20 former couples who had to work together after breaking up

Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush married and broke up while working together on the set of One Tree Hill, but their divorce agreement didn’t specify who got the show. The two had to continue working together afterward. 

Jennifer Garner and Michael Vartan dated while they filmed their show Alias. The relationship didn’t last, but they worked together for a few seasons of the show afterward. 

Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes started dating after getting close on the set of Outer Banks. But their relationship wasn’t meant to be, and they broke up. The two navigated their professional relationship well, managing to work together without issues after their romantic relationship ended. 

It’s kind of amazing that there haven’t been more Hollywood couples who’ve gotten together while filming teen dramas. Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder took their on-screen chemistry off the set of The Vampire Diaries for a real-life relationship, but it didn’t last, and the two had to remain co-stars.  

Teen dramas are the place for actors to find love. Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse started dating after working together on Riverdale. Their love didn’t last, though, and the two broke up before the series ended. 

Amanda Seyfried and Dominic Cooper fell in love while filming Mamma Mia! And who could blame them? They dated for a few years after wrapping the film, and the sequel wasn’t filmed until after they had broken up, making for a unique on-set reunion. 

Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson are one of the OG teen drama couples. The duo began dating while working together on the set of Dawson’s Creek. Their characters dated, too, but it wasn’t enough to keep their real-life flame lit. They broke up a few years before the show ended. 

Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake didn’t work together while they were dating, but they did sign up for a movie together years after their relationship had ended. The two broke up in 2006 and reunited on the set of 2011’s Bad Teacher. 

BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling are the gold standard in working together after breaking up. The two dated while working together on The Office, but they kept things cool after calling it quits. They’re still close friends, and Novak is even the godfather to Kaling’s children. 

Florence Pugh and Zach Braff had a years-long relationship and filmed multiple movies together, including 2022’s A Good Person. The duo broke up before the film was released, so they had to work together on the press tour as exes. 

Blake Lively and Penn Badgley’s actual romantic relationship was much less dramatic than the one between the characters they played on  Gossip Girl, but it still wasn’t strong enough to last. The duo had to continue working together after their breakup, and their work included maintaining their characters’ relationship.

Courteney Cox and David Arquette first met on the set of the first Scream film. They got married and stayed that way for over a decade, filming multiple sequels together over the course of their relationship. They reunited in 2022 for Scream, the first sequel to be filmed after their divorce. 

Working so closely with someone, it’s hard not to catch feelings. Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki dated in real life while working together on The Big Bang Theory. After their breakup, they still had to portray an on-screen couple. 

Sarah Paulson and Cherry Jones dated in the 2000s, but their relationship didn’t last. They had to cross paths professionally after their breakup, filming the movie New Year’s Eve together. 

Riverdale produced multiple real-life couples. Camila Mendes and Charles Melton also started dating while working together, but their relationship ended after a year. Riverdale had to go on, though, so the exes had to work together after their breakup. 

Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence reunited to film multiple movies after their breakup. They filmed X-Men: Apocalypse and X-Men: Dark Phoenix after breaking up after four years together. 

Joey King and Jacob Elordi’s romantic relationship was a product of their film, The Kissing Booth. The duo dated for about a year after wrapping the first movie, and the exes had to reunite to film the sequel. 

Bradley Cooper and Zoe Saldana must be on great terms because they keep teaming up despite being exes. Since their breakup, they’ve filmed all three Guardians of the Galaxy movies together, as well as two Avengers films. 

Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody brought to life one of the best couples in TV history. They were so good at being a couple on screen that they decided to be one off, too. They didn’t last in real life, but they remained on good terms and were able to successfully keep their characters’ relationship intact. 

Milo Ventimiglia and Hayden Penettiere dated while working together on the set of Heroes. They eventually broke up, but since their relationship didn’t outlast the cancellation of Heroes, they had to work together as exes.