The Real-Life Partners Of The Big Bang Theory Universe Stars

We've been enthralled with the characters of "The Big Bang Theory" universe for almost two decades. The popular sitcom premiered in 2007 and instantly captured our hearts with the fun dynamics between its characters. After 12 seasons, it wrapped up in 2019 — but that was in no way the end of the story. In 2017, a spinoff prequel titled "Young Sheldon" premiered and ended up running for seven seasons, until 2024. Luckily, when that series wrapped up, fans had a new spinoff to switch to. In 2024, the third series in the universe, "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage," premiered.

There is no denying that these sitcoms wouldn't be half as successful were it not for their fun love stories. Truth is, the actors who portrayed the characters had plenty of inspiration to draw from in their private lives. So, today's focus is all about the women in the universe, and with whom they spend their free time. From those who have been happily married for years to a few who have multiple divorces behind them, the women in The Big Bang Universe have all shared glimpses into their private lives over the years. So, here's who Kaley Cuoco, Emily Osment, Annie Potts, and Co. have dated, had children with, and are head-over-heels in love with!

Kaely Cuoco, who portrayed Penny for over a decade on "The Big Bang Theory," dated her co-star Johnny Galecki until 2009. Two years later, she got engaged to addiction specialist Josh Resnik, but they never made it to the altar. After their separation, she was briefly linked to musicians Christopher French and Bret Bollinger, but neither relationship seemed to be serious. In 2013, Cuoco got engaged to tennis player Ryan Sweeting, and the two tied the knot the same year. Unfortunately, their romance didn't last. "You could tell the honeymoon phase had ended," a source told People. "It seemed they were trying to work out their marriage by going on dates, but they both seemed miserable." Cuoco and Sweeting separated in 2015 and officially divorced in 2016.

After her divorce, Cuoco was linked to actors Paul Blackthorne and Henry Cavill, but neither relationship was long-lasting. In 2017, Couoco got engaged to equestrian Karl Cook, and a year later, the two got married. Unfortunately, this wasn't happily ever after either — in 2022, the two finalized their divorce. In 2024, the "8 Simple Rules" star got engaged to actor Tom Pelphrey, and together the two have one child. Speaking of the first time she met him, Cuoco said, "I heard his voice, and I turned around, and it was like my life was over, or just starting. It hit me. It was love at first sight. We were immediately connected. I do feel like I've known him my whole life, but I wasn't ready for him" (via Today). However, there are some red flags in Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey's relationship that might cause trouble in the future.

"The Big Bang Theory" star Mayim Bialik has undergone a complete transformation over the years, and her love life played a significant role in it. The actor, who portrayed Amy Farrah Fowler on the hit sitcom, married businessman Michael Stone in 2003, and together the two have two sons. About a decade after getting married, the couple separated, and their divorce was announced in 2012. "Divorce is terribly sad, painful, and incomprehensible for children. It is not something we have decided lightly," the sictom star shared at the time (via Kveller). "The main priority for us now is to make the transition to two loving homes as smooth and painless as possible."

Bialik met writer and producer Jonathan Cohen at a children's birthday party, and the two began dating around the mid-2010s. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, Bialik and Cohen launched the podcast "Mayim Bialik's Breakdown." "To be honest, 2020 was a beast of a year and my partner Jonathan and I have a shared passion for mental illness and mental illness education," Bialik told Forbes in 2021. "So we decided to start a podcast... The idea is to explore all the aspects of mental health that many of us are not told about. That's how 'Mayim Bialik's Breakdown' was born."

In The Big Bang Universe, Emily Osment is known as Mandy McAllister on "Young Sheldon" and "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage." After rising to fame as a child star thanks to the Disney hit series "Hannah Montana," Emily Osment's private life has been in the spotlight. In the early 2010s, Osmet had relationships with actors Nathan Keyes and Jimmy Tatro, as well as therapist Jim Gilbert. 

