- Days of Our Lives
- Soapbox
The Days of Our Lives Exits We’ve Been Waiting for Are Finally Here — Just As the Show Kicks Off a Massive, Emotional Storyline
Friday, July 26th, 2024
Credit: Jill Johnson/JPI (4), Peacock screenshot
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Soaps.com may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
Well, this was a rollercoaster of a week — and I don’t just mean the wedding drama. Because once again, the pacing drove me a bit nuts. We went from the high of Monday’s wedding bombshells to just dropping the fallout for two days to push through episodes that were a bit more of a slog. So let’s dive into this week’s Days of Our Lives…
Related Story
So Long, Farewell
I can’t help but feel like this week would have played out better if stories like “Beverett” and Connie were woven through the bigger wedding stuff, rather than swinging back and forth and dropping Monday’s exciting threads for days. I really enjoyed Thursday and Friday, but the wedding lost some momentum from that break.
But by Friday, I was a bit impressed with how they wove Holly, Nicole and Eric into the wedding drama. From Eric and Justin comparing notes on how they both had their sons ripped from them and given back, to Maggie offering to take Holly in. I guess Eric is leaving with Nicole after all — but I’m still waiting to see if it’s permanent or not.
Still, now we know. They’re leaving, Holly’s staying and EJ’s back to being a complete jerk… Which is, honestly, my favorite EJ. Petty, vindictive and manipulative. And more than a little vicious. His confrontation with Eric set up Nicole’s exit better than anything else. And his Holly threat was utterly cruel and despicable. Now that’s Stefano’s son!
Though I was a bit flabbergasted that Eric killing Daniel is all still a big secret. Has Holly never asked about her dad? Never googled what happened to him? Everyone in town and her life knows. It was kind of strange.
Wedding Fallout
As for the wedding itself, that was, as expected, a blast. (You can check out our photo gallery of the big day here.) Fiona dragged out the Xander/Alex switch reveal a bit and Justin carrying the letter she wrote with him was kind of plot pointy, but it was still fun. There was Theresa’s growing panic, Alex’s fury when he realized what she’d done, Xander, Maggie and Sarah closing ranks after all was said and done… I had fun.
And I’m really enjoying the family unit that those three, along with Victoria (and now maybe Holly?) are forming. I’m looking forward to Xander and Sarah moving into the mansion, but rest assured, between Fiona’s alcoholism, her lies and estrangement from Xander and her time in an institution, this story is just getting started. And Paul Telfer and Linsey Godfrey both promised that it’s going to be an emotional gut punch.
No Black and White
Folks who read this soapbox regularly know that I tend to be more forgiving of “gray” characters like Theresa than some fans — especially when they show genuine remorse and their motives are murky and complicated. Outright villains like Konstantin and Clyde, sure, let them have what’s coming to them in the harshest way.
The Gwens and Theresas of the show aren’t cut and dry. And Emily O’Brien’s performance as Theresa turned around to face what she’d done and begged Maggie in tears to go with her to the police station was just phenomenal and kept her so painfully human for me.
And while I’m still not an Alex fan, I do have hope that this will knock the wind out of his sails enough to keep his most obnoxious tendencies in check. Again, he’s not black and white. His reconciling and apology with Justin was long overdue, and I just continue to utterly love Justin and Wally Kurth’s performances.
Downward Spiral
I was going to say that the strike writers wrote relapse far better with Theresa than the way it was handled this week. Both Fiona and Brady are recovering alcoholics, and relapsing in the way they did, to the point of blacking out, should not and would not have been handled afterwards in real life with a simple, “Oops, oh well.” But it looks like it’s not over and, as of Friday, it’s about to get more serious as they pull each other further down into addiction, so I’m willing to give it a chance to see how well they play it.
And Brady and Fiona could at least be a blast to watch while they ruin each other’s lives! His growing horror and spit take as he realized Fiona was Xander’s mom was fun.
