Is Mary-Kate Olsen dating Sean Avery – and what is he up to now? The retired NHL star and Oppenheimer actor was just seen hanging out in the Hamptons with the designer, sparking romance rumours

May 30 , 2024

Just good friends? Mary-Kate Olsen and Sean Avery at an event in New York, back in 2011. Photo: Getty Images

The internet is all aflutter at the prospect of a potential fling between Mary-Kate Olsen and ice hockey star Sean Avery, after the two were spotted together in the Hamptons over the Memorial Day weekend, per US media.

The Full House alum and the Canadian were photographed hanging outside her new The Row store in Amagansett before joining their mutual friend Andy Cohen. The news comes three years after Olsen split from her ex-husband Olivier Sarkozy, the half-brother of politician Nicolas Sarkozy.

But are they dating for real? Here’s what we know:

What ever happened to Sean Avery?

Sean Avery at a jiu-jitsu competition. Photo: @imseanavery/Instagram

After retiring from the NHL in 2012, Avery went on to pursue other avenues. In an essay for The Players Tribune, the now 44-year-old explained why he left: “I decided to retire in 2012 because the game was no longer fun for me. Sure, I loved being on the ice, making a great play, putting the puck in the net – and winning.” He wrote, adding: “I did not love the abuse I got from my coach. I did not love sitting around in the locker room talking about cars and wives and girlfriends – or about hiding your girlfriend from your wife.”

He ended up writing his memoir, Ice Capades: A Memoir of Fast Living and Tough Hockey in 2017, and has a podcast called No Gruffs Given with Sean Avery.

Who did Sean Avery play in Oppenheimer?

Sean Avery on the set of Oppenheimer. Photo: @imseanavery/Instagram

Avery, who was named one of People’s Sexiest Men Alive in 2007, had a cameo in Christopher Nolan’s 2023 blockbuster Oppenheimer, playing a “weatherman” in the film.

He has also made appearances in Amsterdam with Margot Robbie and Christian Bale, Christopher Nolan’s Tenet, and Patriots Day starring Mark Wahlberg.

Who is Sean Avery’s ex-wife?

Sean Avery and Hilary Rhoda’s marriage did not end well, with the model alleging that her ex-husband abused her. Photo: @imseanavery/Instagram

Per TMZ, former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Hilary Rhoda filed for divorce from Sean Avery in 2022 after seven years of marriage. It was also revealed in 2023 that Rhoda had filed for a temporary restraining order from her ex, preventing him from coming into contact with her or their son Nash, according to Us Weekly.

She alleged that he “engaged in many instances of physical abuse against me and against third parties”, and that “Sean has also been physically and emotionally abusive to our son”.

Are Sean Avery and Mary-Kate Olsen dating?

Mary-Kate Olsen at the 2007 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York. The former actress also has a clothing brand with her sister called The Row. Photo: Reuters

For now it seems any romance between the two is merely speculation, after a source told People that the pair are just friends.

Olivier Sarkozy and his ex-wife Mary-Kate Olsen in the Hamptons together in 2015. Photo: Getty Images for The Apollo

However, Olsen and Avery did briefly date each other back in 2007, according JustJared.

Fame and celebrity

The Row’s Mary-Kate Olsen and former NHL player Sean Avery spent time together in the Hamptons over Memorial Day weekend, and photos of them got the internet talking – so are the rumours true?
It’s been more than 3 years since Olsen split from Olivier Sarkozy, while Avery’s tempestuous marriage to Hilary Rhoda ended in 2022 – with the model taking out a restraining order against him