In 2021, the blond star began her relationship with musician Jack Anthony. In 2023, the two got engaged, and they got married a year later. Unfortunately, the couple's marriage didn't last. Just months after tying the knot, they decided to get a divorce. "I think with any big decision in your life, whether it's relationships or work or whatever it may be, you have to firmly plant both feet in that decision," Osmet told People. "Ultimately, it didn't work out."

Laura Spencer portrayed Emily Sweeney in the later seasons of "The Big Bang Theory." While the role helped the star's career, unlike many of her co-stars, Spencer tends to keep a much more private life. While not much is known about her prior relationships, in 2019, the actor married producer Michael Jack Greenwald.

On social media, the star gives her followers glimpses into her personal life. Greenwald also makes an appearance on there every now and then. In 2019, the actor shared a photo on Instagram of the happy couple spending their honeymoon in Paris, France. "You can't really see a lot of Paris in this photo but you sure can see how happy this honeymoon has been," the star wrote in the caption. Prior to their wedding, Spencer shared a message thanking her soon-to-be husband for the support he had given her. "It's our wedding week and as luck would have it I've been in bed sick for three days. Michael, thank you for doing all that you can to help me feel better for our big day. Thank you for every day you've been here for me since we met. I love you and am so very grateful for you," she wrote on Instagram.

Similar to Laura Spencer, the star of "Young Sheldon," Zoe Perry tends to keep her love life private. The star is known for her portrayal of Mary Cooper on "Young Sheldon," a character portrayed by her mother, Laurie Metcalf, on "The Big Bang Theory." We'll get to her mother's love life in a bit. In 2022, Perry married production company owner Gab Taraboulsy. In a 2021 Field Team 6 video titled "Celebrating the Heroes," the actor gushed about her then-fiancé, saying, "When I tell you this man puts his whole heart into everything, it's an understatement. He clearly has created some very talented and heartwarming videos for you all."

Annie Potts is undeniably one of the ladies of "Young Sheldon" who has transformed before our eyes. Known for her stellar portrayal of Meemaw, aka Constance "Connie" Tucker, on both "Young Sheldon" and "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage," Potts was already a household name prior to saying yes to the role.

Over more than four decades in the spotlight, Potts went through three divorces. The Hollywood star married and divorced Steven Hartley in the '70s prior to her acting debut. In 1978, Potts married fellow actor Greg Antonacci — only to divorce him two years later. In 1981, the star tied the knot with director and producer B. Scott Senechal, with whom she has one child. In 1989, their divorce was finalized.

In 1990, Potts married her current husband, director and producer James (Jim) Hayman, with whom she has two children. Of course, working through the grieving process of a divorce isn't easy, which is why it's not surprising that Potts lost all hope after her third one. In 2022, Potts revealed to Glamour that she met her fourth husband right after she gave up on love. "By the time I met Jim, I was sort of done. It was like, why did I think I needed somebody else? I was totally self-sufficient and taking care of myself and happy about it," the actor admitted. "I had my son in tow, and life was good. And then I met Jim and basically said, 'I don't need you. So how can you make yourself useful given that I don't need you?'" However, she decided to give love one more chance, and she has been happily married for more than three decades.

"The Big Bang Theory" star Melissa Rauch's complete transformation wouldn't be complete without her marriage to producer and writer Winston Rauch. The two started dating while in college, and they tied the knot soon after they graduated. Together, the couple has two children.

Melissa, who portrayed Bernadette Rostenkowski-Wolowitz on "The Big Bang Theory," gushed about her husband to New Jersey Monthly in 2014, saying, "He is my best friend and the love of my life, in addition to being an incredible writing partner. The only thing I regret is not meeting him even sooner, as my life has just gotten better since he came into it." The actor added that she adores working with her husband, saying, "Winston and I spend all our free time writing new projects. It's so rewarding to see those passion projects come to life."

Rachel Bay Jones is known for portraying Audrey McAllister on both "Young Sheldon" and "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage." Her private life tends to be mostly out of the spotlight, and while some believe that she is married to actor Benim Foster, neither has ever confirmed that they tied the knot. Jones has a daughter from a previous relationship.