I could suddenly see Tate and Holly pulling their secret trysts off all summer. Her mom’s going to be gone, his mom’s going to be gone and his dad’s about to head down into a drunken stupor. But then, maybe Theresa getting locked up will be enough to bring Tate back. And do they really need to sneak around after Theresa and Nicole are out of the picture?
The question is, is this really the end of Theresa? And are we finally getting Gwen back?
Danger! Danger!
Elsewhere… I’m kind of impressed at how quickly everyone caught on to Bobby. He was good at first in the hospital, but after that, he was just sloppy and pushed too hard too fast to get “Everett” positioned to reconnect with Jada. And thank God Marlena realized something was off after one session. She’d look awfully incompetent otherwise.
More: Julie Dove’s real-life brush with murder
As for Connie and Gabi… girl, you in danger. Would Gabi really have been that quick to let Connie in? I get that she’s stressed and grieving and that can impact your judgment, but there is not one thing about Connie that does not scream “RED FLAG!”
“OhmyGod! You’re my favorite, I just want to be near you, I’ll be your assistant for no pay and, oh, yeah, I was just in your brother’s room after he was stabbed by a mysterious assailant because clearly that was the best place to look for you!”
Run. Away. Gabi. But Connie’s gonna be lurking around for a bit yet, stirring up trouble. Next week, according to spoilers, it even looks like she might be going after Ava for some reason. And Rafe’s fate is still up in the air — though Cherie Jimenez had some beautiful things to say about Rafe and Galen Gering that makes us feel better about him sticking around.
Stray Thoughts…
- Did anyone else kind of like Ava and Brady’s chemistry? I’m not saying her being so blase about a recovering addict getting wasted was great, but she wasn’t like Fiona, willfully egging him on.
- What happened to all the visiting wedding guests? Andrew, Paul and Sonny just vanished after Monday.
- Body and Soul… This is so heavy-handed. I don’t even know what to do with it at this point.
- Theresa telling Alex, “You were a good and decent man,” was kind of laughable. But he was decent for a bit there with her when she was going through the Tate drama.
- There was something kind of cool about that one EJ/Xander scene. It was quick, but there was something about putting the “true” heirs of Stefano and Victor together. I don’t know exactly how to describe it, but I’d like to see more.
Relive the love stories of more than 60 real-life couples who met on their soap sets in our photo gallery below.
Most Popular
Advertisement
Image: Brian Lowe/JPI
1/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Years after <em>Melrose Place</em> introduced Locklear and Wagner — toxic couple Amanda Woodward and Dr. Peter Burns on the primetime soap — they got together in real life and even became engaged in 2011. <strong>In the end:</strong> Alas, the co-stars didn’t get the same happily ever after that Amanda and Peter did; they separated the same year they got engaged.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
2/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Lowder and Zucker met while playing sometime sweethearts Brady Black and Nicole Walker on <em>Days of Our Lives</em>. They married on August 3, 2002, and welcomed daughter Isabella into their family in 2009. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple divorced in 2014 but remained good friends. A decade later, Zucker was looking forward to marrying another co-star, Shawn Christian (ex-Daniel).</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
3/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Working closely with Davidson, it’s no wonder she caught Diamont’s eye while they were playing Ashley Abbott and Brad Carlton on <em>The Young and the Restless</em>. Though <a href="https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1991/12/24/actress-enjoys-life-with-new-love-new-role/" target="_blank">she admitted in a 1991 interview</a>, in the beginning, “I really couldn’t stand him,” they dated for three years. <strong>In the end:</strong> The stars went on to marry others but remained friends. Davidson has been hitched to Vincent Van Patten since 2003, while Diamont and Cindy Ambuehl said “I do” in 2012.</p>
Image: Warner Bros./Courtesy of the Everett Collection
4/61
<p><strong>In the Beginning:</strong> For years, <em>Gilmore Girls</em> made Rory’s portrayer the <em>Gilmore Girlfriend</em> of the actor who played her love interest, Jess Mariano. <strong>In the End:</strong> The real-life romance came to an end in 2006. Ventimiglia went on to date <em>Heroes</em> co-star Hayden Panettiere, and Bledel, to marry <em>Mad Men</em> castmate Vincent Kartheiser.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
