Dakota Johnson has had a busy October. Her psychological thriller Verity opened in cinemas on 2 October 2026, became a major box-office success, and moved to digital release in late October. Along the way, Johnson revealed on a talk show that she fainted on set while filming, and she has spoken candidly in interviews about the less glamorous side of making films. This article rounds up the latest Dakota Johnson news, based on reports from October 2026.
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Verity: the film at the centre of the month
Verity, directed by Michael Showalter and based on Colleen Hoover’s bestselling novel of the same name, stars Johnson as Lowen Ashleigh, a struggling writer hired to complete a bestselling author’s unfinished books after the author is left unable to write following a car accident. Anne Hathaway plays Verity Crawford, and Josh Hartnett plays her husband Jeremy. As Lowen moves into the family home and reads Verity’s private writings, the story turns darker and the line between truth and invention begins to blur.
The film opened in cinemas on 2 October. Johnson also serves as an executive producer on the project. Critics gave it a mixed reception, with a Rotten Tomatoes score reported at 31 percent from 186 reviews, while audiences were more positive, with an audience score reported at 72 percent. At the box office, the film was a commercial success, with takings reported at 162 million dollars. Reports on 27 October said Verity was released on digital platforms that day, after its cinema run, giving viewers who missed it in theatres a chance to watch it at home.
Why Dakota Johnson fainted on set
One of the most talked-about moments of the press tour came when Johnson explained a frightening moment during filming. Speaking on Late Night with Seth Meyers on 1 October, she said she fainted during a scene and fell into Josh Hartnett’s arms. When Meyers asked why, she explained that she had a kidney infection at the time and simply passed out in the middle of a serious scene.
Johnson told the story with humour, laughing as she described it, but she was clear that it was a real health scare in the moment. She recovered and completed the film. The anecdote was widely reported because it showed the physical demands of a shoot, even on a project that looks polished on screen, and because Johnson told it so openly.
The Verity press tour
Johnson spent much of October promoting Verity, and her press-tour looks drew as much coverage as the film itself. On Late Night with Seth Meyers, she wore a floor-length black Gia Studios gown with a dramatic open back held by a single knot, a look that was widely photographed and shared on social media. Reports of the press tour described it as one of the most stylish promotional runs of the autumn, with Johnson appearing at premieres and talk shows throughout the film’s opening weeks.
She also appeared in a Hot Ones Versus teaser released in early October, filmed with Anne Hathaway as referee and Josh Hartnett as her opponent. In the teaser, Johnson answered a question about filming the first Fifty Shades film rather than eat a hot wing. The full episode was scheduled for 6 October on the First We Feast YouTube channel. The appearance came just after Johnson turned 37.
Speaking openly about filming intimate scenes
In a separate interview on Amy Poehler’s Good Hang podcast, reported on 23 October, Johnson spoke about the practical reality of filming intimate scenes. She said she had recently worked with an intimacy coordinator for the first time, despite having filmed many such scenes during her career, and described some of the awkward moments that can arise when a scene is filmed with only one performer in frame. She spoke about the experience in a frank, good-humoured way, and the interview was widely quoted for its honesty about a part of acting that is rarely discussed in detail.
Reports about her personal life
Johnson’s personal life has also been in the headlines this month. Reports in mid-to-late October said she had been photographed spending time in Los Angeles with musician Machine Gun Kelly, whose real name is Colson Baker, including outings reported by Page Six. The reports said the pair first met at Taylor Swift’s wedding to Travis Kelce in July and had grown closer since. Neither Johnson nor Machine Gun Kelly has publicly confirmed that they are dating, and reports have described the relationship as unlabelled. Celebrity Hub reports such stories as reports, not as confirmed facts, until the people involved say so themselves.
What is next for Dakota Johnson?
With Verity now available digitally, Johnson’s October has been defined by the film’s success and by a press tour in which she was notably open about both the health scare on set and the realities of her work. Whether she takes on another thriller, a comedy, or a project as a producer next, the month has shown her at the centre of a major release and handling its promotion with candour. For now, the latest news is clear: a hit film, a digital release, and a star willing to tell the story behind the scenes as it really happened.