They’re going public on the biggest night in Hollywood!

“I’m going to the Oscars,” John tells PopSugar.com. “It’s my first Oscars. And it’s my first being an Oscar boyfriend.”

We also reported that John is the one who encouraged Jen to attend the Academy Awards in the first place. After all, her ex-husband, Brad Pitt, and his girlfriend, Angelina Jolie, are both nominees (for The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and Changeling), so it’s largely viewed as their night.

“You’ve got to go,” John told Jen, according to his friend. “Why do you hide in this town? You have every reason to be there. By presenting at the Oscars, you’ll tell the world: ‘I don’t care about Brad and Angie. I belong here, too.’ Jen is taking back ownership of her life. She’s gotta move on from this Brad and Angie thing. This is the perfect time, and I’ll be there to protect her.”

In the March 2 issue of Star, we report that Jen and John spent Valentine’s Say weekend wrapped in each other’s arms during a romantic getaway on the Bahamian island of Eleuthera. Pick up the new issue today for all the details — and hot photos.