The Truth About Kaley Cuoco's Marriage
What's the truth about Kaley Cuoco's marriage? In one of her best-known roles, Kaley Cuoco — who's undergone a stunning transformation — played Penny, an upbeat neighbor to the ultra-nerdy Sheldon and Leonard on The Big Bang Theory. Cuoco has also appeared in hits like Harley Quinn, The Wedding Ringer, Bratz, Charmed, and 8 Simple Rules. While you probably recognize the actress from a few of her projects, you may not know quite so much about her personal life.
Unlike the happy-go-lucky Penny of The Big Bang Theory, Cuoco has certainly been through some ups and downs in her time. After an early amateur tennis career, she found success with acting. But despite thriving professionally, her love life wasn't always so successful. In 2012, Cuoco announced that her first engagement to her then-boyfriend had been called off (via Entertainment Tonight). She eventually married tennis player Ryan Sweeting, but the couple divorced less than two years after tying the knot, as noted by E! News.
However, in 2018, Cuoco married Karl Cook — could he finally be the soulmate she'd been searching for? Here's the truth about Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook's marriage.
After her disastrous first marriage, Kaley Cuoco thought she'd never marry again
Who was Kaley Cuoco married to before Karl Cook? The actress had walked down the aisle once before in 2013, when she married tennis player Ryan Sweeting in a secret ceremony. Shortly after the wedding, Cuoco told Cosmopolitan that she thought Sweeting was "the one." However, the couple divorced in 2015 (via E! News).
In a later interview with Cosmopolitan, Cuoco explained that her first marriage made her extremely cautious. "I honestly thought I wouldn't get married again," she confessed. "My ex ruined that word for me." She went on to say that Sweeting turned into a different person after they married, which is the real reason Kaley Cuoco and Ryan Sweeting divorced.
Despite her difficult first experience with wedlock, Cuoco eventually found a new partner that she could rely on: Karl Cook. "I had to go through a lot of things," she continued, "But it brought me to Karl." Looks like patience paid off for Cuoco!
Kaley Cuoco met Karl Cook at a horse show
Kaley Cuoco first met Karl Cook at a horse show. As Cuoco explained, she's a horse lover — she actually has experience with equestrian competitions, as per her Instagram page – and Cook was a professional horseman. "We share so much love for animals — we love horses and we love the sport," she gushed in an interview with People.
Apparently, Cuoco was immediately intrigued by Cook's way with horses. She even called him a "horse whisperer," and praised his patient and gentle approach to the animals. "I think anyone who works with animals has to have a kind soul," Cuoco continued.
Apparently, according to Women's Health, Cook didn't even care that Cuoco was a famous actress when they first met! And since he never watched The Big Bang Theory, he wasn't super starstruck or a total fanboy. Instead, Cook was more charmed by Cuoco's love of horses.
When Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook started dating, Cuoco was on cloud nine
Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook officially started dating in March of 2016. As Cuoco shared with Us Weekly, it wasn't necessarily love at first sight for her and Karl Cook, though. Rather, as she tells it, she fell in love with Cook gradually over a period of time. Hey, there's nothing wrong with taking it slow!
Even though it took Cuoco a little while to warm to Cook, pretty soon, the couple were inseparable. A month into the relationship, an inside source told Us Weekly that Cuoco and Cook were really into one another, even though the romance was still burgeoning. Around the same time, Cuoco posted an adorable selfie on Instagram of herself with Cook. "That's what happy looks like," she wrote in the caption. Clearly, Kaley Cuoco 'couldn't be happier' with Karl Cook.
Looking back at the beginning of this relationship, it's pretty clear that things looked pretty good for this couple right from the start.
Kaley Cuoco and her Karl Cook bonded over their similarities
At the very beginning of their relationship, Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook discovered that they had a lot in common. In addition to their adoration for horses, the pair found that they shared similar temperaments — as well as flaws. "We bonded a lot over having the same kind of outlooks on life, insecurities, dating," Cuoco revealed in an interview with Women's Health. Additionally, Cook's father is the co-founder of Intuit, so he has a lot of money, just like Cuoco does as one of the highest paid actresses on television (via Forbes).
