Family

The son of director Stephen Gyllenhaal and screenwriter Naomi Foner, Gyllenhaal's immediate family includes his sister, actress Maggie, who is engaged to actor Peter Sarsgaard, Gyllenhaal's co-star in Jarhead and Rendition. In December, 2006, Jake and his sister escaped a fire that destroyed Manka's, a famed lodge and restaurant in Inverness, California, at which they were vacationing.Gyllenhaal's niece, Ramona Sarsgaard, was born on October 3, 2006. Jamie Lee Curtis is Gyllenhaal's godmother,and he has repeatedly referred to his godfathers being a gay couple. Gyllenhaal himself is the godfather of Matilda Rose Ledger (born October 28, 2005), daughter of Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams, both of whom co-starred with him in Brokeback Mountain. His uncle, Anders Gyllenhaal, is the executive editor of The Miami Herald. His late uncle is filmmaker Robert Achs.

Gyllenhaal dated actress Kirsten Dunst on and off for three years.

Representatives of Jake and Reese Witherspoon, his girlfriend since 2007, have told People magazine exclusively that media reports stating the pair are planning to wed are "lies."

"They are not engaged, getting married or any of the reports," the publicists said.