare and wonder at all the possibilities of who he will become, where he will go and what he’ll do on the big adventure of his life.”
Much like their relationship, the pair have kept additional details about their son, including his name, out of the media. “When you have a kid, you become really protective,” Balfe toldVanity Fairin 2022.
“I don’t want those crazies — because that’s what they are — I just don’t want them talking about him,” she continued, referring to the “stans” who have formulated conspiracy theories about her son’s true parentage online.
He and Caitríona live a “slightly nomadic” lifestyle
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Outlanderis filmed in Scotland, typically over the course of several months — so Balfe and McGill split their time between several cities.
In 2021, Balfe spoke toThe Wall Street Journal, where she shared more about her and her husband’s personal life. “Today, my husband, Tony, and I and our son are slightly nomadic,” she said. “We split our time between Glasgow and London. When I’m working onOutlander, we’re in Glasgow.”
The couple had the opportunity to spend time in one place during the COVID-19 pandemic. Before going into production forBelfast, Balfe and McGill spent four months in their apartment in Glasgow, Scotland. “I was in that apartment until the beginning of July,” she told theLos Angeles Times. “It was a really introspective time for everybody.”
He and Caitríona have had to deal with overzealous fans
SinceOutlanderpremiered in 2014, fans of the show have wanted to see Balfe and costar Sam Heughan together in real life.
For years, Balfe and Heughan tried shutting down the rumors. “We arebest friends,” Balfe toldEntertainment Weeklyin 2016. In 2018, she toldParade,“I think things are pretty clear now that I’m engaged to someone else.”
However, fans have persisted. Balfe toldVanity Fairthat some have suggested that she and McGill weren’t actually married or that their son’s father is actually Heughan.
“It’s sad, because you meet the loveliest people who are fans of the show and they’re super supportive and they do the nicest things — and then you have that little thing, which just taints it,” she said.
source: people.com