5/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Thiebaud and Craig were engaged in 2015 while playing maddening doc Britt Westbourne and Mob scion Morgan Corinthos on <em>General Hospital</em>. <strong>In the end:</strong> Though they planned to marry in March of 2017, the stars parted ways and have since been in relationships with other people.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
6/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The chemistry between <em>Passions</em>’ Fox Crane and Theresa Lopez-Fitzgerald wasn’t all on screen in the early 2000s. Their portrayers fell for one another, too, and married on May 1, 2004. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple divorced in 2012 but remain on great terms. They have one child together, daughter Isabella.</p>
Image: NBC
7/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The <em>Another World</em> co-stars met in 1981 while playing conniving Cecile DePoulignac and Sandy Cory, the male hustler who turned out to be the heir to the Cory fortune. <strong>In the end:</strong> Married in 1982, the couple had one child together and divorced in 1996. He remarried a Miss Poland 1985 finalist in 2003. Frangione passed in 2023 at age 70.</p>
Image: Jennifer Graylock/JPI
8/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The former <em>Chicago P.D.</em> co-stars, who played fellow cops Erin Lindsay and Jay Halstead, dated on and off for two years after meeting at work. <strong>In the end:</strong> They parted ways in 2016, and Bush left the NBC procedural a year later.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
9/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Ridge and Taylor will always be one of soaps’ unforgettable supercouples, and <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> stars Moss and Tylo apparently harbored feelings for each other as well. Tylo once told <a href="https://au.lifestyle.yahoo.com/hunter-tylo-tells-affair-ronn-023146926.html" target="_blank"><em>New Idea</em></a> magazine, “I noticed during all our kissing scenes, there was no holding back. Before, we had only done stage kisses. We were both single, and I guess we finally felt free to show our feelings for each other without the fear of upsetting our spouses.” <strong>In the end:</strong> Moss married second wife Devin DeVasquez on September 25, 2009, and Tylo married third husband Gerrson Archila on November 29, 2009 (but the union was annulled on August 30, 2018).</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
10/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The soap legends met on the <em>Days of Our Lives</em> set in 1970 and were married on October 12, 1974 — beating their characters Doug and Julie to the altar. <strong>In the end:</strong> Daytime’s beloved couple remained married until Hayes’ death on January 12, 2024.</p>
Image: Tasia Wells/Getty Images
11/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Ramsey and Wright met while working together on <em>Guiding Light</em> as Sam Spencer and Cassie Layne. At the time, Wright was married to John Wright, with whom she has two kids, LJ and Lauren. <strong>In the end:</strong> It wasn’t until after the actress’ divorce in 2016 that she and Ramsey reconnected. They went on their first date in April of 2017 and later became <em>General Hospital</em> co-stars as the villainous Peter August and human hurricane Carly Spencer. View <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/gallery/general-hospital-laura-wright-wes-ramsey-relationship-timeline-photos/" target="_blank">a photo timeline of their whirlwind romance</a>, which is still going strong. </p>
Image: Touchstone Television/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
12/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> While there was nothing subtle about the crush that <em>Felicity</em>’s title character had on Ben Covington, their portrayers discreetly paired up while starring on the WB drama. <strong>In the end:</strong> The on- and off-screen couple split up but have stayed close.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
13/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> In the mid-1980s, Pierson and Timmins were castmates on <em>Ryan’s Hope</em>, where his Frank Ryan found it awfully difficult to resist true love Jill Coleridge’s newfound sister, Maggie Shelby. <strong>In the end:</strong> They have been married since 1997 and have two children.</p>
Image: Getty Images
14/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> In the mid-2010s, the future marrieds briefly crossed paths at <em>The Young and the Restless</em>, where he was playing Adam Newman and she, Marisa Sierras. But they didn’t get together until after his split from second wife Chrishell Stause, who was Bethany Bryant on the soap. <strong>In the end:</strong> Hartley and Pernas tied the knot in March 2021.</p>
