Celeb exes who worked together after break ups – bitter split to TV wedding

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    Fictional couples are arguably the best part of a TV series, therefore fans can't help but go into meltdown when their favourite on-screen romance translates into real life.

    With actors spending every day on set, it's hardly a surprise the amount of Hollywood stars who fall for their co-stars.

    But the main problem begins when these stars don't stay together, while the same can't be said for the characters they play.

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    From stars of The Vampire Diaries and The O.C., here are your favourite TV couples who continued to work together after their real-life breakups.

    Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev

    The Vampire Diaries premiered 14 years ago today, introducing fans to the likes of Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert.

    The undeniable chemistry between Damon and Elena was hard to ignore, so when Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev confirmed they were dating in real life, it all made sense.

    Lost star Ian, 44, and Nina, 34, began dating after their characters did.

    However, their real-life romance failed to outlive that of Damon and Elena's and the pair split in 2013 after three years together.

    The former couple remained good friends despite the breakup, and even poked fun at their characters still dating on the show while accepting the People's Choice Award for Favourite On-Screen Chemistry.

    Although fans were devastated over their split, it was some consolation that Damon and Elena ended up together.

    Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson

    There's no denying that Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts were the core couple of The O.C., with fans falling in love with the couple as early as episode one.

    This was largely down to the electric chemistry between Adam Brody, 43, and Rachel Bilson, 42, who began a relationship after meeting on set in 2003.

    Their real-life romance lasted for the majority of The O.C's four-season run, ending in 2006.

    Awkwardly for the exes, they had to film a wedding scene as Seth and Summer got married in the season finale

    But the duo have always remained on good terms, with Adam even appearing on an episode of Rachel's podcast, Welcome to the OC, Bi***es! in 2021.

    B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling

    Similar to their characters in The Office, B.J. Novak and Mindy Kaling, 44, have been everything from co-workers, romantic partners and just good friends.

    The couple were first linked after meeting on the set of the US sitcom in 2004, both hired as writers before joining the main cast as Ryan Howard and Kelly Kapoor.

    Their on-off relationship, which B.J., 44, described as “tumultuous, romantic, toxic, boundary-less mess," came to an official end after three years in 2007.

    Nevertheless, the two remained close friends and even worked together again on The Mindy Project.

    They both starred on The Office until the first episode of season nine in 2012, with their characters also choosing to part ways.

    Penn Badgley and Blake Lively

    As the first season of Gossip Girl came to an end in 2008, rumours began circulating that Penn Badgley and Blake Lively's relationship was more than that of just friends – and this was right.

    The young actors fell in love in 2007, trying their best to keep their relationship under wraps as they continued to play characters Dan Humphrey and Serena van der Woodsen.

    While the couple eventually called in quits in 2010, Dan and Serena's stop-start relationship continued throughout the rest of the series.

    The exes remained co-stars until Gossip Girl ended in 2012, with their characters even getting married in the final episode.

    Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush

    The instant spark between Lucas Scott and Brooke Davis was hard to ignore when One Tree Hill kickstarted back in 2003.

    Therefore, it was hardly a surprise when Chad Michael Murray, 42, and Sophia Bush, 41, began dating in real life.

    The young actors, who were in their 20s at the time, tied the knot in 2005 after two years of dating.

    But just five months later, the newlyweds announced they had split.

    Their breakup came just as Brook and Lucas got back together during season three.

    Although their on-screen love eventually ended too, the pair continued working together until Chad departed the show in 2009.

    Johnny Galecki and Kayley Cuoco

    After meeting on the set of The Big Bang Theory in 2007, Johnny Galecki and Kayley Cuoco began dating – but in secret.

    Although their relationship ran its course in 2009, their characters Leonard Hofstadter and Penny Teller went from roommates to love interests within the show's 12 seasons.

    They continued working together until the final episode in 2019, with Leonard and Penny eventually becoming husband and wife.

    Despite their romantic history, the actors have always maintained a strong friendship.

    Cole Sprouse and Lili Reinhart

    Cole Sprouse and Lily Reinhart met on the set of Riverdale in 2016 and relationship rumours began swirling the duo the following year.

    They eventually made their red-carpet debut as a couple in 2018, but similar to their characters Jughead Jones and Betty Cooper, their relationship was far from smooth sailing.

    After months of split rumours, the couple confirmed they had parted ways in early 2020.

    Their characters remained heavily involved with each other across the show's seven seasons before it officially ended in August 2023.

    Chase Stokes and Madelyne Clyne

    In 2020, Madelyn Cline and Chase Stokes became Hollywood's new it couple after meeting on the set of Netflix's Outer Banks the year prior.

    When the show was released, fans couldn't help but notice the electric spark between John B. Routledge and Sarah Cameron, igniting rumours of an off-screen relationship.

    They later confirmed their relationship, however, in November 2021, sources confirmed to PEOPLE that the TV duo had called it quits after more than one year of dating.

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    But while the couple called time on their relationship, the same couldn't be said for John B. and Sarah, who's romance has remained a core part of the series.

    Outer Banks was renewed for a fourth season earlier this year, meaning Chase and Madelyne's working relationship won’t be coming to an end any time soon.

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