Dove Cameron says she was 'celibate' before meeting fiancé Damiano David

Dove Cameron has opened up about her relationship with Måneskin frontman Damiano David, revealing that she was “celibate” and struggling with depression before they began dating.

The 30-year-old singer and actress first met David at the 2022 MTV Video Music Awards, but it would take another year before a romance sparked. 

Speaking on the Call Her Daddy podcast, Cameron recalled their initial encounter: “I was like, ‘This guy f****** hates me.’ I was gonna go on with my night. I met a bunch of people. Everybody’s like, ‘Congrats.’ I didn’t think about it.”

She later learned that David had been in a “really bad place” at the time, which had nothing to do with her. “But I took it personally, and I was like, ‘F****** weird. Alright, bye,’” she added.

The pair reconnected at the 2023 VMAs, when both were in better places personally. Cameron recalled, “I was like, ‘Yeah, I remember you. Like, you’re so different now.’ 

"He was so friendly. And then he was like, ‘Do you wanna come to our show at Madison Square Garden?’ And I was like, ‘Yeah.’ And then we just started dating, and now we’re engaged. Like, it’s so, so innocent and simple.”

Cameron admitted that before meeting David, she had been celibate and deeply depressed. 

“If I had met him before I did in a way where he was interested in me and there was an opportunity for us to be dating, I would not have been ready because I was so depressed. I was, like, celibate. 

"I was like, ‘Don’t touch me, don’t look at me, don’t come close to me, I’m not leaving my house.’ I was like dark night of the soul for a year,” she said.

Her mindset shifted ahead of the 2023 VMAs. “I literally texted my friends and I was like, ‘I think I’m ready to date.’ One week later, he was like, ‘Nice to meet you,’” Cameron recalled.

The couple announced their engagement in January 2026, marking the start of a new chapter for them.