No matter how many TV shows and movies the One Tree Hill cast stars in, fans will always think of the actors as their teenage characters. Bethany Joy Lenz and Chad Michael Murray perfectly portrayed Haley James and Lucas Scott, two smart teenagers whose love lives became pretty dramatic as soon as they entered the eleventh grade. But did sparks fly between the actors when they weren't filming their intense scenes?
Bethany Joy Lenz had a crush on James Lafferty, and fans have wondered if Lenz and Paul Johansson were more than friends. Lenz and Murray both seem to care deeply about the other cast members on One Tree Hill. Did they become a couple themselves?
Did One Tree Hill Stars Bethany Joy Lenz And Chad Michael Murray Ever Date?
The cast of One Tree Hill have all done amazing things since the teen drama ended in 2012. Fans who have kept up with Bethany Joy Lenz and Chad Michael Murray know that they have continued to take on TV roles. And they have each gone through a lot in their personal lives.
Chad Michael Murray's life after One Tree Hill has been particularly jam-packed. In the last couple of years, the actor has starred in Christmas movies and also played a major role in Sullivan's Crossing.
Lenz and Murray played characters who spent a lot of time together during their high school years. Haley James and Lucas Scott were best friends who grew up in Tree Hill together. They knew everything about each other and didn't fit in with the popular kids. And that meant that the actors got to know each other really well.
Did Lenz and Murray date while filming One Tree Hill or in the years following the popular TV series?
While it makes sense that One Tree Hill fans would wonder if Chad Michael Murray and Bethany Joy Lenz have been in a relationship, this doesn't appear to be the case. There is no proof that they ever went out and they haven't spoken about being in a relationship with each other.
Bethany Joy Lenz and Chad Michael Murray seem to always have been friends, though. And they often speak highly of each other.
According to People, Lenz and Murray spoke at Christmas Con in December 2022. The event took place in Edison, New Jersey. The actor mentioned that it was hard for him to think about watching old episodes of One Tree Hill. Lenz said that she thought that way when she started her podcast.
Murray also talked about how much he loves his One Tree Hill co-stars. He said, "It's one of those things where it's a family. We grew up together in a lot of ways, and so you'll enter a room like this, and I could see Joy, Hilary, or anyone from across the room, and it's like, 'Family!' You can grab onto each other and feel a little bit safe, because it's your crew."
Chad Michael Murray married Sarah Roemer in 2015 and now they have two kids. According to Us Weekly, he has been married once before and engaged another time. Murray got engaged to Kenzie Dalton in 2006 and in 2013, they decided not to stay together. And Murray's relationship with his fellow One Tree Hill cast member Sophia Bush has been talked about a lot. The couple got married in 2005 and broke up a year later
Bethany Joy Lenz didn't date anyone who she starred on One Tree Hill with. After marrying Michael Galeotti in 2005, she shared that the couple was getting divorced in 2012. As of the summer of 2023, Lenz doesn't seem to be dating anyone. She gave birth to her child Maria Rose back in 2011.
Are One Tree Hill Co-Stars Bethany Joy Lenz And Chad Michael Murray Friends Now?
Bethany Joy Lenz and Chad Michael Murray still seem to be friends in 2023. There haven't been any reports that they have had any drama. In fact, they both seem to be on amazing terms with their One Tree Hill co-stars.
Hilarie Burton, who played Lucas Scott's girlfriend and later wife Peyton Sawyer, talked to Entertainment Weekly in 2009 about quitting One Tree Hill at the same time as Chad Michael Murray.
Burton said that she and Murray were pals. She explained, "Chad and I are good friends. I won't speak for him, but it was not a rash decision on either of our parts. He's very compassionate toward the show and the fans. It's not an easy decision, but we've got to be grown-ups sometimes."
Lenz appears to be tighter with her Drama Queen podcast co-hosts Sophia Bush and Hilarie Burton than Chad Michael Murray. Perhaps she has kept in touch with them more closely. And they might have bonded even more as a result of podcasting together. They definitely put a lot of hours into this project every week, and fans have been loving it since the very first episode dropped.
Murray and Lenz haven't said that they visit each other's families or make sure to hang out a lot. But they do appear to consider each other friends. And if they see each other at events, like at Christmas Con, they are glad to see each other again and reminisce about their days working together.
In 2021, Murray talked about a revival of One Tree Hill with E! News and he also mentioned how often he gets together with the cast. He said, "I can't imagine that it won't, at some point. We get asked all the time. I know I do. And I know Hilarie [Burton] does, and I see everybody at least once or twice a year. I got to imagine at some point, there would be some version of it."
