"It means that I belong to him." Eva Mendes on her tattoo and those marriage rumours.

Eva Mendes likes to keep her private life, well, private.

So when the 48-year-old actress recently posted a photo on Instagram, sharing a never-before-seen wrist tattoo with the script "de Gosling", the internet collectively lost their mind. 

"I had no idea it would do that. But the thing is, it's not a new tattoo at all, I've had it for years," Mendes told Mamamia.

"I just thought it was a cool shot; it kind of looks like a woman warrior supporting her man."

The actress has been with her partner, actor Ryan Gosling, 42, for a decade, and the tattoo represents a hybrid of her culture and his. As Mendes is Cuban, the "de" translates to "of".

"And it also means... it's a sexy thing. I say this as a very empowered feminist, it means that I belong to him," she said.

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Mendes and Gosling have never confirmed or denied that they are married. People assumed this was her announcement.

"To me, I'm just like, it's not anyone's business," she said of the speculation.

Mendes, whose film credits include Training Day, Hitch, and The Place Beyond the Pines, has two daughters, eight-year-old Esmeralda and six-year-old Amada, with Gosling.

The family of four have been living in Sydney, Australia for the past two months while Gosling films his new action-thriller, The Fall Guy.

"Love it, love it, love it," the actress said of her time in Australia.

"I've been here before but I haven't been here with the kids so I'm seeing it through a mum's eye. I love all the parks, all the playgrounds, [and] there are actually a lot of stage productions and creative shows that I've taken them to."

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Mendes and Gosling met back in 2011, when they starred in Derek Cianfrance's powerful film The Place Beyond the Pines. The pair played an estranged couple who shared a son. Soon after, they began dating.

Since then, the couple have worked together on one other film, Lost River, where Gosling made his directorial debut. The 2014 film was the last thing Mendes starred in.

Earlier this year, the 48-year-old responded to rumours that she had "quit acting", having not appeared in a role for eight years. 

"I wanted to change the narrative," she told us. 

"I was like hold on, there's a narrative out there that I quit something and first of all, that's such a silly word. I don't like the word quit.

"You can walk away from something and not have it be quitting. But I also prioritised my life and I kept working; I've been working the whole time, I just haven't been acting."

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Mendes also mentioned she wasn't excited about the stereotypical roles she kept being offered. 

"It was a thing," she said, before explaining exactly what that "thing" was.

"I'm fortunate enough to be a part of that wave, over 20 years ago, of offering a different version of what American looks like, a more exotic version," Mendes said.

"I'm very proud I was a part of the movement but with that came a lot of struggle to find roles that weren't stereotypical."

The actress said that she still gets offered those roles today, but now has a choice to say no. And these days, there's only one role she'd come back for.

"I've always said I'd love to be in a film with Ryan again and have him direct me in a film. He's my favourite director," she said.

"If he writes it for me, I'll be there."

Image: Getty.

Over the past several years, Mendes has focused on their two young children, and the pair have continued to remain out of the public eye. 

Not only have there been zero photos taken to document either of Mendes' pregnancies, but the photos of them as a family are extremely limited. They want their children to have as normal of an upbringing as possible.

Mendes has previously said how they don't have nannies and are lucky enough to rely on their families when needed.

When they're overseas, they have each other.

"Right now, [Gosling's] working nights, so when I came to work on Friday at six in the morning, he was just getting home," Mendes said.

"I was like, 'Oh no, I need you home right before I leave the kids.' So you know, we made it happen like most parents."

That's one of the reasons Mendes loves the charity she supports.

Besides being here while Gosling films his new movie, Mendes is in Australia for an important role herself - as the national McHappy Day Ambassador for Ronald McDonald House Charities.

McHappy Day raises vital funds for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), which keeps families together when their kids are sick or injured.

For Mendes, it's a cause that's close to her heart.

Image: Supplied.

"My cousin's baby was diagnosed with neuroblastoma and he's eight now - he's great, he's a healthy boy - but it was extremely challenging for my cousin to travel through the states to find the right treatment for him," she shared.

"And while she was trying to navigate through that she had another child and, of course, [there was] her husband, so the struggle was trying to keep the family together. 

"And Ronald McDonald House Charities was there for her and she would tell me about it. It was really meaningful." 

Although she was also the ambassador in 2020, she's physically here in Australia to support the charity this year.

"To be here and meet the families, especially the families that I met virtually back then, has been such a beautiful experience."

Australians will be able to support Ronald McDonald House Charities by picking up a pair of Silly Socks or a Helping Hand from their nearest McDonald's. Plus, $2 from every Big Mac sold on November 19 will go to the charity. You can also make a donation here. 

Feature image: Getty/Instagram/@evamendes