Relationships

The new celebrity dating app taking Hollywood by storm

Swipe right for the stars.

Move aside Tinder and Bumble, there’s a new app in town, and it promises some very familiar matches.

That’s right, a new elite dating app is taking the celebrity world by storm, with stars including Drew Barrymore and Sharon Stone reportedly on board.

The app, named Raya, has become known as ‘Tinder for A-listers’, and includes a number of verification features deeming it a reasonably safe bet for the rich and famous to find love outside of the spotlight.

In fact, the app itself was built by someone from within the silver screen’s fold – Jesse Johnson, actor and half-brother of actress Dakota Johnson.

(No word on whether Dakota met her current boyfriend, Chris Martin on there).

The app was created by Dakota Johnson’s half brother, Jesse. (Image: Getty)

To sign up to the app, it is mandatory to have two ‘sponsors’ who are already members to confirm your identity.

But that’s still not enough – users must then allow Raya access to their phone contacts, Facebook and Instagram so that it can verify them. It’s certainly not doing things by halves!

But once you’re on, it’s go time!

The Daily Telegraph reported the app was similar to Tinder according to a user, only, “you see super-famous people on there, the sort of people you would be starstruck by.”

“It looks the same, and you swipe left if you don’t like someone, and right if you do,” the source stated.

“But the reason it has been so successful is because these people are busy, really busy, flying across the world and working non-stop.”

The app is also a safe zone for celebrities, with another user revealing that if anyone discusses or gives away any names that they’ve seen or spoken to they will be told to leave the app.

“It is all private… Nobody is going to sell stories to the media about a liaison with a celebrity,” they said.

“It’s a strict world and one to be kept secret at all costs.”

43-year-old Drew reportedly didn’t have much luck on the app! (Image: Getty)

Joining Barrymore and Stone on the app are a host of other celebrities including actress Amy Schumer, model Cara Delevingne and former One Direction singers Harry Styles and Niall Horan, according to the Daily Mail.

Barrymore, who split from her third husband Will Kopelman in 2016 spoke to The Ellen Show earlier this year about using the dating app Raya.

“I heard Amy Schumer saying she met her boyfriend on there,” she said.

“So, I went on it – and no one responded.”

In fact, the blonde actress could even claim she was ghosted after she messaged a man she’d matched with.

“I texted with this one guy and I said, ‘OK, sure, if you feel inclined to go for a drink, that’d be great. But zero pressure.’… Never, ever a response.”

Amy Schumer and her husband Chris Fischer.

Meanwhile, Amy Schumer met her former boyfriend Ben Hanisch through the app.

Describing her experience in her book The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo, Schumer said she matched with Ben within the first 40 minutes of her joining the online dating community.

“He was dancing with his grandmother in his profile picture at what looked like a wedding. His song was ‘LSD’ by ASAP Rocky, my favourite song on that album. He wasn’t an actor or photographer by trade like all the other guys — and he didn’t live in L.A. or New York,” she wrote.

“He was a Chicago guy. We sent each other very simple hello’s and short, funny messages.”

And the rest was history! Schumer took her dating profile down two days later and things kicked off with Ben shortly after.

The actress and Ben split in 2017, and Schumer is now happily married to Chris Fischer with the pair expecting their first child together.

Related stories