Love is in the air, sometimes only on set and sometimes in real life as well. In reality, it happens quite often that behind the fiction a genuine chemistry emerges, which then blossoms into a concrete romantic understanding even with the cameras off. In this case the boundary between fiction and reality blurs, but it is also what has always driven the promotion of a television or film project. When two stars play a couple onscreen and fall in love in real life too, their relationship suddenly becomes pure publicity for the TV series in question. The trouble arises when that story ends, yet they are still forced to work together on set as if nothing changed. If you enjoy this gossip-laden side of TV series, here are three examples of couples who had to face the beginnings and endings of their story on set as well.
Ex in Real Life, but a Couple on Screen: The Paradox of Actors in 3 TV Series
Outer Banks
A particularly recent example of love that bloomed and then faded on set is the one between Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes, stars of Outer Banks where they portray Sarah and John B. The two characters share a romantic relationship, while the off‑camera romance lasted just over a year, forcing the actors to later step back into their roles and set aside what had happened between them. Their relationship began in 2020 and ended in 2021, spanning the first two seasons; from the third season onward, they had to handle everything with professional poise. A major challenge, given that Sarah and John B. embody the romantic heart of Outer Banks.
Gossip Girl
Another on‑set love story is that of Gossip Girl between Blake Lively and Penn Badgley, the respective performers of the “it girl” Serena van der Woodsen and the solitary Luke (?) Dan Humphrey. Aware of the media spotlight on them, they made a peculiar choice: in 2010 they ended their relationship, but they did not inform the production, treating the breakup as a secret to avoid fueling interest and gossip. Serena and Dan actually have a happy ending in Gossip Girl. After many ups and downs, the couple even tied the knot, but by then the performers had already moved on with their own romantic lives. Their story lasted about three years, from 2007 to 2010.
Riverdale
And finally, another love story that merged fiction and reality in the eyes of fans is that between Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse, both stars of Riverdale. Betty Cooper and Jughead Jones kept the fantasy series in the limelight for years, also serving as a major marketing support. In 2017 the couple formed on screen and in the same year the actor pair began dating, debuting as an official couple in 2018 on the Met Gala red carpet. In 2020 came the news of their separation, but both continued to appear in Riverdale, even though the breakup did not thrill the fans.
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