Given just how set Cuoco is, and how badly she'd been burned by partners in the past, she's fiercely independent. Fortunately, that's not an issue for Cook, as he has an independent spirit all his own. "I don't need Karl for anything," Cuoco continued. "If Karl left me tomorrow, I'd be fine. And he knows that, and he would be fine too."
Kaley Cuoco married Karl Cook in 2018 in a stunning ceremony
In 2017, Karl Cook popped the big question to Kaley Cuoco, and the wedding proposal is guaranteed to make you cry. Cook posted Cuoco's adorable, tearful reaction on Instagram for the whole world to see, as well as an unbearably cute clip of the couple slow dancing that same night. Could they be any more #relationshipgoals?
The next year, Cook and Cuoco married in a beautiful, intimate, at-home ceremony, complete with magnificent fairy-light displays, a luscious white tent, and tasteful white decor. In photos of the wedding, the couple can be seen walking down the makeshift aisle in the garden, and kissing in the decorated horse stables where they later held their intimate wedding meal.
There's no doubt about it — Cuoco and Cook's rustic, on-brand wedding was an absolutely perfect expression of their unique love for each other. And things only got better from there, too. A few months later, Cuoco told Entertainment Tonight that after the big day, married life was the "best ever" and that their love had only grown stronger.
This is why Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook put their honeymoon on hold
After their perfect wedding, Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook had a curve ball thrown their way. Instead of jetting off on a romantic holiday, the couple had to stay at home, as Cuoco needed unexpected shoulder surgery. The actress opened up about the experience on The Late Late Show with James Cordon; apparently, the surgery was just four days after Cuoco and Cook tied the knot.
Luckily, Cook was the perfect new husband during Cuoco's recovery. As Cuoco explained to Corden, her arm was completely immobile after the surgery, so Cook had to do her hair. "He did a lot of top knots in my hair," she revealed. Cook also posted a hilarious image of Cuoco in her hospital bed on Instagram, and while Cuoco was clearly barely conscious in the photo, Cook was literally grinning from ear to ear. Clearly, he was still buzzing from their recent wedding!
Don't worry — Cook and Cuoco didn't spend their real honeymoon in an actual hospital! According to a post on Cuoco's Instagram page, the couple got their dream honeymoon in Switzerland, five months after the wedding.
Kaley Cuoco and her husband love their pets
In addition to having a passion for horses, Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook are fond of other animals as well. To that end, the couple have more pets than your average family, thanks to Cuoco's big heart and Cook's unwavering support. You might even say that Cuoco and Cook have enough animals to start a menagerie!
Cuoco dished on all the details about their home zoo on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. "We have so many dogs right now," she revealed, before showing off six — yes, six — dogs! She also told Kimmel what each of their names are, some of which are downright silly.
Cook and Cuoco also have at least eight rescue rabbits, as they explained to Entertainment Tonight. Apparently, they've even considered getting pigs! Needless to say, these two animal lovers were pretty lucky to find each other, as less devoted people would struggle to live with so many animals!
One day, Cuoco and Cook will probably start a family
While Penny on The Big Bang Theory decided against having children (via Screenrant), things might end differently for Kaley Cuoco. In fact, Cuoco has said that she fully intends to start a family with Karl Cook one day.
In 2018, when asked by Entertainment Tonight if she's ready for children, she responded, "I'm not there yet." That's because at that moment, Cuoco was focused on her career and her husband. But, Cuoco added, that doesn't mean she won't be ready to start a family when the time is right. "We love kids and we love animals, so we're meant to have children," she concluded.
Two years later, Cuoco talked about the prospect of having kids again on her Instagram page. While discussing her dog's bad bathroom behavior, she wondered if parenting would be a similar experience. "Is this a view into the future of what our kids would be like?" she mused. She then explained that she thinks Cook will be the easygoing parent, while she will be the one who has to put her foot down.
Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook always seem to have fun together
When it comes to their day-to-day life, Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook look to be anything but bored with each other. In fact, they always seem to get into all kinds of mischief together — and share it with the world.
Both Cuoco and Cook have social media accounts, on which they frequently post videos of their antics, and give us a peek into their intimate, at-home life. In one hilarious Instagram video, Cuoco tries out her own version of the patience challenge on Cook. Originally, the challenge showed dogs and babies struggling to wait for a treat. In Cuoco's version, Cook is seen desperately struggling to wait for a glass of Bourbon!
