Inside Zooey Deschanel's Dating History
Zooey Deschanel has been a household name in Hollywood for years now, having a successful career as both an actress and a musician. Deschanel's first credited role was on "Veronica's Closet" in 1998 (via IMDb), and since then, she's had roles in "The New Guy," "Almost Famous," "Elf," "Bridge To Terabithia," "500 Days of Summer” opposite Joseph Gordon-Levitt, "Our Idiot Brother," and of course, the hit television sitcom "New Girl," in which she played the character of Jess Day for six seasons from 2011-2017. On top of her many on-screen performances, Deschanel has also established a career as a prolific voice-over actress, lending her voice to animated films and shows like "The Simpsons," "Trolls," "Trolls Holiday," "Surf's Up," and "American Dad!"
And with "Celebrity Dating Game" premiering Monday, June 21, Deschanel can now add "game show host" to her resume, as she's teamed up with Michael Bolton to host the reboot of the classic dating show. "I would say it's just super fun, like cotton candy," the "New Girl" alum said of the show (via USA Today). "It's just like watching people flirting, which is hilarious and fun; it's definitely tongue-in-cheek."
Given the fact that the premiere is just around the corner, we're taking a look back at Deschanel's own dating history, and there are actually a few surprising A-listers that she's dated over the years, including a "Legally Blonde" star and a few famous musicians.
Zooey was linked to this Legally Blonde star
From 2000 to 2001, Zooey Deschanel reportedly dated "Legally Blonde" alum Matthew Davis, who famously played Warner Huntington III — the character who dumped Elle Woods (Reese Witherspoon) shortly before heading off to Harvard Law School. While there isn't a ton of info on their alleged relationship, Us Weekly reports that after Davis and Deschanel split, he went on to marry Leelee Sobieski, who he later separated from in 2008.
In 2018, Davis proposed to girlfriend Kiley Casciano and then married her a mere three hours after popping the question. The "Vampire Diaries" alum announced the exciting news on Instagram, captioning a series of photos, "When you ask your lover if they want to get married while shopping in the produce section of Erewhon, and 3 hours later you're married on Christmas Eve Eve. Thanks to Abbot Kinney [Boulevard] for the last minute provisions #AVeryMarriedChristmas."
Zooey was head over heels for this musician
Zooey Deschanel and actor/musician Jason Schwartzman, who is best known for being the lead singer of Phantom Planet and for his roles in "Spun," "Slackers," "Funny People," "Bored to Death," "Mozart in the Jungle," and "Wet Hot American Summer: First Day of Camp" (via IMDb) dated from 2003 to 2005. Deschanel called Schwartzman "her first real boyfriend" in a Cosmopolitan profile in 2005 (via Fedge), and couldn't stop gushing about him and their romance.
"Opposites attract, but I don't know if they last," she explained. "My boyfriend is a lot like me. We always agree on the same stuff we don't like. When a song comes on in the car and I go, 'I hate this song,' he'll go, 'I hate it too!'"
The pair called it quits in 2005, and Schwartzman went on to date and eventually marry fashion designer Brady Cunningham in 2009. The couple welcomed their first child, a baby girl named Marlowe, in 2010, and their second child, another baby girl, in 2014 (via Daily Mail).
Zooey tied the knot with the Death Cab for Cutie frontman
Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard were seemingly a match made in hipster heaven, and when they tied the knot in 2009, fans from all over thought the pair would truly go the distance. "I'd seen her in movies and obviously I thought she was very beautiful," Gibbard told New York Magazine of meeting Deschanel, via Us Weekly. "I was just awestruck that she was even talking to me."
However, a little over two years after saying "I do," the couple suddenly split in 2012, and in an interview with Billboard in 2015, Gibbard opened up about Death Cab's eighth studio album, "Kintsugi," which was rumored to be partly inspired by his split with Deschanel. "I'm not going to change the way I've always written for fear of people correctly or incorrectly assigning a name and face to these songs," Gibbard told the outlet. "I've always written about my life and the lives of people around me, and how everything intersects."
The singer-songwriter added, "The person I'm singing to [on the album] is an amalgamation of people I came across living in Los Angeles. Being around people in entertainment who are fairly well-known, I noticed all these neuroses and psychoses."
Zooey moved on quickly after her split with Ben
Shortly after divorcing Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard, Zooey Deschanel dated screenwriter Jamie Linden from 2012 to 2014. While the pair kept their relationship relatively private, Us Weekly confirmed their split in August of 2014 — right around the time Deschanel was spotted cozying up to Jacob Pechenik, who served as a producer for her film, "Rock the Kasbah."
Pechenik and Deschanel confirmed their engagement in January 2015 and wed in a private ceremony later that year (via E! News). In addition to news of their secret nuptials, it was revealed that Deschanel had given birth to the couple's first child together, a daughter named Elsie. Two years later, they welcomed their second child, a son named Charley; however, just two years after the birth of their second kid, the pair released a joint statement announcing their split.
"After much discussion and a long period of contemplation we have decided we are better off as friends, business partners and co-parents rather than life partners," the statement, issued to People, read. "We remain committed to our business, our values and most of all our children. Thank you for respecting our privacy at this time."
Zooey has been dating this Property Brothers star
When news of Zooey Deschanel and "Property Brothers" star Jonathan Scott's romance broke in 2019, many fans and social media users were confused by the seemingly odd couple; however, nearly two years later, the HGTV star and new dating show host are still going strong – and haven't stopped gushing about one another ever since they met.
"We literally make each other laugh nonstop," Jonathan shared (via Wide Open Country). "I have never been in a relationship where my partner is as romantic as, if not more romantic than, I am. I'm usually the one who carries the romantic load."
"I'm just very private and, of course, I'm taken. I have the best boyfriend in the world," Deschanel revealed (via USA Today) ahead of the premiere of "Celebrity Dating Game," adding that she would never appear as a contestant on the show — something her HGTV star boyfriend is thankful for.
"When Zooey first told me she was doing the show, she was really excited," Scott revealed. "I saw the sets, and the sets looked amazing. I love the set design. But it was so funny 'cause when she first said she was doing 'The Celebrity Dating Game,' there was an awkward pause, and I like 'Wait, but as a host, right? Not as a contestant?' And she's like, 'Yeah, as a host.'"