11 Beloved TV Couples Who Dated then Split IRL

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Lili Reinhart & Cole Sprouse

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Days before the breakup was reported, the duo was seated next to each other during the show’s Comic-Con panel over the weekend. Reinhart appeared to joke about the situation on Instagram.

“Please don’t put me between these two ever again,” she captioneda photo of her, Sprouse and Apaon Instagram.

Us WeeklyandE! Newswere first to report on the split. Reps for both stars did not immediately return PEOPLE’s requests for comment.

02of 11Penn Badgley & Blake LivelyJONATHON ZIEGLER/Patrick McMullan via Getty ImagesTheGossip Girlstars' onscreen relationship mirrored their real-life one when they started dating during the first few seasons of the show. The former couple, who played Serena van der Woodsen and Dan Humphrey, first became romantically linked back in 2007, and although theydenied their relationshipat first, the two went public a year later beforebreaking upin October 2010.A 2017Vanity Fairfeature revealed that the actors hid their split from the cast and crew while filming the show. “The shocking thing was, I found out on the set of the Season 2 finale that Blake and Penn had broken up months before,“Gossip Girl’s executive producer and writer Joshua Safran told the outlet. “They kept the breakup hidden from the crew, which you couldneverdo now. I don’t even know how they did it. They kept it from everybody which is a testament to how good they are as actors. Because they did not want their personal drama to relate to the show.“When asked abouthow they worked together after their split, Badgley said, “We were constantly professional, to be honest, and we should both pat ourselves on the back because anything is complicated in that way … and we handled it.”

02of 11

Penn Badgley & Blake Lively

JONATHON ZIEGLER/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

TheGossip Girlstars' onscreen relationship mirrored their real-life one when they started dating during the first few seasons of the show. The former couple, who played Serena van der Woodsen and Dan Humphrey, first became romantically linked back in 2007, and although theydenied their relationshipat first, the two went public a year later beforebreaking upin October 2010.

A 2017Vanity Fairfeature revealed that the actors hid their split from the cast and crew while filming the show. “The shocking thing was, I found out on the set of the Season 2 finale that Blake and Penn had broken up months before,“Gossip Girl’s executive producer and writer Joshua Safran told the outlet. “They kept the breakup hidden from the crew, which you couldneverdo now. I don’t even know how they did it. They kept it from everybody which is a testament to how good they are as actors. Because they did not want their personal drama to relate to the show.”

When asked abouthow they worked together after their split, Badgley said, “We were constantly professional, to be honest, and we should both pat ourselves on the back because anything is complicated in that way … and we handled it.”

03of 11Rachel Bilson and Adam BrodyRabbani and Solimene Photography/WireImageThe actors, who fell in love playing “It Couple” Summer Roberts and Seth Cohen onThe O.C.,broke up in December 2006after three years of dating. “It was a typical romance and they just grew apart,” a source close to the pair told PEOPLE during the time of their split.“One of the all time greats!” Brody wrote in his Reddit AMA ofworking with Bilson on the show. Although they didn’t reach the altar in real life, theirO.C.characters ended up getting married at the end of the cult-classic series.

03of 11

Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody

Rabbani and Solimene Photography/WireImage

The actors, who fell in love playing “It Couple” Summer Roberts and Seth Cohen onThe O.C.,broke up in December 2006after three years of dating. “It was a typical romance and they just grew apart,” a source close to the pair told PEOPLE during the time of their split.

“One of the all time greats!” Brody wrote in his Reddit AMA ofworking with Bilson on the show. Although they didn’t reach the altar in real life, theirO.C.characters ended up getting married at the end of the cult-classic series.

04of 11

Sophia Bush & Chad Michael Murray

Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray.Jon Kopaloff/FilmMagic

TheOne Tree Hillstars, whose onscreen chemistry turned into a real-life romance in 2003,called off their marriageof five months in September 2005. Theirdivorce was later finalizedin December 2006.

The split was particularly ugly (Bush filed to have it annulled) butshe saysshe attempted to keep it cordial on set. “[It] was like, ‘This is my integrity, this is my job, I will not falter for one second or one minute ever on this set. I will be the most f—— professional person anyone has ever seen’.”

