Photo: instagram
They've been together since 2015.
By Micki Spollen — Written on Apr 24, 2020
Former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski, also known lovingly by fans as Gronk, has a reputation off the field as being a big partier. However, he’s been able to hold down a relationship with model girlfriend Camille Kostek since 2015.
“When he parties, he parties, and he definitely lives up to the reputation,” Kostek said in an interview in October 2018. But she promises there’s more to him than that persona. “I’m used to homebody, work-mode Rob... he is a teddy bear at heart.”
Gronk and Kostek have been dating since 2015; however, it’s likely they knew each other before that, thanks to their Patriot background. And while Gronk has been in the sports news since he signed to the Patriots in 2010, Kostek is beginning to make a name for herself in the modeling world.
Gronkowski shocked football fans last year when he announced his retirement. But now, just a year after his retirement, it looks like he'll be back on the field once again — but this time, he'll be playing for another team. Gronkowski has been traded to the Buccaneers.
Who is Rob Gronkowski's girlfriend, Camille Kostek?
Here’s what we know about their relationship.
She’s a Sports Illustrated swimsuit model.
In 2017, Sports Illustrated launched their first Instagram-based model search, which asked interested women to upload a video of themselves to Instagram convincing SI why they should be in the next swimsuit issue. Kostek won the search, becoming the first 2019 SI swimsuit model.
“The open Sports Illustrated Swimsuit casting call got me to my dream shoot,” Kostek told SI about her win. “I train and have dreamed about this time in my life and when I got into modeling just a few years ago.”
She was a New England Patriots cheerleader.
Before gracing the pages of Sports Illustrated, Kostek graced the field of the Patriots as a cheerleader — where she first became aware of Gronk. In a 2018 interview, she said that she originally wanted to cheer for the Giants because her dad was a fan, but the Giants didn’t have a cheerleading team.
In 2013, Kostek tried out for the Patriots squad and made the team despite being one of 500 girls trying out for 20 spots. "I remember designing my costume as close to their uniform as possible so they can envision me already a member of their team. It worked!” she recalled.
While cheering may look glamorous from afar, Kostek explained that it wasn’t easy.
“It can be a 12-hour day sometimes,” she said. "We’ll be completely drenched in sweat, getting ready with hair and makeup and doing it all over again on the field. We’re performing in front of 70,000 fans, at least. Our coach does not allow room for error. And especially the Super Bowl — there’s no messing around. You can’t mess up, slack around or have a nervous moment.”
She’s an aspiring actress.
At only 28 years old, and already having Sports Illustrated model and Patriots cheerleader on her resume, why not add actress, too?
“I have always wanted to kind of step into the acting world, but I’ve have never taken acting classes, so it was really super risky,” she told SI.
So far, whatever training she has done has worked. She appeared in Amy Schumer’s 2018 film, I Feel Pretty, and says she has a movie with Denzel Washington in the works as well: “In both roles, I have speaking lines with both of those people in their movies, so I really lucked out.”
Gronkowski denied their relationship at first.
While news about Gronk and Kostek’s relationship first surfaced in 2015, even in 2017 Gronk denied they were dating. In 2017, sources close to Gronkowski described their relationship as “a fling.” However, Kostek continued to post photos of her wearing Gronk’s jersey and supporting him at Patriots games.
Gronk’s secrecy around their relationship may have to do with the fact that relationships between NFL players and cheerleaders are not only just frowned upon in the sports world, but they’re also flat-out banned. “As cheerleaders, we would be removed, cut from the team. It’s now allowed,” Kostek explained.
Is it a coincidence that the two were linked in 2015 shortly after Kostek left the Patriots cheerleading squad? According to Kostek, their relationship has totally legit beginnings.
“We first got in touch once I resigned from the team,” she said. “I always knew who he was before I was even a cheerleader. I knew who he was on the roster. I just never paid any mind. Once I resigned is when we finally met.”
She’s a very supportive girlfriend.
Despite Gronkowski’s initial hesitancy to call Kostek his girlfriend, she appears to have stood by him since day one, including when Gronk reportedly denied they were dating in 2017. “I’ve quickly learned that everyone has their own two cents, and I just kind of let that stuff roll and let the people talk,” Kostek had said at the time.
And while having a popular NFL boyfriend might be hard for some women, Kostek said she doesn’t mind when Gronk talks to other girls.
“He and I both love to meet new people, and when someone comes up to either of us, we entertain them,” she said, describing a moment when the two caught eyes across the room while Gronk was chatting up a group of girls. “[We] both gave each other a thumbs up. We have each other’s backs, and we both trust each other.”
She’s even called out some of his NFL foes. In 2018, Jacksonville Jaguars player Jalen Ramsey went off on a bunch of fellow NFL players, including Gronk, who Ramsey said was “not that good.”
Kostek shot back at Ramsey, saying that her boyfriend was “sexier” and “a better football player” than Ramsey. Get it, girl.
She'd be surprised if he proposed.
Despite their seemingly strong and long-term relationship, Kostek revealed that she doesn’t exactly hear wedding bells in she and Gronkowski’s future.
“Whenever a proposal comes into my life, I think that I’ll be very surprised, but right now, Rob and I are totally career-focused.” she said. However, she didn’t count it out completely. “We’re not just a fling. We definitely see a future with each other."
Gronkowski has come out of retirement and joined a new team.
While the football star's retirement may have shocked fans last year, they don't have to worry any longer, since he'll be coming back on the field. But, this time, he'll be joining another team. It was recently announced that Gronkowski was traded to the Buccaneers.
However, he had already been dropping some hints of his possible return.
He recently took a physical with the Buccaneers and had also said in an interview this week, “I’m feeling good right now. I’m happy where I’m at. You just never know, man. You just never know. You never know. I’m not totally done.”
Micki Spollen is a YourTango editor and entertainment news writer. She also runs the travel blog Where In The World Is My Drink.
Editor's Note: This article was originally posted on November 7, 2018 and was updated with the latest information.