Stranger Things Fun Fact: Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer Once Enlisted Joe Keery to “Cover” Their Relationship in the Early Days

Back in 2017, as Natalia Dyer and Charlie Heaton began drawing attention for their off-screen closeness, the Stranger Things duo chose to keep their budding relationship private. And that decision led to one of the fandom’s favorite behind-the-scenes stories — involving none other than their co-star Joe Keery.

At the 2017 SAG Awards, instead of walking the red carpet together, Dyer and Heaton arrived alongside Joe Keery, who effectively became the “buffer” between them. In multiple photos, Keery stands in the middle while Charlie and Natalia maintain a subtle, careful distance — a detail fans quickly picked up on and loved.

Sharp-eyed viewers noticed Keery’s slightly awkward expressions as he posed between the pair, leading fans to joke that he had become their “accidental bodyguard,” helping shield their not-yet-public relationship during its earliest stage.

Only a few months later, by late 2017, Charlie Heaton and Natalia Dyer officially made their debut as a couple at the premiere of Stranger Things Season 2. And in early 2018, Dyer spoke openly about her boyfriend in an interview with Us Weekly, confirming the seriousness of their relationship.

From quietly supporting each other in the background to becoming one of the most beloved real-life couples to come out of the hit Netflix series, Dyer and Heaton’s relationship has won the hearts of fans around the world. And looking back, the fandom still fondly remembers that iconic 2017 moment when Joe Keery unintentionally became the sweetest third wheel on the SAG red carpet.