After Revealing That Their 7-Year-Old Daughter Constantly Asks Her About It, Shay Mitchell Explained Why She Isn’t Married To Her Longtime Partner — And People Have Thoughts

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Shay Mitchell and her longtime partner, Matte Babel, have known each other since they were teenagers, but began dating officially in 2017.

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Though Matte isn't as well-known as Shay, he's still pretty busy in the showbiz world. Like Shay, he is Canadian. He's worked as a TV host, but now serves as the Chief Brand Officer of DreamCrew — the management company and entertainment group owned by his close friend and fellow Toronto native, Drake.

A crowd watches a basketball game. Two adults and a child with headphones sit courtside, focusing on the action

Shay and Matte have been together for nearly a decade now, but much to fans' intrigue, have never gotten engaged or married.

Two people sitting together in an outdoor setting, both wearing sunglasses. One wears a plaid shirt and an orange cap with an "H" on it

Now, during an appearance on Khloé Kardashian's Wonder Land podcast this week, Shay talked about why that is — and how she tackles the subject with their two kids.

Man with two young children pose with matching gray luggage; children wear matching printed outfits; man wears casual hoodie and pants

"They ask me all the time, 'Why aren't we married?'" she said of their daughters, 7-year-old Atlas and 4-year-old Rome. Shay said she responds by telling the girls, "Mommy and Daddy are like partners, and I just didn't want a wedding. I just like, don't need it. It's just not something that I want."

Person in a white blouse speaking into a microphone during a podcast interview

Shay went on to say that her oldest daughter, Atlas, has become quite obsessed with the idea of marriage and engagement, which doesn't necessarily surprise her, given the way that marriage is portrayed in the media.

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"Anytime someone around me is engaged, she wants to know the whole story. And then you look at it, and you're actually watching these movies, and the books, and every time it ends with a happily ever after because you ended up running off into the sunset with somebody — your prince," she said. "So, she'll always be like, 'Who's your prince?'... And I don't need that to just be her only narrative."

A person in a white blouse sits on a sofa, speaking into a microphone during an interview

"So, not that I'm proving a point, but that just really is the life that she has grown up with, with watching her dad and I, and I'm kind of OK with it," Shay continued. "Like, anytime she says, 'Why aren't you married?' I'm like, 'I just don't want it, and you don't have to be.' And she's like, 'OK.'"

Person in a white blouse, sitting with a microphone, appearing engaged in a conversation

When Khloé asked Shay if she's always been opposed to the idea of getting married, she said that it's never really been a priority for her, despite growing up watching her parents' "incredible relationship."

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"My parents have been together for 40 years... So it's not even like I didn't have a great example of it," she said. "I don't know. Things could change in like 5 years. I just love the freedom of like, 'Hey, I'm choosing to be in this position with you right now,' and as he is with me, too. And it just kinda works."

Person in a light blouse speaking into a microphone during a podcast or interview setting

This isn't the first time that Shay has talked about this. Back in 2024, she defended her and Matte's relationship status by saying that "everything works so smoothly" for them without being married.

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"I've manifested quite a few things in my life and getting married was never something that was right for me," she said on Today with Hoda & Jenna at the time. "He’s an incredible father, great partner, and that’s really how I see us. We’re awesome partners in life."

A woman in a Mickey Mouse shirt and cap holds a child wearing Minnie Mouse ears and backpack at a theme park

Shay's interview with Khloé is gaining a lot of attention online, and as you'd expect, some people are side-eyeing Shay's comments about marriage. "Not saying this applies to her," one X user wrote, "but the amount of women I meet who say this because their boyfriends just don’t want to get married and they absorb the responsibility by saying they don’t want to, when in reality they would be ecstatic to be proposed to."

Tweet about women claiming not to want marriage due to boyfriends' reluctance, though they'd be happy to be proposed to

Tweet by Chong Lee discussing differences between wedding and marriage, questioning the term "right now" with humor

Tweet expressing skepticism about a woman's potential response to a marriage proposal

However, plenty of others have praised her stance, particularly the way she talked about marriage with her kids, too. "I feel like telling your daughters that marriage doesn’t have to be the end all be all is actually good," one user wrote.

Tweet discusses the idea that marriage doesn't need to be the ultimate goal for daughters

A fan account tweet discusses the irony of people doubting a woman's choice not to marry, despite advocating for freedom to choose one's lifestyle

"Shay thank you. Marriage isn’t a necessity I’m glad she’s teaching her girls that."

On top of this, others feel that not getting married is the "right move" for someone like Shay, who is very independently wealthy thanks to her business ventures. In August 2026, Samsonite Group agreed to acquire an 85% stake in Shay's hugely popular travel and lifestyle brand, BÉIS, valuing the company at approximately $210 million. Shay sold half of her 30% stake in the company, which reportedly earned her a $31.5 million payday.

Person in stylish black jacket with lace details and black leggings holding a drink, standing at a branded BÉIS and REVOLVE event display

Shay didn't say that finances had anything to do with her decision; however, with the BÉIS deal in the headlines, people can't help but bring it up. "Am I the only one who doesn’t understand why she needs to be married if she doesn’t want to," one user suggested. "She’s rich, she’s made her businesses as herself and not someone’s wife. Whats the benefit of the marriage from her perspective? If they ever split it’s clean (outside of the kids)."

Twitter post questioning the necessity of marriage for a successful, wealthy woman who doesn't want it, focusing on independence and business

Tweet about a person worth $60 million, discussing marriage, divorce, and tax brackets for women

Tweet by @TheFineFeminine discussing how a wealthy woman might view marriage differently, stating there's no benefit in marrying if already rich

Sooo, what do you make of all this? Let me know your thoughts in the comments section.

You can watch Shay and Khloé's full conversation here.

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