Station 19 star Jaina Lee Ortiz said playing coy keeps her relationship with costar Jay Hayden interesting.
“Well, you know what’s interesting? We’ve never posted a picture,” Ortiz, 37, told People on Friday, January 5. “Intimacy, I think, is really sacred, and I think I’ve posted very friendly-ish photos that give an idea, but sure. Use your imagination.”
When asked directly about her and Hayden’s social media posts implying a relationship, she added, “I mean, you can infer, sure. It only makes it more spicy, and I’m down for that.”
Ortiz added, “I love me some Jay.”
Hayden, 36, and Ortiz have been working together on the ABC firefighter drama since 2018, and they sparked romance speculation in July after they shared photos from a getaway to Pantelleria, Italy.
Hayden shared a video from the European excursion, revealing that they swam together in the sea and took multiple scenic routes of the city. Ortiz posted photos of herself sipping on a drink while watching the sunset and tagged Hayden as the photographer.
Amid the romance rumors, fans interpreted their Christmas photos as confirmation that the two were in a relationship. “Merry Christmas ya filthy animals!” Ortiz captioned a boomerang video of her clinking cocktails with one of her pals, quoting the iconic Home Alone line. Halfway through the clip, Hayden popped into view with a silly face. Ortiz tagged Hayden and pal Eddie Rivera.
Both actors were previously married. Ortiz tied the knot with Bradley Marques in 2010 after two months of dating, but he filed for divorce in February 2019.
Meanwhile, Hayden was previously married to Nicole Hayden for nearly 15 years. Us Weekly confirmed in April 2021 that the former couple quietly separated one year prior, and Nicole filed for divorce in February 2020. The exes, who wed in June 2005, share two children: daughter Amelia, 14, and son Hasey, 9.
Ortiz and Hayden aren’t the only Station 19 stars to feel sparks offscreen. Danielle Savre and Kevin McKidd (a Grey’s Anatomy regular who has occasionally crossed over to the firefighter drama) were spotted packing on the PDA in June 2023 during a trip to Lake Como, Italy. McKidd seemingly confirmed their romance by posting clips of their trip to Zambia via Instagram later that month.
Unfortunately, the Station 19 cast has a limited time left working together. ABC revealed late last year that the drama will end with the upcoming seventh season.
