From On-Screen Romance to Real-Life Love: Revealing the Juicy Dating History of the 'One Tree Hill' Cast

As Peyton Sawyer famously said, sometimes all it takes is one, but it can be a long journey to find it.

The characters of One Tree Hill found themselves embroiled in numerous love triangles, going on romantic adventures, and even tying the knot during their high school years. However, real life often lacked the same enchantment.

Some of the actors from the 2003 drama decided to date people outside of the show, while others fell in love while working together. Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray, who played Brooke Davis and Lucas Scott on the series, started dating when the show premiered on The WB and later The CW. In 2004, Murray, known for his role in The Cinderella Story, proposed to Bush, and they got married in April 2005. However, their marriage ended just five months later, and they officially divorced in 2006. Despite their messy personal lives, they continued to work together until Murray left the show in 2009.

"We were a couple of naive youngsters who had no place being in a romantic relationship to begin with," she revealed during a 2014 Bravo interview. "To all the other colleagues who managed to make it work, I commend you for your strength."

In the realm of this drama, other actors discovered love elsewhere. For instance, in 2006, Danneel Harris started dating Jensen Ackles from Supernatural. Not long after, Harris introduced Hilarie Burton Morgan to one of Ackles' fellow cast members, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

"I happened to be single when Jensen introduced me to a girl," Morgan recalled in 2015. "We all met at a bar - Jensen, Danneel, Hilarie, and I - and the rest is history."

In her memoir, The Rural Diaries, Burton shared that just three days after their initial meeting, Jeffrey flew her from Wilmington to New Mexico, where he was working on a movie. "Jeffrey and I weren't meant for casual dating. He was the one I envisioned growing old and sharing a peaceful life with," she wrote in her 2020 memoir. "Instead of wild nights at clubs or fancy dinners, we preferred cozy evenings watching Lonesome Dove episodes. We even made a pact that if we ever had a child, we would name him Gus after Robert DuVall's character." She reflected, "As the credits rolled, Jeffrey turned to me and asked, 'Do you want to take this leap? Should we try to build a family?' We had only known each other for less than a month."

Scroll through the gallery below for more of the cast’s dating lives:

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'One Tree Hill' Cast's Dating Histories Through the Years

Sometimes, as Peyton Sawyer wisely said, all you require is one, but it can often take a considerable amount of time to achieve it. While the characters on One Tree Hill found themselves tangled in numerous love triangles, embarked on romantic adventures, and even tied the knot during their high school years, reality painted a different picture.

While some of the cast members of the 2003 drama chose to date individuals outside of the show, others discovered love on set. Sophia Bush, who played the character Brooke Davis, and Chad Michael Murray, who portrayed Lucas Scott, began dating when the series first premiered on The WB. Their on-screen characters also entered into a relationship.

Chad Michael Murray, known for his role in "The Cinderella Story," proposed to Sophia Bush in 2004, and they tied the knot one year later in April 2005. However, their marriage ended only five months after the wedding, and they finalized their divorce in 2006. Despite the complications of their separation, they continued working alongside each other until Chad Michael Murray left the show in 2009.

In a Bravo interview in 2014, she admitted that we were two foolish young individuals who had no right to be in a relationship together. She further expressed admiration for the other costars who managed to work things out successfully.

Meanwhile, some of the other actors in the drama found love in different places. In 2006, Danneel Harris started dating Jensen Ackles from Supernatural. It was during this time that Harris played matchmaker and introduced Hilarie Burton Morgan to one of Ackles' fellow costars, Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

"I happened to be single when Jensen mentioned, 'I know a girl you should meet,'" Morgan recalled in 2015. "So, accompanied by Jensen and Danneel, I went to a bar where I had the chance to meet Hilarie, and from that moment on, everything fell into place."

In her book The Rural Diaries, Burton disclosed that just three days after their initial encounter, he whisked her away from Wilmington to New Mexico, where he was filming a movie. "Jeffrey and I weren't meant for casual dating. He was the partner I envisioned growing old and sharing a quiet life with. Instead of wild nights at clubs or extravagant dinners, we found solace in settling down and enjoying an episode of Lonesome Dove. In fact, we even made a pact that if we ever had a child, we would name him Gus, after Robert DuVall's character," she conveyed in her 2020 memoir. "As the credits rolled, Jeffrey turned to me and proposed, 'What if we just do this? Shall we try to start a family?' It's worth noting that we had known each other for less than a month."

Scroll through the gallery below for more of the cast's dating lives:

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Sophia Bush

Bush and Murray were married from April 2005 to December 2006, but they separated just five months into their marriage. She then dated Jon Foster from 2006 to 2007 and her One Tree Hill co-star James Lafferty from 2008 to 2009. From 2010 to 2014, she had an on and off relationship with One Tree Hill's Austin Nichols. In 2012, they decided to break up.

Afterwards, Bush was in a relationship with Google programming manager Dan Fredinburg from 2013 to 2014. They remained close friends until his unfortunate passing in 2015.

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Bush was in a relationship with her Chicago P.D. costar Jesse Lee Soffer from 2014 to 2016. In 2020, she was seen holding hands with Grant Hughes. A year later, Bush confirmed her engagement to the entrepreneur. In August 2021, she shared on Instagram that being her favorite person's favorite person is an incredible feeling, along with a photo of Hughes proposing.

