Unlike the other couple, Lucy Kalanithi and John Duberstein, their story did not start from charm and attraction but from both going through heartbreak. So, Lucy Kalanithi, who is a physician and writer by profession, is the widow of famous author Dr. Paul Kalanithi, who wrote When Breath Becomes Air, in which he tells about life, death, and their meaning.
On the other hand, John Duberstein is the widower of famous poetess Nina Riggs, who wrote the famous book The Bright Hour while dying day-by-day in a hospital and fighting with her cancer.
After losing their partners, they met during their heartbroken journey. Because they go through similar pain, love, and loss, they come so close that others can’t understand. So, people admired them; two people who lost their partners through tragic death found comfort and connection of love in each other.
After so many years, in 2025, people still surprisingly asked, “Are Lucy Kalanithi and John Duberstein still together?” So, let’s just decode this question together after looking at the facts and clues.
Are Lucy Kalanithi and John Duberstein Still Together?
As of 2025, Lucy and John are not seen together publicly. Although there aren’t any posts, interviews, or updates, both of them found something confirming an ongoing romantic relationship together. Both seem to be focusing on their individual careers while holding the memories of their late partners.
They once shared a post reflecting on how their special bond was formed during their healing process after mutual loss, which suggests that their romantic chapter may have ended quietly. Still, they remain respectful toward each other, turning grief into motivation through their continued writing and work on love, pain, and the meaning of life.
k about it again or not, their tale has already made a difference to readers and fans across the globe. Regardless of whether they get back together or both go on to pursue different destinies, many will still track their lives with respect and admiration.
How their relationship started
Their story is not the typical story that starts with attraction or excitement; instead, it starts from pain, sorrow, and understanding. As they both lose their partners, their paths cross, and they talk with each other through emails and messages, and they share their feelings of loneliness and healing. It started as a conversation and then turned into a deep emotional bond or connection. They understand each other’s pain better than others.
With the passage of time, their story captures media attention because they are both heartbroken and finding peace and comfort in each other.
Mini timeline of their meetups:
2017: Lucy and John meet after Nina Riggs’s death
2018: They became close friends who support each other in their tough times.
2019: The relationship was mentioned in interviews and articles.
2020: They appeared together, finding love and comfort in each other after loss.
2022: both focused on their personal life and encouragement work
2023-2025: no public appearance together; relationship status is not confirmed yet.
Latest public appearance or mention:
They were last seen together during 2019-2020, when major media outlets, such as The Washington Post and Today, shared their heartwarming story of finding peace in pain. Both spoke in the interview about how their bond helps them to heal emotionally and helps them balance their lives again.
After 2020 there is no joint interview, appearance, or post of them together that has appeared online. Lucy has remained busy with her work in medicine, writing, and motivational speaking, while John works privately and sometimes supports grief support projects.
Both prefer to keep their personal lives private, focusing on their careers and families. The absence of public updates has led many followers to believe that their relationship may have quietly ended. Still, the emotional bond that once gave them courage through difficult times remains a lasting part of their story.
Clues from social media and the public:
From their social media accounts, there isn’t any clear information about their current relationship. Lucy occasionally shares pictures of her late husband and their daughter, focusing mainly on her work, family moments, and motivational messages. Meanwhile, John keeps his social media presence private and doesn’t share much publicly.
They never tag or mention each other online, likely because neither is very active on social media. So, through their social media account followers or readers assume that maybe they keep their relationship private or ended up quietly. Still, their emotional support for each other at their toughest time always remains close to their hearts, and their followers’ hearts. Fans continue to admire how their shared journey of love, grief, and healing inspired others to find hope even after loss.
Career or Life Developments That May Have Affected Their Relationship
After going through emotional losses, they are now more focused on professional life. Lucy continued her work as a physician and author; she wants to give courage to those who are going through emotional damage, so she also works as a motivational speaker. Through her writing she can connect with many people who are going through the same pain she once was.
On the other hand, John wants to keep his personal and professional life private. Sometimes he attends the grief support projects and private work. Their different career paths also stem from one reason: the distance between them.
Even so, if they are not together anymore, both respect their relationship and continue to memorialize their late partner’s memories while giving courage to the people who also face the same pain and find meaning in life after loss.
What Fans are saying?
Fans still wanted them as a couple and admired their process of healing together. Some fans also mention that their story feels like love and healing can find you even in the darkest moments in your life. On online platforms, fans still comment or post that Lucy and John together enhanced the courage about grief, pain, and finding meaning in life after loss.
Fans discuss that their story does not need a happy ending; they already give hope, courage, and inspiration to people who thought that their partner was no more. They have to find a way to make them proud when you meet them again.
What’s next for them?
As we know, there is not any confirmation about their breakup and their ongoing relationship. They are separately focusing on their profession and personal growth. Although there are no updates about their romantic relationship, they have found peace and healing in their own way. As the saying goes, “time is the biggest healer.” So, they also help themselves but also hold the memories of their late partners.
Conclusion
Doesn’t matter where life for them goes their story still touches the heart of the people who think that life ends when your partner or love ones is not with you anymore. But believe through there lives we learn that God have his own plans and cants questions his planning. Because creator know what is better for their creations. Together they comfort each other and know they are comforting lot of people with their services.
Hey there! I’m Sandiya Kanwal, currently surviving (and almost graduating!) my last semester of bachelor’s degree life. I’m a big fan of celebrity gossip because, let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a little drama that’s not their own? Writing about stars, scandals, and stories helps me learn something new every day, and yes, it also makes my writing skills shine brighter than a red-carpet smile!