Image: CW Network/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
15/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The <em>Gossip Girl</em> co-stars, who played future marrieds Serena van der Woodsen and Dan Humphrey, dated on the sly while working together on the show. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple broke up in 2010, with her going on to date Leonardo DiCaprio and wed Ryan Reynolds, and Badgley going on to romance Zoë Kravitz and marry singer Domino Kirke.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
16/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The <em>All My Children</em> co-stars began dating while playing on-screen marrieds Maria Santos and Edmund Grey and tied the knot in November 1996. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple, who shared a daughter, Kaya, divorced in 2005 but still enjoyed a close friendship. LaRue went on to wed (and divorce) Joe Cappuccio. Though Callahan had one marriage before LaRue, he never retied the knot prior to his death in March 2020 at 66.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
17/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Beemer and Bjorlin started dating in 2006 while playing Shawn Brady and Chloe Lane on <em>Days of Our Lives</em>. <strong>In the end:</strong> After the co-stars split in 2013, Bjorlin went on to marry Grant Turnbull on May 15, 2015, and the couple has two children.</p>
Image: CBS/Getty Images
18/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Though <em>Young & Restless</em> had them playing the mother/son duo of Katherine Chancellor and Brock Reynolds, the late castmates once dated. In a 2012 interview with the <em>New York Post</em>, Cooper admitted that following a devastating divorce, she got involved with her co-star, who was 21 years her junior. “We had dinner one night,” she said, “and then, it went further.”<strong> In the end:</strong> The age difference made the relationship a nonstarter for the Emmy winner. “So he married someone else,” Cooper said. And “his new wife? She was <em>30</em> years older than he was!” </p>
Image: John Sciulli/Getty Images
19/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The <em>As the World Turns</em> stars met on the CBS soap during their runs as good guy Andy Dixon and bad girl Carly Tenney. <strong>In the end:</strong> Though their characters only struck up a flirtation — c’mon, Carly had chemistry with <em>everybody</em>! — the couple wed on January 22, 2000, and shares four children, sons Joseph and Basil and daughters Katherine and Birdie. West also has a son, Benjamin, from her first marriage.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
20/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> <em>Felicity</em> brought together these two as Noel Crane and his ex, Hannah. “We met on the show,” <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1303273/scott-foley-makes-rare-comment-about-his-short-lived-marriage-to-jennifer-garner" target="_blank">Foley recalled</a> in 2021, “and we hit it off instantly and were soon dating.” The future <em>Scandal</em> and <em>Alias</em> stars tied the knot in 2000. <strong>In the end:</strong> Three years after saying “I do,” Foley and Garner… welp, they didn’t anymore.</p>
Image: CBS
21/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Walters and Linden met on the set of <em>Loving</em> in 1985 while playing crafty cousins Lorna Forbes and Curtis Alden. It was basically love at first sight since they married six months later. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple shares two kids and became grandparents in 2022.</p>
Image: Aaron Montgomery/JPI
22/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> In 2005, the <em>Guiding Light</em> castmates started dating while playing Springfield schemers Dinah Marler and Jonathan Randall, who — quelle coincidence! — also happened to be lovers. <strong>In the end:</strong> Tognoni went on to marry Joseph Chiarello in May 2009. Pelphrey and <em>Big Bang Theory</em> leading lady Kaley Cuoco started dating in 2022 and, in March of the following year, welcomed their first child together, daughter Matilda.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
23/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Loving well is the best <em>Revenge</em>. The ABC soap brought together the actors who played Emily Thorne and Daniel Grayson. <strong>In the end:</strong> VanCamp and Bowman stayed together even after the series wrapped. They married in 2018 and now have two children.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
