Remember the rush we felt when Chris Evans and Jenny Slate — who both spent a lot of time talking fondly about their relationship — reunited for the first time since their breakup? The very attractive, very unlikely couple separated because, in the end, they were too different.
Even though they’re probably not playing a giant prank on us, even though they are probably not secretly together and laughing at all of us, the gullible people, behind our backs, I kind of wish they were. And they’re not the only ones.
Here are our favorite couples that are long done, but we wish were still together. Do us all a favor and reconsider, would you?
Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson
“The O.C.” is most likely the greatest soap opera about teenagers played by adults well into their 20s that was ever created. The show gave us more than a bevy of iconic moments, though: It also gave us the coupling of Seth Cohen and Summer Roberts in real life. Brody and Bilson dated for three years before going their separate ways in 2006. Brody is now married to Leighton Meester, a different brunette who also has an amazing bone structure; Bilson and her partner, Hayden Christensen, have been together since 2007.
Reese Witherspoon and Ryan Phillippe
Does an image of these two posing with each other and smiling simultaneously exist? Unlikely! But their romance — at least as seen in “Cruel Intentions” — was inspiring and palpable. Witherspoon and Phillippe were married from 1999 to 2007. Witherspoon is now married to Jim Toth — who isn’t even famous! — while Phillippe has mostly faded into obscurity. Just kidding, kind of! But he looks really good.
Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams
OK, this one is actually impossible, and incredibly sad. Ledger and Williams made a beautiful, young couple, and had a daughter, Matilda, before Ledger’s untimely death in 2008. Williams has been dating novelist Jonathan Safran Foer for the last few years, which is very cute and very Brooklyn of her.
Jonathan Groff and Zachary Quinto
Did you even know the two of these dated? Probably not! But boy, were they cute. The couple broke up in the summer of 2013. Since then, Quinto has been dating certified hottie Miles McMillan, while Groff has been very busy indeed with starring in HBO’s “Looking” and a little musical you may have heard of called “Hamilton.”
Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams
“The Notebook” is a cheesy cheese factory of a film; but at the very least, it gave us the pairing of Gosling and McAdams, whose real life love story was reportedly even more romantic than the one in the film. I mean, Gosling called McAdams one of the greatest loves of his life! The couple split in 2007 and it was a bona fide bummer. Gosling has been in a super secretive relationship with partner Eva Mendes since 2011; McAdams dated Michael Sheen for a while, then Taylor Kitsch — because she has very wide and varied romantic tastes — and is reportedly now dating screenwriter Jamie Linden.
Amy Poehler and Will Arnett
These two very funny people started dating in 2000 and married in 2003. They later divorced 2014, which makes me feel sad feelings. Poehler candidly wrote about the divorce in her book “Yes Please,” saying “Getting a divorce really sucks.” The former “Parks and Recreation” star dated Nick Kroll for two years, and has most recently been linked to a fancy lawyer named Benjamin Graf. Megan Fox burned Arnett for dating a variety of young women last year, but most recently, he’s been seen with Elizabeth Law, an interior designer.
Lisa Bonet and Lenny Kravitz
Thank Dumbledore for these two — for without them, we would never have Zoe Kravitz (more on her later). To me, Bonet and Kravitz were the ultimate couple — they were very cool, and very attractive, which is frankly all the reason I need. The pair was married from 1987 to 1993 amongst rumors of infidelity, but they like, still chill sometimes. Kravitz has dated both Vanessa Paradis and Nicole Kidman, but committed himself to celibacy in 2005 which is a real shame. Bonet has been married to Jason Momoa, who is offensively attractive, since 2007.
Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
Too soon? We all know this story: Jolie and Pitt got together under maybe shady circumstances in 2005. They started divorce proceedings late last year, and now Jolie is going around telling everyone how important family is, and Brad Pitt is making major attempts to return to his former “Fight Club” era glory.
Penn Badgley and Zoe Kravitz
A lesser-known pairing — but still important all the same. Badley and Kravitz, in all of their Williamsburg hipster-lite glory, were first linked to each other in 2011. They split in 2013, but trust us, they’re doing fine: Badgley recently wed Domino Kirke; Kravitz is currently extremely enamored with her actor beau Karl Glusman — it’s all over her dang Instagram, and I don’t want to love it, but I do.
Evan Rachel Wood and Jamie Bell
I love an odd couple that flys just under the radar, like these two. Wood and Bell dated for eight years before getting married in 2012, but separated in 2014. And they have both moved on in big ways this year: Wood is engaged to Zach Villa; and Bell very recently married his “Fantastic Four” co-star, Kate Mara in a quiet ceremony.
John Mayer and Katy Perry
It is my greatest belief that hese two deserve each other with their casual, cultural apporpriating ways. If they got back together, the rest of us wouldn’t have to suffer the torture of them dating other people, you know?
Mayer and Perry started dating in 2012, dabbled in being the on-again, off-again type of couple, then split in 2014. Mayer recently wrote a song about his ex, and made sure everyone knew it was specifically about Katy Perry, because he is extremely thirsty for attention. Perry recently broke things off with Orlando Bloom, who also appears to be some sort of man-child hybrid. After all, Perry definitely has a type.
