The Real-Life Partners Of The Nobody Wants This Cast

Netflix's hit rom-com "Nobody Wants This" features the heartwarming love story of a podcaster and a rabbi. Fortunately, the romance isn't just limited to the screen. The show's actors are also living out their own love stories. While some cast members share glimpses of their partners and families through interviews or social media, others prefer to keep their relationships relatively private.

The romantic storyline of "Nobody Wants This" stands out because it blends humor and vulnerability effortlessly. Speaking to Netflix's Tudum, creator Erin Foster explained that failing at dating and relationships helped her find the humor in it. She also opened up about how her personal experience helped shape the show's storyline. "[F]inding the right person can be so hard," she said. After watching the characters' fascinating one-screen relationships, one can't help but wonder about their real-life partners. So, without further ado, here are the real-life partners of the "Nobody Wants This" cast.

On "Nobody Wants This," Kristen Bell's character Joanne almost instantly hits it off with Noah. However, in real life, things didn't click right away when Kristen Bell first met her now-husband, Dax Shepard. The couple first crossed paths at a dinner party hosted by producer Shauna Robertson. At the time, they both had recently come out of long-term relationships. "There were no sparks whatsoever," "The Good Place" alum told "Today." That changed quickly when Bell and Shepard ran into each other at a hockey game. After that, Shepard texted Bell to ask her out. 

The couple co-starred in the 2009 rom-com "When in Rome," and by the end of filming, Shepard had proposed. The couple opted for an intimate courthouse wedding in 2013, and as Bell told "CBS Sunday Morning," "[I]t was still one of the best days of my life." They now share two daughters and are arguably one of Hollywood's most candid couples. Bell opened up to Popsugar about the time Shepard broke up with her before getting serious. She said, "He sat me down and said, 'I can't have this right now ... I am still dating other people.'" In the same interview, she said, "I still always remind him of when he broke up with me."

Over the years, Bell and Shepard have spoken openly about their marriage. In a 2017 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Bell shared, "We had a couple years of fighting and ... hating each other, then loving each other and going to couples therapy, and we worked it out. ... We earned each other." Despite the rough patches in Bell and Shepard's marriage, the couple has continued to grow together, often sharing glimpses of their relationship on Instagram.

Adam Brody and Leighton Meester may have come from different teen drama worlds. However, Brody and Meester's marriage is its own kind of crossover. The two first met through creator Josh Schwartz, who introduced them at a deli. Brody later admitted on "Podcrushed" that he was "smitten instantly" by Meester. That said, their romance unfolded at its own pace. Brody initially had some reservations about Meester. While on Anna Faris' "Unqualified podcast," Brody said he "had no idea whether she was a good person or not." On the other hand, Meester wasn't always sure if she wanted to get married. She once told Marie Claire, "I'm not sure I ever want to get married" (via Page Six).

Although they worked together on the 2011 film "The Oranges," they didn't begin dating until 2013. Brody proposed that same year, and the couple tied the knot in a private ceremony in February 2014. "My wife and I actually got married very fast after we started dating," Brody opened up about his marriage to Meester in an interview on SiriusXM's "The Jess Cagle Show." When asked about the magic of his relationship, Brody told "Today With Jenna & Friends," "Pick someone good ... Listen to them."

Today, the former teen TV stars have two children together. Before having kids, Meester told Nylon, "Most people I know are starting to get married. It'll be kids next. I like the grown-up stuff." Although the pair keeps their family life mostly private, fans swoon knowing that Seth from "The O.C." ended up with Blair from "Gossip Girl." Adding to the fun, Meester is set to guest star on Season 2 of "Nobody Wants This," playing a momfluencer nemesis. This means that Brody's real-life wife will soon join him on-screen.

Justine Lupe is known for keeping her personal life low-key, and her relationship with artist Tyson Mason was no exception. The "Succession" alum first began sharing glimpses of Mason on Instagram in 2023, but remained mostly private about the details of their relationship. In January 2024, he joined her at the HBO post-Emmy party. She humorously captioned the Instagram post, "The party @mysontason came to because there was a promise of no dancing." When "Nobody Wants This" came out on Netflix, Lupe revealed in an Instagram post that she had been over five months pregnant during filming. She opened up, "This show carried me through my first 5+ months of pregnancy with so much warmth."

In August 2024, Lupe and Mason welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Ellis. As People reported, on February 18, 2025, they officially tied the knot in an intimate courthouse ceremony. Although Lupe has stayed private about much of her family life, she shared a few photos from the day on Instagram, captioning them, "Allow me to introduce you to my ding darn HUSBAND!" When her daughter turned 1, Lupe shared adorable family photos on Instagram, captioning it, "One year with you, my baby. Thank you for giving me the biggest brightest adventure of my life."

While Timothy Simons often plays quirky or over-the-top on-screen characters, his real life is much more grounded. Off-screen, the actor has built a stable family life with his wife, Annie Simons. The couple married in June 2008 and have since welcomed two children together. Annie, who worked for years as a drama teacher, is now involved in nonprofit work focused on arts education.

Though they keep most of their personal life private, Timothy occasionally shares glimpses of their bond. On their anniversary, he shared a heartwarming post on Instagram with the caption, "We've literally traveled the entire country together so let's keep it going." In a Mother's Day tribute on Instagram, he praised Annie for balancing work and parenting, saying she has "worked harder than most people you'll ever meet."

Even with a growing resume that includes roles in "Veep," "Don't Worry Darling," and "Percy Jackson and the Olympians," Timothy's family remains at the center of his world. Timothy told People how much it meant that his kids liked "Nobody Wants This." He explained, "[T]hat gave me a little bit of credibility."

Jackie Tohn brings a sharp sense of humor to her role as Esther on "Nobody Wants This." Fortunately, her personal life reflects that same warmth. Since late 2021, Tohn has been dating actor, director, and writer Joe Gillette, who shares her creative energy. While the couple keeps much of their relationship private, Tohn occasionally posts heartfelt tributes to Gillette on social media. In a 2023 birthday post on Instagram, she said, "[W]e love each other and support each other and talk (so much) to each other and laugh at / with each other. Oh boy, what a find."

The pair's personal and professional worlds recently overlapped. In Season 2 of "Nobody Wants This," Gillette joined the cast in a guest star role, playing the on-screen husband of Leighton Meester's character. During an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Bell commented on this. "It got so incestuous," she joked. She recalled, "I had a blast on set saying, 'Jackie's boyfriend is playing Adam's wife's husband and Adam's wife is playing Jackie's boyfriend's wife.'" She explained, "It was like breaking the sim."

In "Nobody Wants This," Emily Arlook's character Rebecca faces heartbreak after splitting from Noah. Fortunately, Arlook's real life couldn't be more different. The "Grown-ish" alum has found love and built a family with her longtime partner Will McCormack. She began dating actor-turned-writer/producer McCormack in 2013. In a heartfelt anniversary post on Instagram, he said, "Out of all the seats in the world- I still can't believe I got the one next to you." They have been together for over a decade and have two children together.

In 2021, McCormack won an Academy Award for best animated short film as a co-director of "If Anything Happens I Love You." That said, he keeps a low profile, and the couple mostly stays away from the spotlight. However, on a few occasions, they post small glimpses of their relationship. In a 2023 Instagram post, McCormack is seen holding his kids, and he captioned it, "I had all these big plans for my 50th birthday week ... None of it happened. Both of my kids got sick, my wife's car was in the shop and I got hammered by work."