24/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Griffin and Gareis’ situation was a bit different… They already knew each other when he first joined <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> as Shane in 2006. In fact, he admitted to <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20080414064121/http://www.tvguide.com/News-Views/Soaps/QA/default.aspx?posting=%7BFC9FFC22-8515-482C-862B-CA356FF52888%7D" target="_blank"><em>TV Guide</em></a> back then, “I’ve got two exes at both sides of the hallway at CBS: Jennifer [who plays Donna] and Amelia Heinle (Victoria, <em>Young & Restless</em>). I’m still friends with both, and I love ’em both dearly.” <strong>In the end:</strong> Though Griffin has yet to marry, Gareis tied the knot with Bobby Ghassemieh on March 7, 2010, and the couple has two children, Gavin and Sophia.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
25/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> It was love at first sight for the actors who played <em>All My Children</em>’s star-crossed lovers Jamie Martin and Babe Carey. In fact, the day that they met on the set in 2003, <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/soaps/news/600021/all-my-children-justin-bruening-alexa-havins-wedding-anniversary/" target="_blank">Bruening admitted</a> 17 years later, “we were both goofy and not paying attention to anything that’s happening around us.” <strong>In the end:</strong> The former Pine Valley denizens married on June 5, 2005, and have three children, Lexington, Zane and Zoe.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI (2)
26/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Following her divorce from Kyle Lowder, Zucker began dating Christian, another <em>Days of Our Lives</em> castmate. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple got engaged in June 2021 and in May of 2024, they announced that they’d finally found a wedding venue and set a date (but never revealed exactly when their big day would be).</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
27/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Barash and Storms married in 2013, at which time both had roles on <em>General Hospital</em>. They even shared an on-screen kiss while playing Johnny Zacchara and Maxie Jones. <strong>In the end:</strong> In 2020, the couple divorced but has remained friends and continues to co-parent their daughter, Harper. Two years later, Barash went on to marry Isabella Devoto, with whom he now has a son, Joaquin, born in September 2023.</p>
Image: Paramount Network
28/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> <em>Yellowstone</em>‘s Lloyd never stood a chance. Just as Laramie was drawn to Walker, her portrayer was drawn to his. <strong>In the end:</strong> The co-stars disclosed their relationship status on Instagram in 2023 and got hitched a year later.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
29/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The castmates met on the set of <em>As the World Turns</em>, where Zenk played perpetual pot-stirrer Barbara Ryan and Pinter appeared as Richie Rich Brian McColl. Not only were their characters engaged but the actors were as well and went on to get married on August 9, 1987. <strong>In the end</strong>: After raising six children (four from previous relationships, two from their own), they divorced on August 25, 2010.</p>
Image: Konigsberg International/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Paramount Television/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
30/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> When Griffith made his daytime debut as Catlin Ewing on <em>Another World</em> in the 1980s, he didn’t just make an impression on fans, he also made one on his leading lady, who played Sally Frame. <strong>In the end:</strong> The longtime marrieds have been hitched since 1991 and have two children together.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
31/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Lindstrom and McClain met while working on <em>As the World Turns</em> as the tempestuous twosome of Craig Montgomery and Rosanna Cabot. Not only did their characters say “I do” a few times, the stars themselves tied the knot on February 14, 2014. <strong>In the end:</strong> In April 2024, <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/general-hospital/news/727598/jon-lindstrom-cady-mcclain-divorce/" target="_blank">the couple announced their split</a> after 10 years of marriage but have remained friends.</p>
Image: Sean Smith/JPI
32/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Having met on the set of <em>Days of Our Lives</em> while playing Todd Chandler and Melissa Anderson, the couple walked down the aisle on November 1, 1986. <strong>In the end:</strong> They are still going strong and have four children.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
