TWICE Momo Boyfriend 2026: Dating History & Heechul Relationship Fact-Checked

Hirai Momo stands apart from most of her TWICE bandmates when it comes to relationship history. She is one of only a handful of members whose romantic life has entered the public record through official confirmation. As of 2026, Momo has a confirmed new relationship with a non-celebrity, announced by JYP Entertainment in January 2026. Before that, her only fully documented relationship was with Super Junior’s Kim Heechul, which ran publicly from January 2020 to July 2021.

This is the most complete account of Momo’s relationship history available. Every confirmed fact is sourced to official agency statements. Every rumour is assessed on its actual merits rather than presented as credible news.

Momo is currently performing across North America and Europe as part of TWICE’s THIS IS FOR World Tour 2026, the largest K-pop girl group tour ever staged. Her personal life has moved forward quietly alongside one of the biggest professional chapters of her career.

Momo’s Current Relationship Status in 2026

Momo entered 2026 with confirmed relationship news for the first time since her Heechul split nearly five years earlier. JYP Entertainment released an official statement in January 2026 confirming she is in a relationship with a non-celebrity man she met privately. The agency did not disclose his identity or any further personal details.

This makes Momo one of the more openly acknowledged TWICE members in terms of personal life. JYP’s willingness to confirm the relationship rather than deny or stay silent reflects a shift in how the label handles idol dating news compared to the early TWICE era.

No photographs, interviews, or further public appearances involving the relationship have been reported. Momo continues to focus on touring and her group activities, and the relationship remains entirely out of her professional public profile by mutual design.

Kim Heechul and Momo Relationship

The Heechul relationship is the most documented chapter in Momo’s personal life, and it remains the most searched. Here is every confirmed moment in order.

How They Met and How It Started

Momo and Kim Heechul first crossed paths professionally in 2016 when TWICE appeared on the variety show Weekly Idol. Their bond strengthened through further variety appearances, most notably on Knowing Bros, where Heechul became a vocal and publicly enthusiastic fan of Momo long before any romance was confirmed.

Heechul named Momo as his ideal type on multiple broadcast occasions. In 2016 he cast her as the female lead in his music video for “Sweet Dream,” a creative collaboration that later took on new significance once their relationship became public knowledge. For fans who went back to watch it, the dynamic between them read very differently with the benefit of hindsight.

Their agencies first denied dating rumours in August 2019 when speculation began circulating online. Unverified reports at the time claimed the two had been spotted together in Kyoto, Momo’s hometown in Japan, though no photographs emerged to support those claims.

The Confirmation and Momo’s Letter to ONCE

On January 2, 2020, both JYP Entertainment and Label SJ confirmed the relationship simultaneously. The timing made them widely referred to as the first K-pop couple of the new year, which amplified the coverage significantly.

Momo responded to the news with a handwritten letter addressed directly to ONCE. She apologised for the surprise, expressed how much her fans meant to her, and asked for their understanding. The gesture was widely appreciated within the fandom and set a respectful tone for how the relationship entered public life.

Heechul was equally candid on broadcast shortly after confirmation. He admitted feeling guilt toward his own fanbase for the announcement and said he had not wanted to cause anyone pain. Both handled the moment with more transparency than idol dating revelations typically receive.

What Their Relationship Actually Looked Like

Despite being one of K-pop’s most high-profile confirmed couples at the time, Momo and Heechul kept their private life genuinely private. They were almost never photographed together outside of professional settings. They made a deliberate decision not to appear on the same variety programs after their confirmation to prevent their relationship from overshadowing their individual work.

What the public did see was consistent warmth in how each spoke about the other. Heechul’s long public admiration for Momo gave the relationship a fan-friendly origin story that made them popular with international audiences in particular.

The age gap between them attracted commentary throughout. Heechul was 36 and Momo was 23 when the relationship went public, a 13-year difference that divided online communities. Supporters pointed to both being consenting adults at the peak of their careers. Critics raised questions about the power dynamic given Heechul’s sunbae status in the industry relative to Momo’s junior position within it.

The Breakup in July 2021

Both JYP Entertainment and Label SJ confirmed the breakup on July 8, 2021. The official reason given by both agencies was busy work schedules that caused the couple to naturally drift apart. They described the parting as amicable and confirmed the two returned to a senior and junior colleague relationship within the industry.

