Who Are The Real-Life Partners Of The Friends Cast?
"Friends" is one of the most popular TV shows of all time. The series followed the lives of six friends living and working in New York City as they navigated life's ups and downs. The show also made household names out of the main cast members Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Matthew Perry, David Schwimmer, and Matt LeBlanc. Throughout the entire series, love and relationships were huge themes. Each of the characters went through heartbreak, breakups, and other relatable situations as they looked to find their happy endings. In reality, the cast members have also been through a lot together, including marriages, pregnancies, and divorces with their own real-life partners.
"Friends" fans watched Monica Gellar (Cox) and Chandler Bing (Perry) find true love together on the show, while Phoebe Buffay (Kudrow) also found the love of her life with Mike Hannigan (Paul Rudd). Meanwhile, Ross Gellar (Schwimmer) and Rachel Green (Aniston) were an obvious endgame in the final episodes. Sadly, things weren't wrapped up so neatly for the cast in their real personal lives, and they've been through plenty of adversity in their own relationships.
Over the years, many of the cast members have changed partners multiple times. Let's take a look at the real-life partners who have stolen the hearts of the actors.
Lisa Kudrow is married to advertising exec Michel Stern
Lisa Kudrow is the "Friends" cast member who has been in a relationship the longest. The "Easy A" star met her husband Michel Stern in the 1980s while in France. However, the actor and advertising exec took their time getting romantic. After engaging in relationships with other people, the two reconnected and began dating. They said "I do" in 1995 and after three years of marriage, they expanded their family when their son Julian Murray Stern was born. Kudrow and Stern never looked back and celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary in 2020.
Previously, Kudrow revealed that one of the secrets to her successful marriage is having a practical approach to her relationship. "When [Michel and I] decided to get married, we understood: We're not promising to love each other forever because you can't do that, but we are promising to work on whatever problems come up," she told Glamour. "We're committed to our marriage working. It turns out, after you have a history, there's such a bond, and love takes another shape. But, oh, I don't want to jinx it — I'm superstitious!" she added.
Kudrow also explained that she and Stern are independent in their marriage, meaning that they enjoy their own hobbies and activities while also thinking of themselves as a team.
Courteney Cox is dating musician Johnny McDaid
Courteney Cox married her "Scream" co-star David Arquette in 1999 and the couple welcomed their daughter Coco together in 2004. The pair later split, and officially ended their marriage in 2013. Since that time, both Arquette and Cox have moved on, and the "Friends" star has been in a decade-long relationship with Snow Patrol band member Johnny McDaid. The couple sparked up a romance after they were introduced by Ed Sheeran and one year later they became engaged. The couple briefly called off their engagement, but later reconnected.
Since that time, Cox has gushed over her longtime love. "[He's] a great listener. And I've never met someone more patient," the actor told People. "He's a great advice-giver. I love his heart, his intentions. His morals. He's extremely talented and obviously musical, but he's a poet and a writer. He's just so smart, and I find that really sexy. And then he is gorgeous," she added.
Although Cox and McDaid never got re-engaged after their short split, the "Friends" star has revealed that she considers McDaid her husband, saying she feels married to the musician in her heart. For his part, McDaid has also confessed that Cox is his best friend and partner in life.
Matthew Perry dated many famous women
While Matthew Perry's "Friends" character Chandler Bing found the love of his life with Monica on the show, the actor did not settle down. However, Perry dated several high-profile women, including Julia Roberts, Gwyneth Paltrow, and Cameron Diaz, as well as having a six-year relationship with Lizzy Caplan. He was also romantically linked to Natalie Wood's daughter Natasha Wagner, fashion student Rachel Dunn, producer Gabrielle Allan, and Carrie Fisher's half-sister, Tricia Fisher.
In 2018, Perry began dating Molly Hurwitz and the couple eventually got engaged. "I decided to get engaged," Perry told People in his engagement announcement. "Luckily, I happened to be dating the greatest woman on the face of the planet at this time," he added. Sadly, the engagement didn't last and just seven months after popping the question, Perry and Hurwitz called it quits. "Sometimes things just don't work out and this is one of them. I wish Molly the best," the "Fools Rush In" star said in a statement.
Jennifer Aniston has been married twice
When Jennifer Aniston found herself dating Brad Pitt she quickly became half of one of Hollywood's most popular couples. Aniston and Pitt dated for two years before walking down the aisle together in 2000. Sadly, five years later the pair called it quits, and their divorce was shrouded in drama and media coverage that included Pitt's relationship with Angelina Jolie. Aniston later moved on and went on to tie the knot with fellow actor Justin Theroux. The couple wed in 2015, but three years later announced their split.
Despite having gone through two divorces, Aniston says that she doesn't think her previous marriages were failures. "My marriages, they've been very successful, in [my] personal opinion," she told Elle. "When they came to an end, it was a choice that was made because we chose to be happy, and sometimes happiness didn't exist within that arrangement anymore," she continued. "Sure, there were bumps, and not every moment felt fantastic, obviously, but at the end of it, this is our one life."
Following her second divorce, Aniston told People that she's in a great place in her life and that she feels "peaceful," adding that she's happy in her life and loves her work, her friends, and her pets.
David Schwimmer and Matt LeBlanc are both divorced dads
Matt LeBlanc's "Friends" character Joey Tribianni may have been a ladies' man, but in reality, the actor has had some long-term relationships. LeBlanc married Melissa McKnight in 2003. The couple welcomed their daughter, Marina in 2004, and sadly divorced just two years later. They currently share custody of their daughter. In 2016, LeBlanc began dating TV producer Aurora Mulligan. The couple kept their romance relatively quiet before reportedly splitting in early 2022 after six years together.
Meanwhile, LeBlanc's former co-star David Schwimmer has also dealt with divorce, much like his "Friends" character Ross Gellar. Schwimmer met Zoe Buckman in 2007. After a few years of dating, the couple held a secret marriage ceremony in 2010. The following year, they welcomed their daughter Cleo. However, ten years after they began dating, the pair announced their split and revealed that they remained focused on co-parenting their daughter (via People). Following his divorce, the actor was linked to Katie Markowitz.
The cast of "Friends" remains closely bonded like a family, and is there to offer love and support throughout any trials or tribulations that one of them may be going through. Despite their relationship status, they will always have one each other.