05of 11

Sophia Bush & Jesse Lee Soffer

Bush also dated herChicago P.D.costar (and onscreen partner and potential love interest) Soffer for about a year before calling it quits in June 2015,Just Jaredreported.

“Sophia and Jesse just didn’t work out,” a source told the outlet. “They dated for about a year and then grew apart. They’re still friends though!”

06of 11

Nina Dobrev & Ian Somerhalder

Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder.Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

The Vampire Diaries costars split after three years of dating in May 2013, but their characters Elena and Damon remained romantically entwined. That post-breakup intimacy might be why Dobrev insistsit’s not “weird” that she’s still friends with ex Somerhalderand that she occasionally grabs dinner with him and hisnow-wife Nikki Reed.

07of 11Milo Ventimiglia & Alexis BledelJoe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via GettyThe two playedGilmore Girl’s on-again-off-again couple Rory and Jess, while they kept their real-life relationship mostly under wraps, dating for for three-and-a-half years beforebreaking upin July 2006.Bledel revealed to PEOPLE that the two were serious enough to discuss marriage: “I think everybody who has been dating for more than a couple of years probably talks about it at some point. It’s a fun thing for us to talk about, but that’s it.“Bledel is now amom and married toMad Mencostar and love interest Vincent Kartheiser, while Ventimiglia has beenlast linked to marketing coordinator Kelly Egarian.

07of 11

Milo Ventimiglia & Alexis Bledel

Joe Schildhorn/Patrick McMullan via Getty

The two playedGilmore Girl’s on-again-off-again couple Rory and Jess, while they kept their real-life relationship mostly under wraps, dating for for three-and-a-half years beforebreaking upin July 2006.

Bledel revealed to PEOPLE that the two were serious enough to discuss marriage: “I think everybody who has been dating for more than a couple of years probably talks about it at some point. It’s a fun thing for us to talk about, but that’s it.”

Bledel is now amom and married toMad Mencostar and love interest Vincent Kartheiser, while Ventimiglia has beenlast linked to marketing coordinator Kelly Egarian.

08of 11Michael C. Hall & Jennifer CarpenterKevin Winter/GettyTheDextercostars, who played brother and sister on the show, gotmarriedon New Years Eve in 2009 and got divorced, citing irreconcilable differences, two years later. Even though their marriage didn’t work out, they seemed to keep a positive relationship within the years that followed.“He is and always will be one of my best friends in the world. Just because the marriage ended doesn’t mean the love isn’t still there,” Carpenter toldTodayin October 2011. “We take very good care of each other … we always have. I’m just really lucky.“Though things seemed super amicable when the two werespotted cuddled upin 2012, they didn’t rekindle their romance, and the two have both since remarried.

08of 11

Michael C. Hall & Jennifer Carpenter

Kevin Winter/Getty

TheDextercostars, who played brother and sister on the show, gotmarriedon New Years Eve in 2009 and got divorced, citing irreconcilable differences, two years later. Even though their marriage didn’t work out, they seemed to keep a positive relationship within the years that followed.

“He is and always will be one of my best friends in the world. Just because the marriage ended doesn’t mean the love isn’t still there,” Carpenter toldTodayin October 2011. “We take very good care of each other … we always have. I’m just really lucky.”

Though things seemed super amicable when the two werespotted cuddled upin 2012, they didn’t rekindle their romance, and the two have both since remarried.

09of 11

Jennifer Morrison & Jesse Spencer

Michael Loccisano/FilmMagic

The two, who met in 2004 while filming the pilot for the series, got engaged in Paris over the holidays back in 2007. Awkwardly, before calling off their engagement, the two had coveredInStyle Weddings,where Spencer revealed that his planned proposal tooksix monthsto actually execute.

10of 11

Joshua Jackson & Katie Holmes

Though they went their separate ways, Jackson revealed that Holmes called him up in 2012, after her split fromTom Cruise. “Like any old friend, it was like, ‘Oh, hi how are ya? What’s going on?'“he said. “It was very nice, actually.”

11of 11

Kaley Cuoco & Johnny Galecki

Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty

TheBig Bang Theorycostars dated for almost two years before they ended things in 2010 - but stayed together on screen long after their split, even celebrating a wedding onscreen.

source: people.com