She has been nominated twice for the César Award for Most Promising Actress; in 2008 for her performance in Water Lilies (2007), and in 2012 for House of Tolerance (2011).
In 2014, Haenel began a romantic relationship with the Director Céline Sciamma whom she met on the set of Water Lilies. Haenel publicly acknowledged their relationship in her acceptance speech for her César award in 2014. Their relationship continued as of 2017.
In 2015, she won the César Award for Best Actress for performance in the film Love at First Fight.
