TV has gifted fans with the most shippable couples, both on and off screen, but what happens when they break up in real life? We're taking a look at the A-listers who had to continue working with their exes, plus how they made it work. From Outer Banks leads Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes, to Gossip Girl's Blake Lively and Penn Badgley, you might have forgotten that these actors even dated. Keep reading for what happened between these co-stars turned exes…
Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes
Romance quickly bloomed between Outer Banks stars Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes while working on the hit Netflix series. After dating for a year, however, the couple announced their split in November 2021. Ahead of production for the third season, fans wondered if the breakup might affect their working relationship, but as it turns out, Madelyn and Chase couldn't be more professional.
WATCH: Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes filmed season three following their breakup in 2021
"We always said that the job remains untouched. Nothing else, personal or negative, will touch the job," Madelyn explained to Cosmopolitan. "And while that's not always easy, our job is to leave the show better than we found it, to leave the season better than we found it. And I'm really appreciative of that."
Chase has also commented on their new dynamic, telling Entertainment Weekly: "Mads and I have been working together now for 30 episodes, and we made a promise to each other before we even started dating that the work was always going to come first. And that no matter what happens in our personal lives, and the ways that life sometimes takes you in different directions, that we're always going to honor the work. That stayed 100 percent truthful this season."
Madelyn and Chase agreed to maintain a professional relationship
Nearly two years after their breakup, both Madelyn and Chase have since moved on with new partners. During her recent interview with Cosmopolitan, the actress confirmed that she's officially off the market, while John B. actor Chase has revealed his new relationship with singer Kelsea Ballerini.
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Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder
Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore became a fan-favorite couple on The Vampire Diaries. Played by Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder, their on-screen chemistry eventually became reality, with the co-stars dating from 2010 to 2013. However, following the news of their breakup in 2013, fans began to speculate that the couple had ended on bad terms, forcing Nina to address the rumours.
"I've said this before, that we didn't break up because anything bad happened or because there wasn't love or friendship," she told E! News. "I love him and the friendship is still strong and I think he's great and I care about him. And that didn't change. Yes, we're professional and that's fine. We were friends long before we dated and we still are now."
Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder dated for three years before calling it quits in 2013
Taking it all in their stride, the former couple even joked about their breakup on stage at the People's Choice Awards in 2014, with Nina teasing, "It's a good thing it's not awkward," prompting Ian to reply "Well, it's a good thing we have chemistry."
The Vampire Diaries co-stars are on good terms and Nina has even bonded with Ian's wife, Nikki Reed
While Nina eventually left The Vampire Diaries in 2015, she did return to the fantasy series for the final episode of season eight, which saw her reunited with her ex. Taking to Instagram, the brunette beauty revealed that she'd been spending time with Ian and his new wife Nikki Reed, as she posted a photo of the trio at dinner. "Can't believe how time flies," Nina captioned the snap. "Farewell dinner with team Somereed! So good catching up with these goofballs. All love."
Blake Lively and Penn Badgley
Fans of the original Gossip Girl will remember that Penn Badgley's Dan Humphrey and Blake Lively's Serena van der Woodson had an off-and-on-again relationship throughout the show's six seasons, and as it turns out, their chemistry had spilt over into real-life.
Blake Lively and Penn Badgley dated from 2007 to 2010
When the two actors began dating in 2007, they initially kept it a secret. Sadly though, things didn't work out and they parted ways in 2010 but continued to play their respective roles on the show. Speaking about their relationship to Elle in 2013, Penn described it as "good and bad" and a "learning experience".
Penn revealed that their working relationship post-split had been "good and bad"
The same year they split, Blake met her now-husband Ryan Reynolds on the set of the superhero flick The Green Lantern. The couple wed in 2012 and are now parents to four young daughters. Meanwhile, Penn is married to Domino Kirke, a singer and former doula to A-listers like Amy Schumer. They share a son called James.
BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling
BJ Novak and Mindy Kaling became one of TV's most hilarious couples, after starring as Ryan and Kelly in the US version of The Office. Speaking to Vulture in 2012, BJ opened up about their relationship, revealing that they were as on and off as their characters on the show.
BJ Novak revealed that he and Mindy Kaling dated on and off, similar to their characters on The Office
"No one, including us, ever really knew, 'Is this dating? Is this not dating?' We were never really dating, we were never really not dating," he said. "We didn't know. No one knew. All you'd know for sure was that you'd always find one of us next to the other, even if we weren't getting along." Nowadays it looks like their relationship has become strictly platonic, however.
Their relationship is now platonic and BJ is the godfather of Mindy's two children
Following the final season of The Office, the former co-stars have continued to support each other at red-carpet events, as well as celebrating birthdays and other milestones together. In a sweet twist, it was recently revealed that BJ is also the godfather to Mindy's children Katherine "Kit" Swati and Spencer Avu.
Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki
The Big Bang Theory's Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki have been hailed as two of the most friendly exes in Hollywood, after continuing to work together for 10 years post-breakup. The couple had initially dated between 2008 and 2009.
Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki continued to work together for 10 years after their breakup
During an interview for The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story of the Epic Hit Series, Kaley recalled: "We really adored each other, and we were lucky because as our breakup was happening, there was no foul play, there was nothing bad about our relationship ... it just ended."
The former co-stars are still good friends and talk "multiple times a week"
After The Big Bang Theory came to a close in 2019, Kaley later opened up about her continued friendship with the actor. "Johnny and I are very close. We talk multiple times a week," she told E! News.
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