33/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Though this couple first met in the late 1990s while playing Lucky Spencer and Hannah Scott on <em>General Hospital</em>, their real connection began when she took part in Bible-study sessions at Jackson’s home. During an interview with <em><a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/gh-alum-jonathan-jackson-reflects-on-life-as-lucky/id1363246942?i=1000516473659" target="_blank">Dishing With Digest</a></em>, the actor admitted that he and the former Lisa Vultaggio never dated but rather had friendship that deepened so much that she said “yes” when he took a leap of faith and proposed. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple has been married since June 21, 2002, and shares three children.</p>
Image: Columbia Tristar/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
34/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> <em>Dawson’s Creek</em>‘s Pacey Witter and Joey Potter may have been endgame on the beloved primetime soap, but their portrayers only dated for a year while playing the friends-turned-more. <strong>In the end:</strong> The relationship didn’t last, but it did leave fond memories. Doing that show, Holmes said, “I had my first love, and it was something so incredible and indescribable that I will treasure it always… I feel so fortunate because [Jackson is] now one of my best friends.”</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
35/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Brown and Nielsen were paired up by <em>Guiding Light</em> as two-faced Nola Reardon and gullible Floyd Parker. Off screen, the actors married in real life on October 10, 1982. <strong>In the end:</strong> Though they had two children together, the couple divorced in 1991. Six years later, Brown went on to wed Brian Neary, to whom she remained married until her death on November 24, 2021.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
36/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Grossman met Case in 2019 when he screen-tested for, then later landed the role of Adam Newman on <em>Young & Restless</em>. Considering their characters’ history, Grossman told <a href="https://www.soapoperadigest.com/content/mark-grossman-interview/" target="_blank"><em>Soap Opera Digest</em></a>, “I asked her about 7,000 questions.” Later that year, they turned up together at the Daytime Emmy Awards and were spotted side by side on other occasions. It wasn’t until 2021 that Case confirmed that they were indeed a couple. <strong>In the end:</strong> While the two still share screen time, outside of work, they parted ways. </p>
Image: ABC Photo Archives/Getty Images
37/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Wlcek and Larson had an off-screen romance while playing on-screen couple Ben Shelby and Lizzie Ryan in the 1980s on <em>Ryan’s Hope</em>. <strong>In the end:</strong> The actor went on to marry and have two children with Susan Broccoli in 1997.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
38/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Saucedo arrived on the <em>General Hospital</em> scene as Juan Santiago in 1999 and met his future wife, who was already well-established as heroine Elizabeth Webber. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple has been married since June 1, 2001, and has three children, Ethan, Emerson and Ella.</p>
Image: Warner Bros./Courtesy of the Everett Collection
39/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> What happened on <em>The O.C.</em> didn’t stay on <em>The O.C.</em> for the co-stars who played odd couple Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts. They dated for three years while taping the Fox soap.<strong> In the end:</strong> Brody and Bilson broke up in 2006, but there were apparently <a href="https://www.usmagazine.com/entertainment/pictures/rachel-bilsons-candid-quotes-about-working-with-ex-adam-brody/" target="_blank">no hard feelings</a>. “I’m so happy for him,” she said in 2021, “with his family and his beautiful wife [<em>Gossip Girl</em> vet Leighton Meester] and kids and everything.”</p>
Image: Greg Doherty/Getty Images
40/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> While Diamont was playing Brad Carlton on <em>The Young and the Restless</em> in the mid-1990s, he first met his now-wife when Ambuehl auditioned for the role of a recast Ashley Abbott. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple has been married since June 12, 2012, and shares two children together.</p>
Image: Priscilla Grant/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
41/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> <em>True Blood</em> set these future marrieds’ blood boiling. “We met screen-testing for the show,” Moyer has said. “We were both single at the time, and there was just this <a href="https://www.eonline.com/news/1399372/anna-paquin-and-stephen-moyers-love-story-will-truly-warm-your-blood" target="_blank">kind of spark</a>.” <strong>In the end:</strong> The co-stars, who played fairy Sookie Stackhouse and vampire Bill Compton, wed midway through the series’ run and had twins in 2012.</p>
