Sheryl Sandberg and Viola Davis: Are They Together?

Last updated: October 11, 2026

Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!

Are Sheryl Sandberg and Viola Davis a couple? The short answer is no — these two powerhouse women are not together, have never dated, and have no publicly documented personal or professional relationship at all. Each is happily married to someone else, and the confusion likely comes from their names appearing side by side on lists of the world’s most influential women.

Table of Contents

Quick Answer

No, Sheryl Sandberg and Viola Davis are not in a relationship. Sheryl Sandberg, the former Meta chief operating officer, is married to businessman Tom Bernthal — the two wed in Wyoming in August 2022. Viola Davis, the acclaimed actress, has been married to actor and producer Julius Tennon since June 2003. The two women move in entirely different worlds — Sandberg in Silicon Valley and philanthropy, Davis in Hollywood and advocacy — and there is no record of them ever meeting, dating, or working together. They are simply two high-achieving women whose names sometimes land on the same “most powerful women” lists.

Illustration for Sheryl Sandberg and Viola Davis

Who Are Sheryl Sandberg and Viola Davis?

Sheryl Sandberg is an American technology executive, philanthropist, and bestselling author. Born August 28, 1969, in Washington, D.C., she served as the chief operating officer of Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook) from 2008 to 2022, where she built the company’s advertising business and was widely credited with making it profitable. Her 2013 book Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead became a global phenomenon and made her one of the most visible advocates for women’s leadership in the workplace. She also founded LeanIn.Org, a nonprofit dedicated to helping women achieve their ambitions.

Viola Davis is an American actress and film producer, born August 11, 1965, in St. Matthews, South Carolina. She is one of the rare performers to win the Triple Crown of Acting — an Academy Award, an Emmy, and two Tony Awards — and in 2023 she completed the coveted EGOT with a Grammy win for the audiobook of her memoir Finding Me. Known for powerhouse roles in The Help, Fences, Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom, and the television series How to Get Away with Murder, Davis is celebrated not only for her acting but also for her advocacy for women of color in Hollywood. She co-founded the production company JuVee Productions with her husband.

Relationship Timeline

Since Sheryl Sandberg and Viola Davis are not — and never have been — romantically involved, there is no couple’s timeline to report. Instead, here is a parallel timeline of the key milestones in each woman’s life, which shows clearly that their personal lives have unfolded separately:

  • 1965 — Viola Davis is born on August 11 in St. Matthews, South Carolina, and raised in Central Falls, Rhode Island.
  • 1969 — Sheryl Sandberg is born on August 28 in Washington, D.C., and raised in North Miami Beach, Florida.
  • 1999 — Davis meets actor Julius Tennon on the set of the CBS drama pilot City of Angels.
  • 2003 — Viola Davis and Julius Tennon marry on June 23 in a small ceremony in Rhode Island.
  • 2004 — Sheryl Sandberg marries SurveyMonkey CEO Dave Goldberg.
  • 2008 — Sandberg becomes Facebook’s chief operating officer, beginning a 14-year run at the company.
  • 2011 — Davis and Tennon adopt their daughter, Genesis Tennon.
  • 2013 — Sandberg publishes Lean In, sparking a worldwide conversation about women in the workplace.
  • 2015 — Dave Goldberg dies suddenly of a heart condition in May while the family is on vacation in Mexico; Sandberg later writes about resilience in Option B.
  • 2017 — Davis wins the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for Fences, completing the Triple Crown of Acting.
  • 2019 — Sandberg is introduced to Tom Bernthal by her late husband’s brother, Rob Goldberg; the two begin dating.
  • 2022 — Sandberg and Bernthal marry on August 20 in a Western-themed wedding in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. That same year, Davis releases her memoir Finding Me.
  • 2023 — Davis wins a Grammy for Finding Me, completing the rare EGOT.

No public event, collaboration, or meeting between Sandberg and Davis has ever been reported. Their shared connection is thematic, not personal: both are trailblazing women who have used their platforms to champion opportunity for other women.

Latest Updates

Viola Davis in 2026: Davis continues to collect honors and give back. On September 10, 2026, AARP named her No. 1 on its list of the 25 Most Fabulous Gen X Actresses, ahead of names like Charlize Theron and Halle Berry. Earlier in the year, on February 28, 2026, Davis walked the NAACP Image Awards red carpet with her husband Julius Tennon and their teenage daughter Genesis, presenting a united family front. In 2026, Davis and Tennon also announced a $1.2 million philanthropic investment through their foundation to build a family engagement centre in Central Falls, Rhode Island — named in honor of Davis’s late mother, Mary Alice Davis — expanding on their existing Mary Alice Davis Food Pantry, which serves roughly 3,000 people a month. For more explainers at AllAboutFacts on today’s biggest stars, browse the Celebrities category.

Sheryl Sandberg in 2026: Sandberg remains focused on philanthropy and board work after stepping down as Meta’s COO in 2022 and leaving Meta’s board in 2024. In March 2026, she joined the board of Nscale, a British AI infrastructure startup — a notable move tying her business expertise to the artificial intelligence boom. She continues to be married to Tom Bernthal, and there are no reports of any split or trouble in either Sandberg’s or Davis’s marriage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Sheryl Sandberg and Viola Davis dating?
No. They have never dated and there is no record of any romantic connection between them. Each is married to someone else.

Are Sheryl Sandberg and Viola Davis married to each other?
No. Sandberg is married to businessman Tom Bernthal, founder of the consulting firm Kelton Global. Davis is married to actor and producer Julius Tennon.

Have Sheryl Sandberg and Viola Davis ever met or worked together?
There is no public record of the two ever meeting, collaborating, or appearing together. They work in completely different industries — technology and philanthropy for Sandberg, acting and production for Davis.

Why are their names searched together?
Both women regularly appear on “most powerful” and “most influential women” lists, and both are high-profile advocates for women — Sandberg for women in business leadership, Davis for women of color in entertainment. That overlap in public conversation is almost certainly why their names get paired in search queries.

Faizi is a content writer at AllAboutFacts (hotteamnames.com), covering vocabulary, language tips, and everyday explainers.

Similar Posts