Here we break down 5 things to know about the actress’ beau, who died at age 57 after a private battle with ALS.

• Sandra Bullock is an actress
• She has reportedly been dating photographer Bryan Randall since 2015
• She was previously married to Jesse James from 2005 until 2010
• On August 5, 2023, Bryan died after a 3-year battle with ALS

Sandra Bullock had been dating boyfriend Bryan Randall since 2015, but the couple didn’t like spending too much time in the spotlight together, keeping their relationship pretty low-key. It was a strategy that worked for the high profile couple, and they dated for nearly eight years. Tragically, Bryan’s family confirmed in a statement to HollywoodLife that he had died after a private battle with ALS on August 5, 2023. “It is with great sadness that we share that on Aug. 5, Bryan Randall passed away peacefully after a three-year battle with ALS,” they shared on August 7, 2023. “Bryan chose early to keep his journey with ALS private and those of us who cared for him did our best to honor his request. We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours. At this time we ask for privacy to grieve and to come to terms with the impossibility of saying goodbye to Bryan.” They signed the heartbreaking statement, “His Loving Family.”

In early Aug. 2023, it was reported that Sandra and Bryan’s romance was “on the rocks” and they went through a “cooling-off period” that included them living apart in the fall of 2022. “The feeling is Sandra might be hoping for some type of miracle — that they’ll work things out after this long cooling-off period,” a source told Us Weekly at the time. They also said the chance for a reconciliation is “a long shot.”

In Oct. 2022, before the news of her latest alleged relationship struggles, Sandra announced she was taking a break from acting to focus more on her children, which reportedly added to tension with Bryan, who apparently wanted marriage. “It’s widely known Bryan wanted to make things official with Sandra, but she didn’t see a need to go down that path. It became quite an issue as time went on,” another insider told Us Weekly, before adding the Speed star “didn’t need a piece of paper to plan a future and be happy, but he felt differently.”

Less than a year before, in Dec. 2021, Sandra made an appearance on Red Table Talk, which can be seen above, and got candid about not needing marriage. She also called Bryan a “saint” and the “love of my life,” while detailing how they’ve kept their relationship strong over the years.

So who is Bryan Randall? Find out more about the on-again, off-again boyfriend of Sandra below.

Bryan was a photographer from Portland

Bryan worked as a professional photographer and has worked in L.A. for some time. He ran a successful company called Bryan Randall Photography and mainly focuses on outdoor scenes and children’s portraits. Although he enjoyed living in California with Sandra, he’s actually from the northern part of the West Coast — Portland, Oregon to be exact. Back in 2015, a source revealed to PEOPLE that his relationship with Sandra was the “word on the Portland street” with “everyone [thinking] it’s great he’s dating [Sandra].”

He was a dad

Like Sandra, who has two adopted children, son Louis (b. 2010) and daughter Laila (b. 2012), Bryan also had an adult daughter named Skylar Staten Randall, from a previous relationship. Although not much is known about their father-daughter relationship, a source previously told PEOPLE in 2015 that the doting dad was a true family man. “He’s a great guy and had a great family life growing up,” a family friend told the publication at the time. “His parents are amazing people. Everyone is really proud of him for being a talented photographer and model.”

He was a fashion model

Although the Portland-born photographer may have been thrust into the public sphere with his A-list girlfriend, it turns out he was actually familiar with the spotlight himself. Before he took up photography, he previously worked as a high-end fashion model, gracing the pages of Vogue Paris and doing ads for major labels like Hugo Boss and Saint Laurent. He also appeared alongside supermodel Cindy Crawford for a 2011 spread in Harper’s Bazaar Singapore.

Bryan previously dated other stars in Hollywood

Just like his familiarity with show business from modeling, Bryan also dabbled in other Hollywood romances before Sandra. He once dated Paris St. John, daughter of The Young and the Restless’ Kristoff St. John and boxer Mia St. John. Mia told Us Weekly in 2015 that Bryan was “kooky, goofy” and was “so funny” and “very young at heart.” She also called him a “free spirit” and said that he “couldn’t care less about money,” adding he was able to “live off the land.”

In addition to his romantic connections in tinsel town, Bryan briefly studied acting at L.A. drama school Anthony Meindl’s Actor Workshop, per PEOPLE. A few of the screenwriter and former actor’s students at the studio include Jenna Dewan and Shailene Woodley. No word on whether or not he dated Jennifer Aniston, but he was photographed holding hands with Sandra at Jennifer’s massive 2019 birthday bash.

Sandra’s kids adored him

As we mentioned above, Bryan was a known family man, which is why he was a great fit for Sandra and her two adopted children, Louis and Laila, A source said Bryan “couldn’t be more involved” with the upbringing of the Ocean’s Eight star’s kids, in a report from Closer. “The kids adore Bryan and of course Sandra still pinches herself that she’s been so lucky finding Bryan.”

The insider went on to share that her kids also loved spending time with the photographer and their mom, soaking up new experiences together. “[Sandra and Bryan] prefer private time, like hiking with the kids, exploring nature. But their outings to public places and restaurants, like their recent visit to Soho House in West Hollywood, are just as special,” the source added. “They get a real kick out of them interacting with people. Sandra loves being a mom and she sees how time flies by, she doesn’t want to miss a moment of this special time.”