Almost one week ago, Ryan Gosling and Eva Mendes stepped out for what seemed like their first big, blatant candid photo op since their holiday in the City of Lights last November. Can you believe they’ve been together… something like eight or nine months? I’m counting that September trip to Disneyland as “the beginning” of their relationship, just because it seems like Gosling took all of his girls there in the first stages of dating (and then post-Disneyland, he would dump them).

Now, Gosling and Eva had been photographed together a few times in between Thanksgiving and last week, but it really seemed like Eva was trying to tone down her famewhore, perhaps under orders from Ryan Gosling, who must realize that he’s become somewhat overexposed. In those dark months, Eva and Ryan often faced speculation (which I started) that their relationship wasn’t for real, that they weren’t really into each other, that he had already dumped her, etc. The photo op last week was a bold move, I thought. All of a sudden, I thought, “Wow, they’re way more solid than I previously believed.” Especially considering that pre-photo-op, it really seemed like Eva and Ryan were barely seeing each other any more. Well… we were sort of right, according to Us Weekly. Throughout April, Eva and Ryan were kind of on the outs. Sort of.

Eva Mendes got to play house with Ryan Gosling all spring when she tagged along to Thailand for his Only God Forgives shoot. The actress cooked up a storm for their dinners, marvels a Mendes pal: “This was a girl who once couldn’t make pasta!”

But come late April, when the duo were back in LA, it got complicated. Gosling, 31, grew distant, and Mendes, 38, confronted him, says the pal.

“He says he wants to slow down and not live with her yet. But he doesn’t want to lose her.”

[From Us Weekly, print edition]

I have wondered how Ryan managed to go from girl to girl so quickly, and how he managed to do it all with his “sweet heartthrob” image intact (when really the guy goes through girls like a Gerard Butler). Is this how Ryan does it? He does the “growing distant” and the “phase out” breakup? That sucks. But Eva managed to hold on to him for some reason. Maybe Ryan finds it beneficial to have an “official” girlfriend right now. Jesus, is he turning into Justin Timberlake?

Oh, and In Touch Weekly (via Jezebel) has a story this week about Ryan meeting Eva Mendes’s mom. Apparently Mother Mendes loves and adores Ryan and she was seen “gushing, hugging and kissing” Ryan in the front yard of somebody’s house. Hm…

Photos courtesy of Fame/Flynet.

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