“It’s a natural reaction”: Henry Cavill Understood Why Fans Are Pissed He Was Dating a University Student With a Humongous 13-Year Age Gap
Matthew Sanders
Updated on April 02, 2026
Fans have always talked about Henry Cavill’s relationships, but nothing was more controversial than when he dated a teenage university student. He was 32 when he first met Tara King, then a 19-year-old freshman at Bristol University in England.
At the time, Cavill was already known as Superman and had a steady footing in Hollywood. He met the art history student at a London nightclub in 2015. They were also spotted hanging out at a rugby match at Twickenham. It wasn’t until February 2016 when they publicly appeared as a couple at Vanity Fair’s Oscars party.
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During his candid interview with Elle Magazine, actor Henry Cavill talked about his relationship with Tara King. Their age gap has become the concern of the public, though the Man of Steel star was not really bothered by it. In fact, he looked at it in a positive light.
SUGGESTED“People say, ‘Age is just a number.’ A lot of times it’s not just a number. It’s actually a real and true sign of someone’s maturity. But in this case, she’s fantastic.”
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When asked about his response when people call him out because of King’s age, he quipped: “It’s a natural reaction. But when I was 19, I was going out with a 32-year-old.” This was indeed a revelation from Cavill. He was aware that their age gap would stir a buzz among fans but later confessed that he did the same in the past, just the reverse way.
Speaking with Mirror UK, the Justice League actor described his then-girlfriend and how she became his comfort and solace amid the noise of Hollywood.
SUGGESTED“She protects me and is protective of me when I am having a hard time. She’s there when I need looking after, and the world is a little too heavy. Then she will happily take that weight for me and make sure that I am OK. Tara allows me to be me, and she doesn’t have a problem with that. She treats me like a normal human being.”
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The actor admitted that when he first met King, he was super intimidated. He wanted to impress the woman and kept telling himself to play the cards right.
Cavill And King’s Story Ended In An Abrupt Note
Unfortunately, Cavill and King’s fairytale relationship did not last. In May 2016, a source claimed via US Weekly that they had officially broken up.
SUGGESTED“She was in too deep, and he didn’t want anything too serious. He has a lot going on right now. They’ll remain good friends, but it just wasn’t meant to be. No fight, just not meant to be.”
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With Cavill’s jam-packed schedule at the time, and as one of the most in-demand movie actors, it is obvious that he has no clear plans of settling down just yet. Regardless, it was nice to know that they held no grievances towards each other.
