The couple definitely started seeing each other casually before things got serious. Kristen spoke to Us Weekly in January 2020 about not having a label on her romance with Alex at the time. 

“That’s the scary part about dating,” she admitted. “Like, at what point are you just having fun and sleeping together and then you’re going out on dates. Then you’re kind of sleeping together on the reg and then you’re only kind of dating each other, but you don’t want to. So, at what point do you just go, ‘Oh, s–t?’”

She also noted that she didn’t have a boyfriend at the time (even though she was seeing Alex), adding, “I’m still open to anyone and everyone.”