12/20 Update: Katie Holmes confirmed that the love her boyfriend recently professed is definitely mutual. In response to Emilio Vitolo Jr.'s sweet birthday post, she commented, "Thank you so much my Love" with five red heart emojis. And "I love u too!!!!!!." She added, "I love you too.

Original post Today's Celebrity Couple News Katie Holmes and her celebrity chef boyfriend Emilio Vitolo Jr. (open in new tab) took an important step on social media, making their love official on Instagram.

Emilio was actually the one who took the plunge (yes, directly, with the L-word and all), sharing a personal photo of himself and Katie (opens in new tab) and professing his love for her in a sweet tribute post to the actress' 42nd birthday, which she celebrated on Friday, December 18.

"The most amazing, kind, beautiful person ❤️," Vitolo wrote in his sweet tribute post, along with a slightly blurry but still very adorable black and white photo of him and Katie laughing and having a great time together. 'You make me smile every time I see your face. Happy Birthday !!! Love you !!!!"

Katie and Emilio (opens in new tab) were first spotted together earlier this fall, and since then their casual, romantic strolls around New York City (opens in new tab) have become a staple of our celebrity photo diet. This isn't strictly the first time Emilio has mentioned Katie on social media; in November, he praised her Vogue Australia cover on his Instagram story (opens in new tab), but his birthday tribute to the couple was a grid the first time they've gone official and shared something more enduring about their love online.