In Loft 4D, the New Girl gang has their difficulties with love and relationships. Nick Miller (Jake Johnson) believes that people are the worst, Winston Bishop (Lamorne Morris) would rather take weekly selfies with his cat, and Schmidt (Max Greenfield) said “Girl, I’mma marry you” the first time he met CeCe. But off-camera, the stars of the sitcom seem to have their personal lives all figured out.
And although their on-screen counterparts found their true loves eventually, we can’t help but obsess over the actors’ real-life partners. Get a glimpse into the lives of the New Girl stars!
Zooey Deschanel’s romantic journey: Ben Gibbard to Jonathan Scott
Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard
After meeting through their mutual music manager, sparks flew for Zooey Deschanel and Ben Gibbard, the lead vocalist in Death Cab for Cutie and member of the group The Postal Service. The couple dated for a year before eloping in September 2009. Although neither has spoken much about it, Deschanel and Gibbard split amicably in 2011, finalizing their divorce in 2012.
Zooey Deschanel and Jacob Pechenik
The New Girl alum met her second husband, Jacob Pechenik, on the set of the 2015 film, Rock the Kasbah. Their whirlwind romance took off in January 2015, they announced their engagement and by June, the couple had married.
In July 2015, they welcomed their first child, daughter Elsie Otter, and son Charlie Wolf two years later in May 2017. But in January 2019, the couple announced they had separated, finalizing their divorce in 2020. The couple shared they were better as friends and co-parents rather than husband and wife.
Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott
Deschanel and her current partner, Jonathan Scott, met a few months after her split with Pechenik during an episode of Carpool Karaoke with James Corden. Though nothing was going on with the two at the time, a month later Deschanel and Scott sparked dating rumors, which were confirmed in October 2019.
The couple grew close quickly, even quarantining together during the pandemic in 2020. In August 2023, Deschanel and Scott announced their engagement. The two are happily together today with a wedding in the near future.
Jake Johnson and Erin Payne: a private but sweet love story
Nick Miller might have his struggles with love, but the man behind the character, Jake Johnson, has been with his wife, Erin Payne, since 2005, although when asked in an interview, Johnson hilariously responded, “My business is personal!”
Although not too much is known about their relationship, Johnson has confirmed “I love two things: my wife and my job. And although I love my job, I’m a happier person because I have my wife.”
In 2014, Johnson and Payne welcomed twin daughters, Elizabeth and Olivia. Despite them being a private couple, Johnson and Payne seem to be living happily ever after.
Max Greenfield and Tess Sanchez: Love, mix CDs and two kids
Schmidt — we mean Max Greenfield — met his wife the way everyone wants to meet their partner: in person. Greenfield met Tess Sanchez while out with friends at a bar and by their second day, he’d made her a mix CD called “Cool Jams.”
“Definitely chemistry at first sight, but as our relationship has progressed, it’s just gotten better,” Greenfield shared.
In 2008, the couple tied the knot, and have had two children since. In 2010, Greenfield and Sanchez welcomed daughter Lily, and five years later, their son, Ozzie, was born.
Hannah Simone and Jesse Giddings: A quiet, beautiful life
Hannah Simone and Jesse Giddings were together for nearly four years before tying the knot in an intimate 2016 wedding. The next year Simone announced that she was expecting her first child. Their son was born in August 2017, though they never revealed his name. The couple keeps their lives rather private, with both Simone and Giddings occasionally sharing photos on social media.
Damon Wayans Jr. and Samara Saraiva: from a rocky first meeting to a lasting love
Damon Wayans Jr., who hilariously portrayed Coach on New Girl, wed his current wife, Samara Saraiva, in 2016. Wayans shared that he and Saraiva met at a dinner but that they didn’t get along so well at first.
Of course, that seems to have changed since they are currently still a couple. Although they have no children together, Wayans has two children from a previous relationship with Aja Metoyer: Amara Wayans, born in 2002, and Aniya Wayans, born in 2004.
