The Ladies Of Gilmore Girls And Their Real-Life Partners

When "Gilmore Girls" premiered in 2000, nobody could have predicted the cultural impact the show would have. More than two decades later, the CW hit, which concluded after seven seasons in 2007, remains a go-to nostalgic watch for many, as well as a blueprint of what a cozy autumnal show should be. Most of all, the show is a great example of how delicate female relationships are, whether we're talking about the mother-daughter duo of Lorelai and Rory Gilmore, the individual relationships each of them has with matriarch Emily, or the friendships they fostered with characters like Sookie and Paris. Men and romantic relationships play significant roles in the show, too, but there's no denying that "Gilmore Girls" is a story about women and the relationships they have with each other at its core. 

Since the show's conclusion, the ladies who played the beloved characters have moved on to other projects, but for many of us, the sight of them will always bring back that cozy 2000s feeling that the show embodied perfectly. Of course, their private lives have also been in the spotlight over the years, especially as a few of them have dated some of their on-screen partners from Stars Hollow. Costars who dated? That's definitely intriguing, which is why we had to take a closer look at these leading ladies' relationship histories.

We all got to meet and fall in love with Alexis Bledel as Rory Gilmore in 2000, and since then, her love life has been in the spotlight, especially because Bledel has dated a few Hollywood heartthrobs. The most memorable partners in her dating history were her real-life relationships with her "Gilmore Girls" costars. 

In the early 2000s, she had a brief relationship with Jared Padalecki, who played her on-screen boyfriend, Dean Forester, in the first two seasons. "When Alexis and I met, we were both 17 years old and were both Texans and kind of in this new, strange city, and I was like, 'Hey, want to go out to dinner?'" Padalecki revealed to Glamour two decades later. "I don't know if we tried to keep it a secret. I wish it was scandalous or something! I think it was more kind of silly." Bledel also dated her second on-screen boyfriend, Milo Ventimiglia, who played the troubled Jess Mariano. The two began dating around early 2003, and their relationship seemed to be more serious. Still, in 2006, Bledel and Ventimiglia parted ways.

Bledel began dating "Mad Men" costar Vincent Kartheiser in 2012, and a year later, the two got engaged. In 2014, Bledel and Kartheiser tied the knot in Ojai, California, and they welcomed their son the following year. Unfortunately, the couple's relationship didn't last. In 2022, they parted ways, and Us Weekly reported "distance" between the two as a reason for their separation. Since then, Bledel has kept her love life private, and she seems to be single at the time of writing. As one of "The Handmaid's Tale" ladies who are gorgeous in real life, Bledel seems to be prioritizing self-care, her son, and her career at the moment.

With her portrayal of Lorelai Gilmore on "Gilmore Girls," Lauren Graham gave us one of the most iconic mother characters in television history. While the actor has kept her private life private over the years, we do know that she's dated several famous men. She briefly dated actors Tate Donovan and Marc Blucas in the 2000s, and in 2010, she started her relationship with Peter Krause, whom she'd actually known since 1995 after they met on the set of "Caroline in the City." On their relationship, Graham shared with Redbook, "One of the things that's been so fun is that it's so easy. It's a lot, to work with somebody and spend time with them, too" (via People).

In 2021, the two parted ways following more than 10 years spent as a couple. "I'm in a better place, but it's still just a shame. It's just sad to me," the "Parenthood" actor revealed to People after their breakup. "We had such a good time together that I didn't maybe ask some fundamental questions about 'What are your values and what do you envision?' and those more grown-up things. And then they just caught up with us." 

The relationship ending doesn't mean it shouldn't have started, though. In a candid conversation on Alex Cooper's podcast, "Call Her Daddy," Graham revealed that dating costars is very normal in the industry — and that she's had connections with some of her on-screen colleagues. "Yes, and dating is a real big word for some of the experiences," Graham said. "But you know, you're there 14, 15 hours. Who else are you going to meet?"

Kelly Bishop, who portrayed the iconic Emily Gilmore on the cult CW show, has been married twice. In the 1970s, she was married to Peter Miller, and after divorcing him, she married television host Lee Leonard in 1981. The two were happily married until 2018, when Leonard sadly passed away. In 2024, Bishop revealed that she had felt connected to her late husband thanks to a psychic medium. "Of course, we have no idea whether it's true or not ... But I want it to be," the actor revealed to People. "It gives me hope. It gives me hope for the soul, and it gives me hope to reconnect with people who've been so deeply important to me." 

The "Gilmore Girls" star has also admitted that her late husband always encouraged her success. "One of the things I think that actually helped with us is the fact that he wasn't an actor. I'd always try to avoid actors," she added to People. "There are a lot of men, even in today's world, who would feel threatened if their wives were more successful or making more money than they did. And he had a lot of confidence, a lot of self-confidence, and he meant it sincerely." Bishop hasn't been romantically linked to anyone since Leonard's passing. 

While Liza Weil's character on "Gilmore Girls" wasn't always beloved, Paris Geller eventually grew on us. In 2006, Weil married fellow actor Paul Adelstein, and in 2010, the couple welcomed their daughter. However, by 2016, their relationship was over, and a year later, their divorce was finalized.

After her separation from Adelstein, Weil began dating her "How to Get Away with Murder" costar Charlie Weber, who was freshly separated from his ex-wife, Giselle Webber, at the time. Of course, there are things you should consider before dating a coworker, but it seemed that the pros outweighed the cons for Weil and Weber. "We were great friends and we found ourselves in a position to be more than that," Weber said in 2017 when on the "Allegedly with Theo Von & Matthew Cole Weiss" podcast (via Us Weekly). "You spend a lot of time [together] and we, I very much enjoyed spending time away from work and so it all just kind of came together like that ... I'm very happy." 

In 2019, the couple called it quits but remained friendly. "Liza and I share an amazing relationship rooted in love and respect. That relationship has found its way back to the great friendship we've always had," Weber revealed in a statement to People (via E! News).

Actor and comedian Melissa McCarthy was a crucial part of the success of "Gilmore Girls," as her character, Sookie St. James, added a necessary best friend dynamic to the show. In 2005, McCarthy tied the knot with boyfriend Ben Falcone, and the two have been happily married ever since. Together, they have two daughters: Vivian, who was born in 2007, and Georgette, who was born in 2010.

McCarthy has advice for those looking for love, too. "It's [about] finding someone who you just absolutely are better with. He's nothing but supportive, and he's super smart," the "Bridesmaids" star gushed to People about her marriage in 2020. "He makes me gut-laugh, like crazy gut-laugh, four or five times a day. I hit the jackpot!" After two decades of marriage, McCarthy and Falcone certainly seem to be as strong as ever.

Now, if you care for more television stars and their significant others, check out the real-life partners of the ladies from "The White Lotus."