Comedian Matteo Lane has publicly confirmed that his marriage to Rodrigo Aburto has ended, and that he subsequently dated Italian model Gianluca Volgare before that relationship also concluded. During an episode of his podcast "I Never Liked You" with co-host Nick Smith, the 39-year-old opened up about navigating both breakups while managing his comedy career and now preparing for his Broadway debut.
The Marriage and Its Quiet End
The couple's split had been an open secret for some time. Rodrigo wiped his Instagram clean in May 2025 and announced a "rebrand" two months later, cryptically stating: "If my life is changing. My journey is changing. I am changing, then my social media needs to change." The pair's last shared photos together dated back well over a year, prompting sustained speculation among fans about the state of their union.
Lane confirmed the breakup on Thursday with characteristic discomfort. "I'm so uncomfortable. I don't know how to say this," he told listeners. "Rodrigo and I did break up. I know a lot of people have been asking about it." He emphasized that the two wanted privacy to process the separation before going public, and that he had consulted with Aburto before speaking about it on air or incorporating it into his stand-up material.
We are really good friends, which I love. I actually feel quite proud of that.
Matteo Lane
Lane did not disclose the specific timing of the split, its cause, or whether divorce paperwork has been finalized. The couple married in August 2023 in a celebratory Instagram video, dressed in matching red and black outfits and sharing a slow-motion kiss as confetti fell around them.
A Second Relationship, Also Ended
What began as curiosity about one breakup became a revelation of two. Lane also disclosed that he dated Gianluca Volgare, an Italian model, after his marriage ended. The pair posted a photo together in September 2025, sharing a cheek kiss that sparked new relationship rumors, but they too have since parted ways.
"I also dated a really great guy name Gianluca, who you got to meet, and I've talked about on the pod and stuff and he's just an amazing person," Lane told co-host Nick Smith. He acknowledged the emotional complexity of navigating two breakups in relatively quick succession, noting how difficult it was "to navigate" both the end of his marriage and the subsequent relationship.
Friendship in the Aftermath
What stands out in Lane's account is his deliberate effort to maintain cordial relationships with both exes. He described consulting with Rodrigo before telling jokes about the breakup on stage, and Rodrigo was receptive: "He was like, 'You know, of course,' and we laughed and then I took some time."
Lane credited his own growth and communication with being able to reach "the other side" of both breakups. "But we're through to the other side, and I'm happy to say that, you know, they're two friends of mine," he said. The comedian's approach suggests a mature handling of public dissolution, one increasingly common among celebrities who recognize the difficulty of moving on while maintaining a public persona.
Why It Matters
For a public figure, the decision to open up about relationship breakdowns carries real stakes. Lane's willingness to discuss these matters on his podcast, to incorporate them into his comedy, and to do so while protecting his exes' privacy and maintaining their friendship shows a model of celebrity transparency that resists both oversharing and complete silence. He's not performing victim or villain; he's simply acknowledging that relationships sometimes end and that adulthood means figuring out how to remain connected to people who once mattered deeply.
His honesty also reflects shifting attitudes within the LGBTQ+ community about relationships, visibility, and the messiness of real life. Lane isn't hiding; he's being candid about breakups in a way that normalizes them for his audience.
A Career Peak Amid Personal Flux
Lane's personal turbulence has coincided with significant professional momentum. After stepping back from his comedy tour schedule, he made his Broadway debut in the Tony-winning revival of "Chicago" at the Ambassador Theatre, taking on the role of slick lawyer Bobby Flynn. His run began in late June and is scheduled through July 19, when actor Mark Ballas will return to the role.
The timing suggests Lane is using this moment of transition to pursue work he's long wanted to do, stepping outside his stand-up wheelhouse to test himself on stage in a completely different medium. In that sense, the personal reset aligns with a professional one.
Source: Queerty
Cover photo: Neal Brennan, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
