Celebrity Couples Who Broke Up But Still Had to Work Together

Breaking up is hard to do, so it can suck if you run into an ex. But you know what’s even suckier? Having to see that person every day — at work. That’s what happened to these celeb couples. They may have met under a spotlight or in front of the camera but life goes on after relationships end and sometimes they have to continue to share the screen.

There’s a reason people say not to mix business with pleasure — it can come back to bite you. While some of these stars were able to make it work, others had to grin and bear it.

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Lili Reinhart and Cole Sprouse

If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of breaking hearts in the Riverdale fanbase. Although the series is currently in production for its fifth season, many viewers are still morning the demise of their favourite IRL couple. But word on the street says the former dynamic duo have been nothing but professional on set. (Lili, who came out as bisexual late last year, has even spoken out against bisexual stereotypes.) No doubt fans' fingers (and toes) are crossed that Betty and Jughead will at least continue to turn up the heat on the CW series.

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Camilla Mendes and Charles Melton

Another Riverdale couple on this list is also splitsville. Although they never publicly announced that their relationship had reached its end point, Mendes told Teen Vogue that "it's a part of life." Although the two are currently filming the series' fifth season together, they both seemed have moved on.

Related: The best TV reboots actually worth watching.

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Joey King and Jacob Elordi

The couple met on the set of 2017's The Kissing Booth before splitting the following year after a whirlwind romance. As it just so happens, filming for the sequel to the popular Netflix movie got underway shortly after the pair broke up, which might have made things a little awkward on set.

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Chris Evans and Jenny Slate

The two were off-and-on for just under two years after meeting on the set of Gifted. They even appeared on an episode of the Anna Faris is Unqualified podcast. Alas, it wasn't met to be between Jenny and everyone's favourite Chris. But Evans, ever the class act, has referred to his ex as his "favourite human."

Related: The best baby names from your favourite movies.

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Sarah Hyland and Dominic Sherwood

The former Modern Family co-stars had nothing but good things to say about one another after their two-year relationship came to an end while production on the sitcom was still underway. While both remain on friendly terms with one another, Hyland is alter-bound with her beau Wells Adams.

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Kourtney Kardashian and Scott Disick

The duration of their tumultuous nine-year relationship was heavily documented on Keeping Up With the Kardashians. The pair, who share three kids together, even had to continue filming the recently wrapped reality drama which inevitably (and unsurprisingly) made for great TV.

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Johnny Galecki and Kaley Cuoco

The Big Bang Theory co-stars — who played total opposites on the long-running sitcom— kept their real-life romance so private that no one knew they were together until after they'd already split up in 2009. Cuoco and Galecki are one of the few exceptions to the rule of working with an ex; they've not only remained friends but, because their professional relationship was so good, their on-screen characters happily — and believably — got married.

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Jennifer Carpenter and Michael C. Hall

The Dexter stars were married for two years during filming but were better off after their breakup because they simply worked better as friends. It probably helped that they played on-screen siblings so nothing got too awkward post-divorce.

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Ian Somerhalder and Nina Dobrev

They dated for three years when the series was on air but unlike in The Vampire Diaries, where their characters were endgame, Dobrev and Somerhalder were not. See more celebrity couples who called it quits recently.

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Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart

Bella and Sparkles were doing so well and making Twihards everywhere happy... until K-Stew's shocking cheating scandal. They broke up, then reunited as a couple to do press for the final Twilight film, then split for good shortly after.

Related: Rumour has it these 14 celebrities are terrible kissers.

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Chad Michael Murray and Sophia Bush

The two fell for one another during the first season of One Tree Hill and married two years later. But five months in, Bush ended things after learning Murray had been unfaithful (with his House of Wax co-star Paris Hilton, according to the rumour mill). CMM also started dating OTH extra Kenzie Dalton before his divorce from Bush was finalized. Unfortunately for Sophia, their characters were high school sweethearts and she had to play love-dovey with her ex for four more years. She should've gotten an Emmy.

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Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson

They kept their romance on the DL but as long as Joey ended up with Pacey on Dawson's Creek, that's all that really mattered. (#SorryNotSorry, Dawson.) For more nostalgia-inducing pairings, revisit every movie that defined your teenage life in the 90s.

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Rachel Bilson and Adam Brody

The stars of The O.C. broke up after dating for three years, but still had to film their characters' wedding in the series finale. Yikes.

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Diane Keaton and Al Pacino

Their on-and-off affair lasted for two decades as they co-starred in The Godfather trilogy. She allegedly wanted to settle down, but he wasn't ready to say. 'I do', so they split.

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Charlize Theron and Sean Penn

Eight months into their relationship, Penn and Theron worked together on The Last Face (she was the star; he directed), and were engaged before Char called it quits (reportedly by ghosting him). A year after the split, they had to reunite to do press for the film in Cannes. Awk-ward!

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Blake Lively and Penn Badgley

The Gossip Girl couple dated for three years and broke up in the middle of the show's run. Their characters got married in the flash-forward series finale, so their alter egos still got their happy ending.

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Sophia Bush and Austin Nichols

Bush didn't learn her lesson after the whole Chad Michael Murray debacle. She dated Nichols on-and-off from 2006 to 2012. They dated before he was cast on One Tree Hill (Austin joined the show in 2008 to be closer to Sophia) and eventually ended things at the beginning of the final season, two-and-a-half years later. Let's hope that Bush is a celeb who is way better off after a breakup.

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Nicholas Hoult and Jennifer Lawrence

These two were on-and-off during filming of the X-Men movies and while they were on a break, they had to promote Apocalypse — together. But their split was clearly amicable, unlike these some of these messy celeb splits, because they got along just fine.

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Bella Hadid and The Weeknd

Unlike the other exes on this list, the model and Canadian singer didn't have constant run-ins — but they did have an awkward encounter at the 2016 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, filming of which took place mere weeks after their split.

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Gwen Stefani and Tony Kanal

Stefani and Kanal were band members who dated in the early '90s, but he ended their relationship in 1994, inspiring Gwen to write No Doubt's arguably biggest hit, "Don't Speak." While the group are still on a break, it's uncertain whether that has to do with the exes. Whatever the case, Gwen has bounced back from the split and has been with Blake Shelton since 2015.

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Michael Vartan and Jennifer Garner

Shortly after her divorce from Scott Foley, the Alias stars went public. While their romance didn't last, they stayed friendly and worked together until the spy series ended in 2006.

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Mindy Kaling and B.J. Novak

The Office actors hooked up around the same time their characters did, and while Mindy and B.J. (and Kelly and Ryan) didn't last, they remained BFFs (and possible co-parents?) IRL.

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Jennifer Morrison and Jesse Spencer

The House stars called off their engagement three months after Spencer put a ring on it. Morrison's run on the show lasted two-and-a-half more years while Spencer went all the way until the show wrapped.

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Jessica Szohr and Ed Westwick

This other Gossip Girl couple ended after rumours surfaced of Szohr's flirting. While they both continued on the show, thankfully their characters' paths rarely crossed.

See more: 19 ways to tell if your partner is cheating on you.

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Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony

Max and Emme's parents surprised everyone when they called it quits after nearly eight years of marriage. And while they've both been involved with other people, the two have not only remained business partners and co-parents, but also perform together quite often. As amicable — and awesome — as it gets.

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Zach Roerig and Candice Accola

These two kept their relationship so low-pro, and while they split in May 2012, they continued to act alongside one another on The Vampire Diaries until its end.

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