Hilarie Burton and her husband Jeffrey Dean Morgan are one of the cutest, most unexpected couples in Hollywood. When the couple first met, Burton had just left her CW show One Tree Hill. Morgan, who really jumpstarted his career in a memorable recurring role on Grey's Anatomy, had also starred on the network in the early seasons of Supernatural. They can really credit the CW for them getting to meet along with a couple of former co-stars playing cupid.
It actually wasn't the first marriage for Burton. She previously began a relationship with Ian Prange, an assistant director who worked on One Tree Hill. The couple tied the knot in 2004 but broke up in 2009, the year she left the series. Morgan's former Supernatural co-star Jensen Ackles was dating Danneel Harris at the time (they are now married), an actress who had appeared on One Tree Hill with Burton.
According to Country Living, Jensen organized a blind date at a bar in Los Angeles so that the two of them could meet. While Burton had recently finalized her divorce, Morgan had recently called off his engagement to actress Mary Louise Parker.
"I happened to be single and Jensen said, 'I've got a girl you should meet,'" Morgan explained. "So I went to a bar and I met Hilarie at a bar with Jensen and Danneel, and the rest is history." Apparently, the actor had a few drinks beforehand to ease his first date jitters.
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"I [got a little too drunk]. We all did," he continued. "We ended up back at my house drinking shots of tequila. But she was really cool and somehow I talked her into going to — I was on my way to do a movie called The Resident in New Mexico and she was on her way to Paris — and I talked her into, instead of going to Paris, to come and see me in New Mexico. And I ruined her life and now she's stuck with me."
"When he came along, he was so sure of himself," Burton told People. "I was not a girl anyone pursued. I've always been alpha. And Jeffrey was like, 'You're going to be my girlfriend.' It was so nice to be pursued. He's a cute dude! And I liked that he knew exactly who he was. His confidence was intoxicating."
The couple kept their relationship fairly low profile and only revealed that they had welcomed a son together after he was already born the following year — Augustus, who goes by Gus.
In 2018, the couple welcomed a second child, daughter George Virginia Morgan. They hadn't married yet but the two actors were completely committed to each other.
"I had reached a point where I was perfectly fine keeping on keeping on," Burton told People. "But Jeffrey was like, 'Wouldn't it be great [to get married]? Gus would be my best and George will be there.' That picture he painted was really attractive to me. Our wedding was a big thank you to all the people who have supported us."
Last year, after a decade together, Burton and Morgan officially tied the knot. Jensen and Danneel Ackles were present in addition to other former co-stars like Jared Padalecki, Sophia Bush, and Bethany Joy Lentz. Jensen Ackles even officiated the wedding which was fitting since he was to thank for making it happen. Morgan's Walking Dead co-star Norman Reedus was also present and performed a reading.
"I've always been very hesitant about weddings," Burton admitted to ET. "It felt like throwing your own personal prom and kind of icky, and ours was so intimate and small and it was us."
Shortly after the couple welcomed Gus, they decided to relocate to a farm in upstate New York that they cheekily named Mischief Farm. They raise chickens, donkeys, cows, ducks, and even have an alpaca and an emu. Chores are divided up evenly and the two love how rewarding the experience has been.
"Moving here was a let go," Burton said. "There is a very different view of what is attractive. An attractive woman is one who is hard-working, who can handle animals and lift up bags of dirt, not one with highlights or abs or nails. I've never felt more valued."
Burton even wrote a memoir about their experience aptly titled The Rural Diaries. Meanwhile, Morgan has starred on AMC's drama series The Walking Dead in the role of Negan since 2016. The comic book character is completely terrifying, wielding a barbed-wire covered baseball bat as a weapon named Lucille, after his late wife. Coincidentally, the actor's real-life wife was cast in The Walking Dead season 10's bonus episodes to play Negan's wife. Burton shared the casting news on social media:
Been pretty hard to keep this a secret. 💕
But I love working with @JDMorgan . I love watching him become #Negan and take on that swagger. And I love the @TheWalkingDead family. They've been a part of our family for ages and I'm so grateful for their kindness. Xoxo #hereslucille https://t.co/9tRh7NB8WY— Hilarie Burton Morgan (@HilarieBurton) November 3, 2020
"Been pretty hard to keep this a secret. But I love working with @JDMorgan. I love watching him become #Negan and take on that swagger. And I love the @TheWalkingDead family. They've been a part of our family for ages and I'm so grateful for their kindness. Xoxo #hereslucille"
The cute couple also hosts an AMC talk show that started this year during COVID which they host from their farm, Friday Night in with the Morgans. Burton also continues to regularly appear in Hallmark and Lifetime TV films. This really is one of our favorite couples and we love following along with their journey!
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