‘Friends’ Cast’s Dating Histories Through the Years

Credit: Courtesy of TV Land

'Friends' Cast's Dating Histories Through the Years

Did the Friends cast ever find their lobsters? Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and more costars had their fair share of high-profile romances since the sitcom catapulted their careers. In 1995, one year after the NBC series premiered, the Morning Show actress began dating Tate Donovan. The pair called it quits three years later, and while they were working through their split, they were given a romantic arc on Friends. "I was just happy to be on the team. The only bummer was Jennifer and I were breaking up at the time," the O.C. alum exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2018 of his turn as Joshua, one of Rachel Green's love interests. "And so that was tricky to sort of act, and act like we are just meeting each other, and falling in love, or whatever, interested in each other, when we're sort of breaking up. That was just tough." His character only lasted six episodes because it was "really painful" for the exes to appear on screen together. "The people that know that we dated think that we met on Friends," Donovan joked. "But in fact we had dated for two years before then, and it was over by the time we were on Friends together." Though he had his ups and downs with Aniston, the Argo star said all six of the main Friends cast "were amazing" to him during his time on the show. "They were fantastic," he gushed. Donovan isn't the only one of the Golden Globe winner's beaus to have appeared on the legendary comedy. Brad Pitt made a brief appearance on Friends in 2001, playing a former high school classmate of Rachel, Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) and Monica Geller (Cox). [jwplayer 83dz1xOn-zhNYySv2] "Mr. Pitt was wonderful," Aniston, who was married to the Fight Club star from 2000 to 2005, told Access Hollywood ahead of the May 2021 reunion special. During the highly anticipated HBO Max event, Aniston's former costars teased her over Pitt's guest role. "Your fella Brad," Schwimmer said as the cast reminisced on their favorite moments from the 10 years they worked on Friends. Pitt eventually moved on with Angelina Jolie, from whom he split in 2016 after two years of marriage. Aniston, for her part, got remarried to Justin Theroux in 2015. They called it quits two years later. "I would say we've remained friends," Theroux told Esquire in May 2021. "We don't talk every day, but we call each other. We FaceTime. We text. ... I'm sincere when I say that I cherish our friendship. We can not be together and still bring each other joy and friendship. Also, she makes me laugh very, very hard. She's a hilarious person. It would be a loss if we weren't in contact, for me personally. And I'd like to think the same for her." Scroll down for a recap of the Friends cast's dating histories through the years: [podcast_block]

Credit: Courtesy of TV Land

'Friends' Cast's Dating Histories Through the Years

Did the Friends cast ever find their lobsters? Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox and more costars had their fair share of high-profile romances since the sitcom catapulted their careers. In 1995, one year after the NBC series premiered, the Morning Show actress began dating Tate Donovan. The pair called it quits three years later, and while they were working through their split, they were given a romantic arc on Friends. "I was just happy to be on the team. The only bummer was Jennifer and I were breaking up at the time," the O.C. alum exclusively told Us Weekly in September 2018 of his turn as Joshua, one of Rachel Green's love interests. "And so that was tricky to sort of act, and act like we are just meeting each other, and falling in love, or whatever, interested in each other, when we're sort of breaking up. That was just tough." His character only lasted six episodes because it was "really painful" for the exes to appear on screen together. "The people that know that we dated think that we met on Friends," Donovan joked. "But in fact we had dated for two years before then, and it was over by the time we were on Friends together." Though he had his ups and downs with Aniston, the Argo star said all six of the main Friends cast "were amazing" to him during his time on the show. "They were fantastic," he gushed. Donovan isn't the only one of the Golden Globe winner's beaus to have appeared on the legendary comedy. Brad Pitt made a brief appearance on Friends in 2001, playing a former high school classmate of Rachel, Ross Geller (David Schwimmer) and Monica Geller (Cox). [jwplayer 83dz1xOn-zhNYySv2] "Mr. Pitt was wonderful," Aniston, who was married to the Fight Club star from 2000 to 2005, told Access Hollywood ahead of the May 2021 reunion special. During the highly anticipated HBO Max event, Aniston's former costars teased her over Pitt's guest role. "Your fella Brad," Schwimmer said as the cast reminisced on their favorite moments from the 10 years they worked on Friends. Pitt eventually moved on with Angelina Jolie, from whom he split in 2016 after two years of marriage. Aniston, for her part, got remarried to Justin Theroux in 2015. They called it quits two years later. "I would say we've remained friends," Theroux told Esquire in May 2021. "We don't talk every day, but we call each other. We FaceTime. We text. ... I'm sincere when I say that I cherish our friendship. We can not be together and still bring each other joy and friendship. Also, she makes me laugh very, very hard. She's a hilarious person. It would be a loss if we weren't in contact, for me personally. And I'd like to think the same for her." Scroll down for a recap of the Friends cast's dating histories through the years: [podcast_block]

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Jennifer Aniston

At the height of her Friends fame, the Dumplin' star dated Donovan for three years. Following their 1998 split, she moved on with Pitt, who later made an appearance on the NBC sitcom. The twosome exchanged vows in 2000 and announced their separation five years later. Though their split was messy, the actors remain on friendly terms. 

The Just Go With It star eventually sparked a romance with John Mayer, who she dated from 2008 to 2009, before being linked to Theroux in 2011. Aniston and the Leftovers alum got engaged in 2012 and wed three years later. In 2017, they called it quits. 

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Courteney Cox

The Cougar Town alum previously dated music promoter Ian Copeland, Michael Keaton and Counting Crows singer Adam Duritz. In June 1999, she married David Arquette and the duo welcomed daughter Coco five years later. The Scream costars announced in October 2010 that they had separated, with Arquette filing for divorce in June 2012. The proceedings were finalized one year later.

Cox has since moved on with Snow Patrol member Johnny McDaid. 

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Matthew Perry

Perry's past flames include actresses Yasmine Bleeth and Julia Roberts, both of whom he was linked to around 1995. From 2006 to 2012, he dated Mean Girls star Lizzy Caplan, who is 13 years his junior. 

The 17 Again actor got engaged to Molly Hurwitz in November 2020, less than one year after Us confirmed their romance. By June 2021, the pair had called it quits. "Sometimes things just don't work out and this is one of them," Perry's rep told Us in a statement at the time. 

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Lisa Kudrow

In May 1995, the Emmy winner married French businessman Michel Stern, with whom she shares son Julian. Kudrow's pregnancy was written into season 4 of Friends, which aired from 1997 to 1998, when her character volunteered to become a surrogate for her half-brother. 

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David Schwimmer

Though he may have been crushing on Aniston in the early days of Friends, Schwimmer dated singer-songwriter Natalie Imbruglia throughout the late 1990s. He later tied the knot with Zoë Buckman in June 2010 after three years together. They welcomed daughter Cleo in 2011, but six years later, they called it quits. 

In November 2019, Us broke the news that Schwimmer had been on a "few dates" with a woman in her late 20s who he "met at a bar."

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Matt LeBlanc

The Golden Globe winner exchanged vows with model Melissa McKnight in May 2003, who he met six years prior through mutual friends. They welcomed their daughter, Marina, in 2004. McKnight is also the mother of two children from a past marriage.  

After three years of marriage, LeBlanc and McKnight divorced in October 2006, citing irreconcilable differences as the cause of their split.

The actor started dating producer Aurora Mulligan after they met on the set of Top Gear in 2016. Us confirmed in February 2022 that the pair had called it quits.