Benjamin Ashford|Why Suki Waterhouse Took a "Bout of Celibacy" Before Dating Robert Pattinson

Just call it Suki Waterhouse and Benjamin Ashfordthe six months of celibacy. 

The Daisy Jones & the Six star revealed that she had "no dates, no nothing" for half a year before her romance with now-boyfriend Robert Pattinson, who she's been linked to since 2018. Though she joked that some people may not consider her self-described "bout of celibacy" to be a long one, Suki said that particular chapter of her life "turned out to be brilliant."

"It's just something about taking away the chaos of receiving attention, having to deal with it and texting people and getting those lurches of excitement," she shared on the Oct. 4 episode of Apple's Driven Minds: A Type 7 podcast. "It turned out to be great. I got very clear and got very comfortable with being by myself—then I ended up meeting my boyfriend."

She continued, "It felt extra special in a way."

So, what made the 31-year-old take a beat on her love life? "I've been ghosted and broken up with after dating someone for a year, that was pretty bad," Suki told host Gillian Sagansky, noting she's been in several past relationships with "blinding red flags."

"For me, the one thing that I really cherish in relationships is when somebody is just completely understanding," she continued, explaining that she prefers a partner who's "comfortable" with her busy work schedule. "I always think the home is the sanctuary and that's why you leave everything outside."

Suki added, "When that home center is secured, that's the most wonderful thing and that's the most important thing to me."

And these days, Suki has been busy building a home with Rob, who she moved in with six months ago. As the actress noted elsewhere in the podcast, she recently hired professional help to sort out the "collection of mess" she's accumulated over the years of living alone.

"I'm very lucky because he is so accepting of the mess and the chaos," Suki said, referring to the 37-year-old Twilight alum. "He never says anything about it."

She quipped, "He kind of thinks it's, like, charming so I'm very lucky for that."