In another Instagram post, Cuoco and Cook are snuggling with one of their dogs, who's making a hilarious face. It's pretty clear that this duo is constantly having fun together!
The tabloids can't seem to leave Cuoco and Cook alone
While everything seems to be going well for Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook, they're often the subject of tabloid articles, which doesn't sound especially pleasant. For example, in 2016, Star falsely reported that Cuoco and Cook were planning on separating. Then, in 2018, another false story made the rounds, claiming that Cuoco was planning on getting pregnant. Gossip Cop verified that both sources were inaccurate.
For Cuoco, dealing with fabricated news stories isn't exactly a new phenomenon, so she's learned to laugh the chatter off. For example, when Cuoco and actress Margot Robbie — who's undergone a stunning transformation — were reported to be feuding, Cuoco clapped back by sharing a screenshot of the article, with the simple caption, "Lol" (via MSN).
In a 2019 Instagram story, Cuoco made it clear that any tabloid claims about her marriage should be taken with a grain of salt. She then quipped to her husband, "Can you please pay attention to me? You know, the world thinks we're getting a divorce" (via Inquisitr).
Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook love shaming each other on Instagram
One of the many things that Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook have in common is their love of social media. Both are pretty active on various platforms, especially Instagram. It's on this platform that the playful, teasing nature of their relationship really comes to life. Speaking E! News (via Today), Cuoco revealed that Instagram shaming is just a part of their relationship. "If we want to Instagram shame each other, [we] Instagram shame each other," she shared. "It just makes life really fun."
There are plenty of examples of the couple poking fun at each other on Instagram, especially from Cook, who seems to love posting embarrassing shots of his wife. For instance, in 2019, he posted several images of his wife fast asleep with their puppy. And while the photos are definitely super cute, they aren't exactly glamorous.
Then in another hilarious post, Cook shared an incriminating video of Cuoco asleep in the car on her way home from her shoulder surgery, adding that she snores "like a distressed walrus" in the caption. Wow! This couple sure knows how to tease each other in public!
Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook lived separately while building their dream house
One of the most talked about aspects of Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook's relationship is the fact that the couple lived separately at the beginning of their marriage. Cuoco explained to E! News (via Today) that while their setup was definitely unconventional, it was what worked best for them. "We have a very unconventional marriage," Cuoco explained. "You know, we have different locations that we're at a lot." She also clarified that they planned to move in together once they'd completed construction of their "dream home."
In an episode of the podcast Brad Behavior, Cuoco went into more detail about their unusual living situation. "The older I get, I know now what works for me," she revealed, adding that she and Cook both appreciate their own lives, surroundings, and furniture. Check out what the inside of Kaley Cuoco's gorgeous mansion really looks like!
While the odd living arrangement may sound strange to some, we think it's super cool that Cuoco and Cook are being honest about what will make their relationship last for good.
Kaley Cuoco finally moved in with Karl Cook
Even though Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook chose to live separately during the beginning of their marriage, they ended up moving in together in 2020 due to the stay-at-home order. "This quarantine has forced us to actually move in together," Cuoco shared on an episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live. "It's been great for our relationship. And we like each other, we realized, which is even better."
While the big move didn't go down exactly as Cook and Cuoco imagined it would, it ended up working out well for them. For one, it meant that all of their animals could live in one place! Plus, as Cuoco joked, Cook is ok with her weird mug collection. "He's got his weird stuff too," she continued. We're so glad to hear that their marriage is still going strong even though they're living under the same roof!
Kaley Cuoco doesn't need her husband -- and that makes their relationship work!
It certainly appears that the relationship between Kaley Cuoco and Karl Cook is incredibly grown-up and mature — even if they do spend a lot of their time goofing around on TikTok! Arguably, one of the most sophisticated aspects of their union is the fact that Cuoco has maintained her innate independence, as has Cook.
The actress spoke to Women's Health about the way she balances her marriage with her own needs. While Cuoco loves having Cook around, she doesn't feel like she'll wither up and die when she's alone. "I want to see him," she revealed. "I like knowing, though, that I'm set, because I've taken it upon myself to do that."
For Cuoco, it's incredibly important that she's always her own number one priority. To that end, she says her relationship with Cook is like "an added bonus." After her previously tumultuous love life, we're so glad that Cuoco has such a healthy marriage!