It takes a lot to be a Lions fan, but it may take even more to be the spouse of a Lions player.
Enter Christen Harper, Jared Goff's fiancée. She's been there from Goff's Super Bowl struggles to a three-win season. To say she's dedicated would be like saying the 2023 season has been the best in Detroit's history – truer words have never been spoken.
In the year of NFL power couples, Goff and Harper are right up there. Not sure who she is? The Sporting News has everything you need to know about the model and her relationship with the quarterback.
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Who is Jared Goff's fiancée?
Harper began dating Goff in 2019 after meeting on the dating app Raya, and the two got engaged just three years later. During their five years together, Harper's career has been a whirlwind.
She grew up in California and went to college at California State University, Northridge. She decided to take up modeling to help pay for school, and the rest is history. She became a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model after co-winning the 2021 Swim Search. She appeared in the next year's issue and earned co-Rookie of the Year. She was a panelist on the Stay Doubted YouTube series, "Women of the League," alongside NFL wives Allison Rochell, Kym Jackson, Whitney Risner, and Josie Leinart.
As a California native and model, it's safe to say her career took a turn when Goff was traded from the Rams to the Lions following the 2020 season.
"Because we were in L.A. I had the best of both worlds. I was working every day but I could still be with Jared ... But once we moved that was a huge sacrifice for me, I was giving up a career," she said. "That was really hard, and it really affected my identity and kind of who I was. I had a hard time at first." Harper added that despite the difficulties, she was glad she took a leap of faith with Goff and branch out personally and professionally.
Jared Goff and Christen Harper relationship timeline
While the two have opened up to the public more since they first began dating, their relationship is largely private. Goff and Harper share the occasional picture on social media, mostly for birthdays, celebrations, and now Lions wins.
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February 2019: Harper attends Super Bowl 53, where the Rams lost to the Patriots. She posts an Instagram story from the game, showing her support of rumored-boyfriend Goff.
July 2019: The couple goes public by making their red carpet debut at the ESPYs. It was the first real glimpse, though small, into their relationship.
October 2019: The couple begins making their relationship more known when Harper Instagrams a birthday photo for Goff with "#cougar" in the caption. She was born a year and five months before him.
October 2020: The model posts her annual picture for Goff's birthday. Unlike before, she includes a handful of photos from throughout their relationship.
December 2021: Goff and the Lions break their 15-game losing streak with a win against Minnesota. Harper is surprised with the news while at a photoshoot, and her reaction goes viral. Two weeks later, when Detroit beats Arizona for its second win of the season, Harper makes a celebratory Instagram post captioned "Victory Monday 🤍".
Jared Goff’s girlfriend reacting to his first win as a Lion #OnePride pic.twitter.com/uWsvsY89o0
— LionsFanReport (@lionsfanreport) December 6, 2021
June 2022: Goff gets his first ring when the couple gets engaged while on vacation with friends in Los Cabos, Mexico.
August 2022: Harper appears on an episode of Hard Knocks, which highlighted the Lions' pre-season and training camp ahead of Dan Campbell's second season.
December 2022: Goff is nominated for the Walter Payton Man of the Year award. As Goff's biggest fan, Harper showed her support for Goff's dedication work. The award went to the Cowboy's Dak Prescott.
February 2023: The couple attends the end-of-season NFL Honors award show for what seems to be just their second red-carpet appearance.
May 2023: Goff finally returns the favor and posts for Harper's birthday. Of course, "#cougar" is there.
January 2024: Detroit gets its first playoff win in 32 wins against Goff's former team, the Rams. "It was always Detroit," Harper says about the victory.