Image: Donaldson Collection/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
42/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Though the <em>Young & Restless</em> relationship between Amy Wilson and Matt Clark in the 1990s could only be described as horrific, love blossomed between the actors who played them. <strong>In the end:</strong> Since June 7, 2003, Morris has been married to Hallmark fave Kristoffer Polaha, with whom she has three sons. Cibrian went on to marry future Real Housewife Brandi Glanville and country singer LeAnn Rimes.</p>
Image: Priscilla Grant/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
43/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Many believe that the stars met on <em>One Life to Live</em> while playing longtime on-again/off-again loves Max Holden and Blair Cramer. However, during an appearance on <em>The View</em>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wVZkvKUQjYo" target="_blank">the actor revealed</a> that he met his future wife in a bar, acted like a jerk and only thought she looked familiar when she arrived on the soap! <strong>In the end:</strong> The DePaivas have been married since May 31, 1996, and share a son, J.Q.</p>
Image: Howard Wise/JPI
44/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Montgomery and Antoine were playing Andre Maddox and Jordan Ashford on <em>General Hospital</em> when they first went public as a couple in February 2018. <strong>In the end:</strong> In June 2018, <a href="https://soaps.sheknows.com/gallery/general-hospital-cast-dating-costars/" target="_blank">it appeared the couple called it quits</a> only to resume their relationship a few weeks later. At this point, it’s unclear whether or not things ultimately worked out. </p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
45/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> A brief stint as Jake Hoganson on <em>Days of Our Lives</em> in 1988 introduced Scott to the former Melissa Brennan, who played long-running heroine Jennifer Horton. <strong>In the end:</strong> The Reeveses said “I do” in 1990 and have two children together. “Queen,” Scott Instagrammed to his wife in 2024, “you really do never cease to amaze me.”</p>
Image: Priscilla Grant/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
46/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The former Melissa Gallo met her future husband on the set of <em>One Life to Live</em>. Though their characters, Adriana Cramer and Cristina Vega, were more like family and had no romantic involvement, the stars married on December 9, 2007. <strong>In the end:</strong> The Hollywood power couple has two children, Enzo and Axel.</p>
Image: Jill Johnson/JPI
47/61
<p><strong>In the beginning: </strong>In 1980, while <em>Young & Restless</em> had Paul Williams chilling in a cult, the character was paired with another member named Rebecca. After the characters shared their first kiss, their portrayers started dating. <strong>In the end:</strong> Fisher and Davidson married in 1984 and have two children, daughter Calyssa and son Caden.</p>
Image: ABC/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
48/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Consuelos met Ripa in 1995 when he auditioned to play <em>All My Children</em>’s Matéo Santos, Hayley Vaughan’s next (and one <em>true</em>) love interest. Not only did the newbie get the part, he got the girl, too. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple eloped on May 1, 1996, has three children together (sons Michael and Joaquin and daughter Lola) and co-hosts the popular talk show <em>LIVE with Kelly and Mark</em>.</p>
Image: CW/Courtesy of the Everett Collection, Priscilla Grant/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
49/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> “Bughead” forever! The CW’s <em>Riverdale</em> didn’t just make a couple of Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones, it made one of their portrayers as well… at least for a couple of years. <strong>In the end:</strong> Reinhart and Sprouse parted ways in 2020. But, he <a href="https://people.com/tv/cole-sprouse-lili-reinhart-relationship-timeline/" target="_blank">Instagrammed</a>, “I’ll always feel lucky and cherish that I had the chance to fall in love.”</p>
Image: Jesse Grant/Getty Images
50/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> In 1996, Grillo met Moniz on the set of <em>Guiding Light</em> and, much like their characters, Hart Jessup and Dinah Marler, the stars tied the knot on October 28, 2000, and had two sons together. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple called it quits and divorced in 2020.</p>
