Eva Longoria walked down the aisle for the first time with the late actor Tyler Christopher.
The pair tied the knot in 2002, two years after Longoria appeared in a 2002 episode of General Hospital, on which Christopher portrayed Nikolas Cassadine and Connor Bishop from 1996 to 2016. Though they kept details of their relationship to themselves, Longoria and Christopher stepped out together at several red carpet events before calling it quits in 2004.
Longoria, for her part, went on to marry Tony Parker in 2007 before splitting in 2011. She married once more in 2016 to José Bastón, with whom she shares her son Santiago. (The Desperate Housewives alum is also stepmother to Bastón and his ex-wife Natalia Esperón’s three children.)
Christopher also went on to become a parent, welcoming kids Greysun James and Bohemee ith ex-wife Brienne Pedigo, whom he was married to from 2008 to 2021.
The Days of Our Lives alum died at the age of 50 in October 2023 after suffering cardiac arrest. Longoria did not comment on his death at the time.
Scroll below to relive Longoria and Christopher’s whirlwind romance:
August 2000
In one of her earliest TV roles, Longoria made an uncredited appearance on General Hospital as Brenda Barrett Lookalike, according to her IMDb page. At the time, Christopher was in his fourth year on the show playing Nikolas Cassadine.
January 2022
The two tied the knot two years after they first met.
May 2002
Longoria and Christopher looked like soap opera royalty at the 2002 Daytime Emmy Awards. Longoria, who was starring on The Young and the Restless at the time, rocked a black gown with an orange, pink and black tulle lining. Christopher, for his part, kept things classy in a black suit, blue dress shirt and gray patterned tie.
October 2002
The former couple opted for casual looks at the Los Angeles premiere of Tuck Everlasting. Longoria paired navy dress pants with a white cardigan and tan purse while Christopher sported jeans and an army green long-sleeved short.
July 2003
The duo dressed up again at the 33rd Annual Nosotros Golden Eagle Awards as Longoria complemented Christopher’s black suit and white button-up with a cool, navy blue mini dress.
October 2003
Longoria and Christopher were the epitome of early 2000s fashion at a Los Angeles pet adoption event. The actress accessorized her white tank and jeans with black sunglasses and a white pageboy hat. Christopher showed off her muscles in a gray graphic tank top and sweatpants.
January 2004
The exes finalized their divorce after two years of marriage.
August 2008
“He was a lovely man, but I was very young,” Longoria said in an interview, per Digital Spy. “I didn’t know who I was, and I was still struggling as an actor. I was a terrible wife.”
September 2013
Following her marriages to Christopher and Parker, the Brooklyn Nine-Nine alum revealed she was unsure of whether she would marry again and have kids. “I’m not one of those women who are like, ‘I must procreate!’” she said in an interview with Access Hollywood Live. “I think kids are a product of love. So if you find the right person and you want to have a family with that person, then that’s when the time is right. But…if I’m 50 and single, I’m not going to go do it myself.”
August 2022
Longoria seemingly shared more insight into her past marriages during an episode of her “Connections with Eva Longoria” podcast. “I think jealousy takes up such an amount of energy. I remember being so jealous and your stomach is inside out,” she revealed. “It’s the worst feeling. Why would anybody want that feeling?”
She continued: “I think that’s why, with my second marriage — no wait, my third — finding love at 40, I found [my husband] when I was 40 — and he was 50 — it was just like, ‘Can we just enjoy this life together?’”
October 2023
Christopher’s former General Hospital costar Maurice Benard revealed via Instagram that the actor passed away at the age of 50 “following a cardiac event in his San Diego apartment.”
Benard’s statement continued: “Tyler was a truly talented individual that lit up the screen in every scene he performed and relished bringing joy to his loyal fans through his acting. Tyler was a sweet soul and wonderful friend to all of those who knew him. Tyler was an advocate for better mental health and substance use treatment who openly spoke about his struggles with bipolar depression and alcohol. We are beyond devastated by the loss of our dear friend and pray for his children and his father.”
