Elizabeth Gilbert, Rayya Elias, Tremulous Relationship, From Friends, Addiction, To Lovers And More

Elizabeth Gilbert is the celebrated author behind the global blockbuster Eat, Pray, Love. The memoir, which follows a year of spiritual exploration and self-discovery after her divorce, has sold over 30 million copies, has been translated into more than 30 languages, and was adapted into a hit film featuring Julia Roberts.

Now, Elizabeth is poised to release her deeply personal new memoir, All the Way to the River: Love, Loss, and Liberation which is all set to be published on September 9, 2025. This time around she will be courageously revealing details about her intense relationship with her late partner, Rayya Elias, from their friendship and codependence, through grief and addiction, and her partner's ultimate demise. Here's all you need to know about their relationship before the memoir is published.

Elizabeth Gilbert left her husband for Rayya Elias 

In an excerpt from her upcoming memoir, shared by The Guardian, Elizabeth Gilbert recounts the moment her life changed forever. When Rayya Elias, her longtime best friend, called to tell her about her cancer diagnosis, Elizabeth found herself confessing a love she had hidden, even from herself and her husband. She left everything behind to stand by Rayya in her final months. Their days together became a heady, chaotic blend of passion, grief, addiction, and creative intensity, leading Elizabeth into a spiral from which she had to claw her way back, and now she is ready to share it with the world.

Elizabeth Gilbert opens up in her new memoir about how a haircut led her to Rayya Elias 

Elizabeth Gilbert first met Rayya Elias in her walk-up salon. She had gone in to tame her frizzy hair, but that meeting turned into something far more significant for them. Back then, Elizabeth was married to Michael Cooper and lived a conventional life, but she felt an instant curiosity for Rayya, whose edgy style and openness about her addiction recovery drew Elizabeth in. She was struck by Rayya’s raw authenticity. Although love didn't spark between them until years later.

Elizabeth Gilbert soon became a global sensation

Elizabeth soon realised she was just as emotionally addicted as Rayya was to drugs. This realisation made her leave her husband, quit her job, and sell everything. This phase of Elizabeth's life turned into the best selling novel, Eat Pray Love, which was later converted into a film starring Julia Roberts. She found herself overwhelmed by success, but instead of feeling deserving, she believed her abundance should be shared with others. Elizabeth poured money into friends, family, and strangers alike. She began funding loans, renovations, vacations, therapy, and even strangers’ car payments. 

Elizabeth Gilbert and Rayya Elias' friendship grew stronger 

Elizabeth began visiting Rayya for monthly haircuts in the city, and over time, their acquaintance deepened into friendship. When Rayya’s marriage ended with her partner, Gigi, she began facing financial struggles. Elizabeth offered her a place to stay, and Rayya moved into a converted church she owned in New Jersey. Living under one roof, their bond grew stronger; they became each other’s support system, leaning on each other through challenges and celebrations alike.

As their relationship flourished, Rayya became Elizabeth's constant companion, her plus-one at premieres, trips abroad, casual outings, and even celebrity events. They were inseparable, attending everything from movie premieres and Beyoncé concerts to everyday errands together. Their presence as 'Rayya and Liz' was both heartfelt and public, signalling a profound shift in Elizabeth's life that quietly redefined her personal path.

Elizabeth Gilbert received a phone call from Rayya Elias that changed everything for them

On April 25, 2016, Elizabeth Gilbert received a phone call from Rayya Elias that changed everything for them. Rayya told her that the doctors had found tumours. Not just in her liver but in her pancreas, too. That single moment forced Elizabeth to confront the fragility of life and the depth of her emotions. She realised she could no longer hide the love she had carried silently for years. In that instant, everything shifted, and she told her then husband, Jose Nunes the truth about her feelings for Rayya. She made peace with ending her marriage and vowed to stay by Rayya’s side through her final journey. 

Elizabeth Gilbert confessed her love to Rayya Elias

In a deeply vulnerable moment shared in All the Way to the River, Elizabeth Gilbert recounts the day she confessed her love to Rayya Elias, feeling as awkward as passing a note filled with a check box, yes or no. After a long silence, Rayya looked at her, smiled, and embraced her, saying, "Baby, my beautiful baby, why did you take so long to come to me?"

Rather than crying in despair over her terminal diagnosis, Rayya celebrated the clarity it offered her. She said everyone spends their lives wondering how they're gonna die and now she get to know how her life would end and knowing that was amazing.

From then on, Elizabeth and Rayya were inseparable. They spent all of Rayya's final days together, while some were filled with love and laughter, and others were hard and never-ending, but they endured it all together as two people deeply in love with one another. The couple stay together till the demise of Rayya Elias on Januarty 4th, 2018.

Their love story still remains as real and raw as it was from the day that Rayya called Elizabeth and she came running to her and expressed her love.

Also Read: Who Was Jess Hurrell? Interiors Influencer, Mom To Two, Dies After 8 -Year-Long Cancer Battle

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