Image: Disney General Entertainment Content/Getty Images
51/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Not only did Robert Scorpio and Holly Sutton get married on <em>General Hospital</em>, but their portrayers went public with their romance in 1984. <strong>In the end:</strong> When Samms left the ABC soap the following year, her relationship with Rogers ended as well. The leading lady went on get married four times, most recently to actor Simon McCoy. Rogers has been married to Teresa Parkerson since 1995, and they share two children.</p>
Image: CBS/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
52/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Menighan and Hensley met while working on <em>As the World Turns</em>. Their characters, conniving Emily Stewart and passion’s plaything Holden Snyder, were married on screen — but before Menighan took over her role from Melanie Smith. Menighan and Hensley wed on May 25, 1996. <strong>In the end:</strong> Divorced in 2013, the exes share three children.</p>
Image: Lisa Rose/JPI
53/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The <em>One Tree Hill</em> castmates, who played sometime sweethearts Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott, got so serious about one another that they tied the knot just two years after the series’ debut. <strong>In the end:</strong> Just five months after the wedding, Bush filed for an annulment on the basis of fraud, and Murray later got engaged to <em>One Tree Hill</em> extra Kenzie Dalton.</p>
Image: NBC
54/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Wright and Witherspoon first met during their auditions for <em>Santa Barbara</em>. Both landed their roles of Joe Perkins and Kelly Capwell, and the on-screen sweethearts married in 1986.<strong> In the end:</strong> The couple divorced in 1988. Witherspoon went on to marry and divorce Tracy K. Shaffer and sadly passed away on March 29, 2014. Wright was married to actor Sean Penn until 2010, then tied the knot with Clément Giraudet in 2018. However, after four years of marriage, Wright filed for divorce.</p>
Image: Abel Fermin/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
55/61
<p><strong>In the Beginning:</strong> Though on <em>Empire</em>, Byers’ Dre Lyon caused the death of Gealey’s Annika Calhoun… <strong>In the End:</strong> Their portrayers got a much happier final act. They exchanged “I dos” in 2016 and, seven years later, welcomed a baby boy into their family.</p>
Image: John Paschal/JPI
56/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Luckinbill and Heinle met on <em>The Young and the Restless</em> while playing J.T. Hellstrom and Victoria Newman. What started off as a one-night stand onscreen for their characters led to marriage and a child — and in real-life, the couple wed on March 3, 2007, and are parents to two children. <strong>In the end:</strong> Ten years later, Luckinbill filed for divorce.</p>
Image: Jennifer Graylock/JPI
57/61
<p><strong>In the Beginning:</strong> <em>Another World</em> introduced the <em>All My Children</em> alum to her future husband when she was tapped to replace Alicia Coppola as Matthew Cory’s love interest, Lorna Devon. <strong>In the End:</strong> The couple married in 2000 and were briefly reunited as castmates on <em>General Hospital</em> (during Christopher’s run as her old <em>All My Children</em> character, Skye Chandler).</p>
Image: CW Network/Courtesy of the Everett Collection
58/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The real-life counterparts of <em>Riverdale</em> teens Veronica Lodge and Reggie Mantle dated on and off for three years. <strong>In the end:</strong> “It ended very peacefully and ‘Wish you all the best,’” Mendes said. “But it still hurts, no matter what.”</p>
Image: The Walt Disney Company
59/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> Kurth and Sofer were married for two years in the 1990s, and had a daughter, while playing Ned Quartermaine and Lois Cerullo on <em>General Hospital</em>. <strong>In the end:</strong> The couple divorced in 1997. Kurth went on to have a son with Debra Yuhasz, whom he married in July 4, 2003. Sofer had another child as well, with Sanford Bookstaver, whom she’s married not once but twice since 2003.</p>
60/61
<p><strong>In the beginning:</strong> The former Deborah Morehart met her second husband in the late 1980s, when <em>All My Children</em> briefly made them co-stars as Robin McCall and Matt Connolly. <strong>In the end:</strong> Michael made Hunter his second wife in 1987. Together, the <em>Bold & Beautiful</em> mainstay as Taylor Hayes had three children with her husband, best known as Quint Chamberlain on <em>Guiding Light</em>. After their divorce in 2005, both remarried.</p>
Image: Barry King/WireImage/Getty Images
61/61