Some fan commentary speculated about additional contributing factors, including the suggestion that Heechul was at a stage of life where marriage was a consideration while Momo, then 24, was at the height of a demanding touring and recording career. Neither party has ever publicly confirmed these theories, and they remain speculation rather than verified fact.

By all official accounts the split was handled with maturity on both sides. There has been no public tension or negative commentary about the other from either Momo or Heechul in the years since.

Other Rumours: What Has Been Said and What It Actually Amounts To

Beyond the Heechul relationship and the 2026 non-celebrity confirmation, Momo’s name has appeared in various rumour cycles. None carry the weight of an official statement.

Jungkook (BTS) Fan Speculation

During TWICE’s earlier years, fan communities circulated theories about a connection between Momo and BTS’s Jungkook. The basis was perceived glances and physical proximity at award show events. No agency ever addressed the speculation, no photographs of private interaction emerged, and the rumour traces entirely to fan analysis of shared public appearances. It belongs in the fan shipping category rather than any credible reporting category.

Fellow Member Ships

Momo is frequently paired with fellow TWICE members in fan communities, most commonly Nayeon and Sana, as part of the group’s affectionate internal dynamic that ONCE engages with enthusiastically. These are expressions of fan culture rather than relationship claims, and none have ever been presented as such by anyone with credible proximity to the situation.

Momo Compared to Other TWICE Members: The Relationship Picture Across the Group

Momo sits in a distinct category within TWICE when it comes to relationship history. She is one of only three members to have a fully confirmed public relationship on record.

Jihyo confirmed a relationship with Korean athlete Kang Daniel, acknowledged by both parties and their agencies. Chaeyoung confirmed a relationship with a music producer in late 2025. Momo now has two confirmed relationships on her record, the Heechul chapter and the current 2026 non-celebrity partnership, making her the most openly documented TWICE member in terms of personal life.

Members like Mina and Sana have no confirmed relationship history at all. The contrast across the group illustrates that JYP Entertainment handles each member’s personal news individually rather than applying a blanket policy of confirmation or denial.

Momo’s Focus in 2026: The Tour and MISAMO

Away from her personal life, Momo enters 2026 at the peak of her professional career. TWICE’s THIS IS FOR World Tour is the most ambitious touring project the group has ever undertaken, spanning 43 global regions across 78 shows total.

On stage, Momo leads some of the tour’s most technically demanding choreography. Her reputation as TWICE’s dance anchor is on full display across every city on the route. She is also an active member of MiSaMo, the Japanese subunit she shares with Mina and Sana, which released music in 2023 and built a dedicated audience independent of the main group.

Fans attending upcoming shows can find the complete THIS IS FOR World Tour setlist breakdown including Momo’s solo stage placement and the full four-act structure of every night.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is TWICE’s Momo dating anyone in 2026?

Yes. JYP Entertainment confirmed in January 2026 that Momo is in a relationship with a non-celebrity man. No further details about his identity have been made public. This is the only confirmed active relationship among the nine TWICE members as of early 2026.

Who did TWICE Momo date?

Momo’s only fully documented celebrity relationship was with Kim Heechul of Super Junior, confirmed in January 2020 and ending in July 2021. JYP Entertainment also confirmed a new non-celebrity relationship in January 2026.

Why did Momo and Heechul break up?

Both agencies confirmed busy work schedules as the primary reason for the split in July 2021. The two returned to being colleagues within the industry and parted on good terms according to all official statements.

How long did Momo and Heechul date?

Their relationship was publicly confirmed for approximately one and a half years, from January 2020 to July 2021. Their friendship and professional connection pre-dated the confirmed relationship by several years, going back to at least 2016 and 2017.

Did Momo write a letter to fans about her relationship?

Yes. When the Heechul relationship became public in January 2020, Momo wrote a handwritten letter directly to ONCE. She apologised for the surprise and expressed how deeply she valued her fans’ support throughout the message.

Is Momo dating a non-celebrity in 2026?

Yes. JYP Entertainment released an official statement in January 2026 confirming Momo is in a relationship with a non-celebrity man she met privately. His identity has not been disclosed and no further personal details have been made public.