10 Celebs Who Had to Suffer Through Playing a Couple With Their Ex
Celebrities that managed to maintain a professional relationship on the set after the breakup.
Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake
Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake met in 2003 at the Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. At the time, Justin had come out of a four-year relationship with Britney Spears. The new romance with the famous Hollywood actress, who is nine years older than him, added to Timberlake's popularity. Justin and Cameron were in a relationship for four years, and their breakup was a great disappointment for the fans. In 2011, they appeared together again, though only on the screen: in the comedy movie Bad Teacher. As it turns out, the stars remained friends and didn't find it uncomfortable to play a couple in the movie — in fact, they had quite a good time.
Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Affleck
After breaking her engagement with Brad Pitt, Gwyneth Paltrow started an affair with another handsome Hollywood actor, Ben Affleck. Two years later, the star couple broke up. Curiously, soon after the breakup, Ben and Gwyneth played romance again in the 2000 movie Bounce. Seeing each other on the movie set, they decided to resume their relationship, which, unfortunately, did not last.
But you know the ending to that story — and it sure is fabulous!
Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse
The celebrities met on the set of the teenage drama series Riverdale, where they played lovers Jughead and Betty. Their relationship lasted for two years, and in August 2020, Riverdale fans were crushed by the news of their breakup. There were lots of rumors, so the stars made an official statement to clarify the situation. Sprouse admitted that he and Lili decided to end their relationship in January, and in March, their paths parted forever.
Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki
Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki starred together in The Big Bang Theory. They kept their relationship secret for two years and shared the details with the public only after the breakup. Cuoco and Galecki say they tried to support each other on set and did not have trouble playing their characters as the relationship between them gained momentum. Ten years after the breakup, they are still friends: in 2018, Johnny was among the guests at the wedding of his former lover.
Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder
In 2013, it was reported that the stars of the popular American series The Vampire Diaries Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder were breaking up. Although their fans were sure the couple would get back together again and eventually get married, the miracle did not happen. The actors explain the relationship didn't work out because they had different values and plans for the future. After a few years, Dobrev decided to leave the project. Some believe the reason for this was the romance between the actors, but in fact, Dobrev simply wanted to try her hand at new roles.
Blake Lively and Penn Badgley
Blake Lively and Penn Badgley met on the set of the Gossip Girl series in 2007. Their off-screen romance added even more popularity to the project, but in 2010, they announced their breakup. Meanwhile, the relationship between their characters in the show was getting stronger, so Blake and Penn had to maintain a friendly relationship and learn not to mix work and personal life.
Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper
Dominic Cooper and Amanda Seyfried started dating during the production of Mamma Mia! in 2008. That was a rather difficult relationship, and quite frankly, fans could not always follow the ups and downs of their turbulent romance. The celebrities were on and off again and again until they broke up for good in 2011.
In 2017, the actors had to couple up once more to play Sophie and Sky in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again. The atmosphere on the set was amicable since the actors have long parted and Seyfried was already married to actor Thomas Sadoski.