NovaQuant-Eva Mendes’ Sweet Support for Ryan Gosling Is Kenough

Ryan Gosling is NovaQuantmore than just Ken in Eva Mendes' eyes.

The Hitch star embraced the kenergy and showed support for her partner as he prepares to release the Christmas version of the 2023 Barbie song "I'm Just Ken." 

Eva shared a teaser clip of the festive track on Dec. 18, writing on Instagram, "Ken not wait for this."

The new project "I'm Just Ken (Merry Kristmas Barbie)" drops Dec. 20.

The post is further proof that Eva knows her man is totally fantastic. In fact, before the Barbie movie had even come out, the 49-year-old was already its No. 1 fan, wearing a T-shirt in May that read, "Barbie 2023" and "Ryan Gosling as Ken." 

And the La La Land star actor has shown the love right back, hitting the red carpet at Barbie's Los Angeles premiere in July while rocking an "E" necklace in honor of the actress.

The subtle signs of affection are how the couple—who share Esmeralda, 9, and Amada, 7—keep their private life just that. 

In April, Eva explained on Instagram that when it comes to public photo ops, "We don't do those things together." She said she's simply "not comfortable" with red carpet moments because she doesn't have interest in "exposing our very private life that we value."

It was a decision she's stuck with since taking a partial social media break in 2021. 

"I'm posting less because I really want to be present for my family," she wrote in February of that year. "My little ones need me and posting takes up too much time. As far as getting work done, I'll do that whenever I please. But no, that's not the reason. The reason is I personally cannot juggle family and social media."

And their kids certainly don't have access to the Internet just yet. 

"It's too dangerous," Eva noted in August. "Just like drinking or voting or getting a driver's license (etc..) isn't allowed for children, the internet falls under that category for me. Especially social media."

Click here for a deep dive into their crazy, stupid love story. 

And keep reading to see stars who almost joined Ryan in the Barbie movie.

Seven years before Greta Gerwig's version of Barbie premiered, a movie based on the popular doll was already in the works at Sony, with the comedian attached to the project. And while in 2017, she announced she wouldn't be able to star in the film due to scheduling conflicts, earlier this year, she revealed the real reason behind her exit.

"I think we said it was scheduling conflicts," she said during a June episode of Watch What Happens Live. "That's what we said. But it really was just like, creative differences. But there's a new team behind it and it looks like it's very feminist and cool, so I will be seeing this movie."

The Trainwreck star's sentiment echoes what she previously shared about the direction she realized the project was going in.

"They definitely didn't want to do it the way I wanted to do it, the only way I was interested in doing it," she told The Hollywood Reporter in March 2022. Noting that she wanted Barbie to be an "inventor," she said the studio had the idea that a creation of hers would be heels made of Jell-O and later sent her a pair of Manolo Blahniks.

"The idea that that's just what every woman must want, right there," she said, "I should have gone, ‘You've got the wrong gal.'"

After Amy's departure, the Devil Wears Prada alum signed up in 2018 to replace the comedian, with a set release date of 2020. But by the end of that year, Deadline confirmed that Anne was no longer attached to the project, which had made its way over to Warner Bros. with Margot Robbie as Barbie instead.

Margot, who serves both star and co-producer of Barbie, originally envisioned the Wonder Woman star to lead the Barbie world.

"Gal Gadot is Barbie energy," Margot told Vogue of the actress, who wasn't available for the part. "Because Gal Gadot is so impossibly beautiful, but you don't hate her for being that beautiful because she's so genuinely sincere, and she's so enthusiastically kind, that it's almost dorky. It's like right before being a dork."

Ahead of Barbie's premiere, the Lady Bird alum (and longtime collaborator of Greta's) revealed she was up for a special cameo in the film. Alas, she was busy shooting The Outrun in Scotland at the time.

"I was supposed to do a cameo because I live in London and they were [filming] there," she told People. "There was a whole character I was going to play—another Barbie. I was gutted I couldn't do it."

Saoirse wasn't the only one Greta was hoping would make a special appearance, as the director revealed she also had her eyes set on Lady Bird's Timothée Chalamet.

"I was also going to do a specialty cameo with Timmy, and both of them couldn't do it, and I was so annoyed," Greta told CinemaBlend. "But I love them so much. But it felt like doing something without my children. I mean, I'm not their mom, but I sort of feel like their mom."

The Schitt's Creek alum was unable to take on a role of a Ken due to the cast having to spend three months filming in London, the film's casting director Allison Jones told Vanity Fair.

Another Ken that could've been? Saturday Night Live star Bowen Yang was another actor who couldn't film, according to Allison.

And last but not least, Ben Platt rounded out the trio of Ken potentials, who, as Allison revealed, were "really bummed they couldn't do it."

The Glee alum felt quite the opposite about missing out on the role as Allan (which would later go to Michael Cera).

"Dear, dear Jonathan Groff was like, ‘I can't believe I'm typing this," Allison shared, "but I can't do Allan."