Emily Bett Rickards: Life After Arrow and Her 2025 Engagement

If you watched Arrow during its eight-season run, you probably remember Felicity Smoak, played by Canadian actress Emily Bett Rickards. Since the show ended, she has quietly built a new chapter with directing, indie films, and a surprise engagement in 2025 — here are the verified details.

Full Name: Emily Bett Rickards ·
Born: July 24, 1991 ·
Nationality: Canadian ·
Known For: Felicity Smoak on Arrow ·
Years Active: 2012–present ·
Engaged In: 2025 to Riley (confirmed via Instagram)

Six key facts, one takeaway: Emily Bett Rickards’ life after Arrow is a mix of creative expansion and personal milestones — but some corners of her story remain fan speculation rather than confirmed history.

What is Emily Bett Rickards known for?

Arrow and Felicity Smoak

• Rickards is best known for portraying Felicity Smoak on The CW series Arrow from 2012 to 2020 (Screendollars).
• Her character began as a one-episode guest star but became a series regular after audience and chemistry test success (Wikipedia).
• Felicity Smoak also appeared in The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, Supergirl, and Vixen (Screendollars).

Early life and education

• Rickards was born on July 24, 1991 in Vancouver, British Columbia (Wikipedia).
• She attended Vancouver Film School and trained at the Alida Vocal Studio (Wikipedia).
• Her mother, Dr. Diane Greig, is a dream psychotherapist in Vancouver (Wikipedia).

Breakout role

• Arrow was Rickards’ first television credit (Wikipedia).
• Before that, she appeared in a Nickelback music video in 2009 (All American Speakers).

The pattern: Her character’s expansion from a one-episode guest spot to a core series regular is a rare TV success story.

What does Emily Bett Rickards do now?

Post-Arrow projects

• In 2024 she appeared in Autumn and the Black Jaguar and reunited with Stephen Amell in the western Calamity Jane (Screendollars; Wikipedia).
• Her role as wrestler Mildred Burke in Queen of the Ring earned her a “Changemaker” recognition in 2025 (Instagram).
• She also starred in the indie film We Need to Talk, which won her best actress at the FirstGlance Film Festival (Wikipedia).

Directing ventures

• Rickards has begun directing short films, though details remain limited (Wikipedia).

Personal life updates

• In March 2025 she announced her engagement on Instagram (Instagram).
• She remains active on the convention circuit, with a scheduled appearance at Dragon Con 2025 (Dragon Con).

The pattern: Rickards is trading mainstream visibility for creative independence.

Is Emily Bett Rickards engaged?

Engagement announcement

• Rickards posted on Instagram in March 2025: “My favourite moment of 2025 was the afternoon in March when Oph and I asked Riley to marry us. Spoiler… He said yes!” (Instagram).

Who is Riley?

• Rickards has not publicly shared Riley’s full name or occupation. Riley is referred to with he/him pronouns in the post.

Wedding plans

• No date or location has been announced. The couple appears to be keeping details private.

The implication: Rickards chose to share this milestone on her own terms, staying true to her low-key public image.

What are the common relationship rumours about Emily Bett Rickards?

Did Colton Haynes date Emily Bett Rickards?

Rumours have circulated for years about possible relationships with Arrow co-star Colton Haynes. Here’s what is known — and what remains unconfirmed.

• Colton Haynes and Rickards were friends and co-stars on Arrow; they posed together in drag for a Vanity Fair photoshoot, but neither has confirmed a romantic relationship.
• Fan speculation linked Rickards and Aisha Tyler after they interacted online, but no credible evidence of a relationship exists. Aisha Tyler is married to attorney Jeff Tietjens.
• Rickards is now engaged to Riley as of 2025, putting to rest most past rumours.

The implication: these rumours appear to be fan-generated narratives rather than verified facts. No mainstream outlet has ever published a confirmation.

Are Aisha Tyler and Emily Bett Rickards still together?

Same as above – no credible evidence exists that they ever dated. Aisha Tyler is married to Jeff Tietjens. Rickards is engaged to Riley.

When can fans see Emily Bett Rickards next?

• She is scheduled to appear at Dragon Con 2025 in Atlanta (Dragon Con).
• A FACTS convention video from Fall 2025 features a “Fan Questions with Emily Bett Rickards” segment, indicating ongoing convention engagement (FACTS Convention Facebook).
• She continues to work on independent film and directing projects, though specific titles beyond Queen of the Ring have not been announced.

The pattern: Her directing pivot indicates a long-term move behind the camera.

Key quotes

“My favourite moment of 2025 was the afternoon in March when Oph and I asked Riley to marry us. Spoiler… He said yes! I cried, Riley cried, Oph… sneezed.”

— Emily Bett Rickards via Instagram (March 2025)

Rickards and Colton Haynes posed together in drag for a Vanity Fair shoot; the article contained no mention of a romantic relationship.

— Vanity Fair (referenced in Wikipedia)

For fans who grew up watching Felicity Smoak hack her way into viewers’ hearts, the next chapter of Emily Bett Rickards’ life is both quieter and more deliberate. She’s swapped weekly TV deadlines for indie film sets, a director’s chair, and a personal milestone that she chose to share on her own terms. The trade-off is clear: less mainstream visibility, but a career built on her own creative instincts. For anyone who followed her journey from a one-episode guest spot to a marriage proposal, the message is the same — she’s still writing her own story.

A closer look at her Arrow departure explains why she left the series.

Frequently asked questions