In 2025, Jones shared a heartfelt birthday message on Instagram. "Happy Birthday to my beautiful guy, Benim Foster. Best friend. The warmest heart. I love walking through the years with you," the actor wrote. While the two rarely talk about their romance, they always support each other, and they often attend big industry events as a couple.

Plenty know Sara Gilbert as Leslie Winkle on "The Big Bang Theory," a role that undeniably introduced the actor to a new fanbase. As a teenager, Gilbert actually dated her "The Big Bang Theory" co-star Johnny Galecki — at the time, the two were starring on the sitcom "Roseanne." Speaking of the relationship, Gilbert revealed that it was then that she realized she was more interested in women. "We started dating, and he would come over and we would, like, make out, and then I would start to get depressed," she revealed on The Talk in 2013 (via Today). "I eventually told him I thought it was about my sexuality, and he was super sweet about it," Gilbert shared.

In 2001, Gilbert got into a relationship with television producer Alison Adler, and together they have two children. After 10 years, the two parted ways, and Gilber opened up about her views on marriage on The Talk. "I feel like I don't know if marriage is all it's cracked up to be. I've never been married, but I was in a long relationship... It's emotional for me, because we're not together," she said (via The Hollywood Reporter).

In 2013, Gilbert started dating musician Linda Perry, and the two tied the knot a year later. In 2015, Gilbert gave birth to their son, but four years later, the two legally separated. In 2021, Gilbert and Perry's divorce was finalized. Luckily, the two ended things on good terms and are all about coparenting their child. "It's really a beautiful relationship," Perry told People in 2024. "And I'm just so lucky to have that because when you separate from your baby's parent, that can go all different types of crazy and messy, and it's not like that at all."

Many know comedian Casey Wilson as Beth on "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage." What they might not know is that comedy is a big deal in her family. In 2011, she began dating comedy writer David Caspe. In 2014, Wilson and Caspe got married, and they have since welcomed two sons and a daughter. In 2023, Wilson opened up on Instagram about having a daughter via surrogacy. "Surrogacy is women supporting women in its highest form and it has been a profound experience. Uplifting and inspiring," the actor wrote.

In 2014, Wilson gushed about her husband's talent, revealing that plenty of the sitcom "Marry Me" was based on their marriage. "My husband wrote the show and that was based on our own relationship because I kept getting my nails done over and over thinking a proposal was coming," she told Glamour. "Then the more and more you do it, you get more angry because it's sad to get your nails done and not get proposed to! David is just so grounded and laid-back. I, on the other hand, threatened to drive my car through our house a couple weeks ago. I'm more emotional." Well, Wilson and Caspe are living proof that opposites do attract.

Hollywood star Laurie Metcalf has been in the spotlight since the '80s, but the actor got introduced to a younger audience in the 2000s thanks to her portrayal of Mary Cooper on "The Big Bang Theory." In 1983, Metcalf married fellow actor Jeff Perry, and the couple has one child: Zoe Perry. The two actors got divorced in 1986, but they maintained a wonderful friendship. "We just knew we loved this girl, and we weren't gonna screw that up," Jeff told The New York Post in 2008. In fact, Metcalf revealed that she is very close to Linda Lowy, Jeff's second wife. "There's not really a term for it, but I love her, so I call her my sister-in-law," she admitted in the same interview.

In 2005, Metcalf married actor Matt Roth, and together they have two sons and a daughter. Unfortunately, they couldn't make it work, and they separated in 2011. Three years later, they got officially divorced.

Courtney Henggeler portrayed Missy Cooper on "The Big Bang Theory," a role that, for many, remains her most memorable one. Over the years, Henggeler has kept a very low profile when it comes to her private life. She married film producer Ross Kohn in 2015, and together they have two children.

After starring in the Netflix hit "Cobra Kai," Henggeler revealed in 2025 that she is retiring from acting. "After 20 plus years of fighting the good fight in the acting business, I hung up my gloves," she admitted in a Substack post. While we're all sad about the news (hopeful she makes a comeback at some point), we do understand the star's decision. If you're not quite done with this universe yet, be sure to check out what "The Big Bang Theory" universe's leading ladies look like without makeup.