In June 2022, Bush and Hughes got married. However, their marriage only lasted for over a year as the couple decided to separate in August 2023.

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Hilarie Burton

In 2010, Morgan and the former VJ made their first appearance on the red carpet together. During that year, their son Gus was born. Their daughter George arrived in 2018. Finally, in 2019, the couple tied the knot.

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Bethany Joy Lenz

Lenz tied the knot with keyboardist Michael Galeotti in December 2005 and in 2011, they were blessed with their first child, a lovely daughter. However, just one year later, she made the heartbreaking announcement that they were separating. Fast forward to 2018, the renowned Hallmark star sparked a romantic connection with Josh Kelly. However, their relationship eventually came to an end, and Lenz made it public that she is currently single via her “Drama Queens” podcast, where she co-hosts with Bush and Burton Morgan.

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Chad Michael Murray

Following his separation from Bush in 2006, the actor of House of Wax embarked on a romantic relationship with Kenzie Dalton, whom he encountered during her time as an extra on the television series One Tree Hill. They exchanged engagement vows from 2006 until 2013, when they decided to end their commitment.

The following year, Murray embarked on a romantic relationship with his Chosen co-star, Sarah Roemer. The couple surprised everyone in 2015 when they revealed that they had tied the knot in secret and were eagerly awaiting the arrival of their first child. That year, they joyfully welcomed their son, and in 2017, their little family grew even more with the birth of a daughter.

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James Lafferty

The creator of Everyone is Doing Great had a brief romance with Bush during the filming of One Tree Hill. From 2010 to 2015, he was in a relationship with Eve Hewson. Following that, he met actress Alexandra Park while directing The Royals and the two started dating. They finally got engaged in 2020. In May 2022, it was exclusively revealed by Us that the couple got married in Hawaii.

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Austin Nichols

The Day After Tomorrow star had an on and off relationship with Bush from 2006 to 2012. In 2014, he started dating Chloe Bennet, whom he met while filming Marvel's Agents of Shield. The couple called it quits in 2017. The Walking Dead alum made his first public appearance with Hassie Harrison in 2018. He last shared a post with the Yellowstone star in March 2020.

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Shantel VanSanten

VanSanten and Victor Webster started their romantic relationship when they crossed paths on the set of Love Blossoms, a Hallmark film they both worked on in 2017. Their bond deepened, resulting in an engagement in February 2021. Surprisingly, the couple decided to seal their commitment not just once, but three times throughout the same year. Unfortunately, this love story came to an unexpected halt when Webster initiated the divorce process in January 2023, dissolving their union after less than two years of matrimony.

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Stephen Colletti

Colletti's dating experiences during high school were well-documented on the reality show Laguna Beach. He had relationships with both Kristin Cavallari and Lauren Conrad. In 2006, there were reports linking him to Hayden Panettiere, but their relationship ended two years later. From 2011 to 2013, he was involved with Chelsea Kane after starring in her music video. Kane also appeared on season 9 of One Tree Hill.

In August 2022, Colletti took to Instagram to announce his relationship with NASCAR reporter Alex Weaver.

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Danneel Harris

Harris and Ackles became close friends and also appeared together in the movie Ten Inch Hero. Their friendship blossomed into a romantic relationship, and they got engaged in 2009. They exchanged vows in 2010, celebrating their marriage. The couple had a daughter named Justice in 2013, and in 2016, they were blessed with the arrival of twins named Arrow and Zeppelin.

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Jana Kramer

In 2004, Kramer entered into a marriage with Michael Gambino after only two weeks of dating. However, their relationship quickly deteriorated, resulting in the singer being hospitalized due to severe domestic abuse. Eventually, Gambino was found guilty of attempted murder and received a six-year prison sentence. Tragically, in 2010, he took his own life.

Kramer married her Prom Night co-star, Johnathon Schaech, in July 2010. However, their relationship ended just a month later, and the divorce was finalized in June 2011. She then became engaged to singer Brantley Gilbert in 2013, but the relationship eventually came to an end after eight months.

In 2015, she tied the knot with former NFL star Mike Caussin, and the couple had their first daughter, Jolie, in 2016. However, their marriage hit a rough patch, leading to their separation and Caussin seeking treatment for sex addiction. They decided to renew their vows in 2017, and the following year, they welcomed a son named Jace. Unfortunately, in April 2021, Kramer filed for divorce from Caussin.

After a turbulent affair with former Navy SEAL Ian Schinelli, Kramer entered into a relationship with Allan Russell, a soccer coach from Scotland. They made their relationship public in January 2023, with Kramer disclosing that they are maintaining a long-distance romance due to Russell residing in London. It appears that in April 2023, Kramer introduced Russell to her children. The next month, she surprised everyone by announcing their engagement, despite being together for less than a year. In June 2023, the talented "Why Ya Wanna" singer shared the joyful news that she and Russell are eagerly anticipating the arrival of their first child.

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Bryan Greenberg

The singer initiated a romantic relationship with Jamie Chung in 2012, ultimately resulting in a joyous union in October 2015 in California. Their nuptials were commemorated through a three-day jubilation. Expanding their family, the couple recently embraced parenthood as they welcomed twin boys in October 2021, with the assistance of a surrogate.

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Bevin Prince

The actress married Will Friend in May 2016. In July 2022, Friend died after an accident over the 4th of July weekend. He was 33.