Throughout the show, we’ve been given many notorious celebrity couples who started their romance backstage at 30 Rockefeller Plaza. Lorne Michaels, the mastermind behind the creation and production of ‘SNL,’ has somehow managed to play cupid for countless of our favorite celebrity pairings — whether he intended to or not.
Here are 8 celebrity couples began their romances on ‘SNL.’
1. Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian
Despite having known each other before appearing on ‘SNL’ together, it seems Pete Davidson and Kim Kardashian’s romantic connection hadn’t been formed until Kardashian hosted on the show back in October 2021. RELATED: 20 SNL Cast Members Who Went On To Become Huge Stars The two even acted in an Aladdin-themed sketch, where they shared their first kiss for millions of people to see. It wasn’t until later that month when the two were spotted possibly attending their first date after appearing on ‘SNL’ together, which was at Knott’s Scary Farm in California. The duo were photographed holding hands while on a rollercoaster, immediately sparking relationship rumors. You likely already know what happened next but the pair still seem to be going strong — despite Kanye West’s best efforts.
2. Emma Stone and Dave McCary
The ‘La La Land’ actress met McCary towards the end of 2016 when she was a host on ‘SNL,’ and starred in a sketch that had been directed by McCary, who worked as a writer on the show. Months after being on ‘SNL’ together, the two were spotted leaving the Hollywood premiere of McCary’s movie ‘Brigsby Bear,’ confirming their romance in October 2017. After some time of dating, the two confirmed their engagement in December 2019, marrying the following year, and eventually welcoming their first child together in March 2021.
3. Pete Davidson and Cazzie David
Davidson first met Cazzie David back in 2015, when her father, Larry David, served as a host on ‘SNL,’ according to an interview Davidson did with Complex. Credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock “It wasn’t like I befriended him and started sneaking around with his daughter,” Davidson said of Larry David. “[Cazzie and I are] the same age — she’s supposed to be dating someone my age. Hopefully, he’s happy it’s me. I think he is.” RELATED: Kanye West Caught Stalking Kim Kardashian & Pete Davidson Fan Account On Instagram After dating for more than two years, Davidson reportedly broke up with David via text message in 2018, an incident David wrote about in her book ‘No One Asked For This.’ Although, apparently there was no hard feelings between the two considering David mentioned the comedian in the dedication section. “Pete. I love you … Your bravery inspires me and your friendship means the world to me,” David wrote.
4. Pete Davidson and Ariana Grande
Shortly after ending his relationship with Cazzie David, Davidson began a highly publicized relationship with singer Ariana Grande. The two had first met back in 2016 when Grande had appeared on ‘SNL’ as the host and musical guest, though Davidson was still dating David, and Grande had been in a relationship with her backup dancer, Ricky Alvarez. However, the two seemed to rekindle their relationship in May 2018, after being spotted hanging out at an ‘SNL’ after-party, and less than a month later, Davidson was proposing to the ‘Positions’ singer. During an interview on ‘The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon,’ Grande revealed that she had been into Davidson from the start. “We never exchanged numbers or anything, we weren’t even friends for the longest time, but I had the biggest crush in the whole world on him the whole time — like forever,” she said. RELATED: 7 Of Pete Davidson’s Exes On What It Was Like To Date Him (And Why They Broke Up) However, by October 2018, the former couple had called it quits following the death of Grande’s previous boyfriend, rapper Mac Miller.
5. Olivia Wilde and Jason Sudeikis
Before Olivia Wilde began dating singer (and every teenage girl’s crush) Harry Styles, the ‘Booksmart’ director had been engaged to former ‘SNL’ cast member Jason Sudeikis. Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock Although the two didn’t meet while on set, the first time they crossed paths had been at an ‘SNL’ finale after-party in 2011. During a 2013 interview with Allure, Wilde opened up about meeting Sudeikis for the first time. “I met Jason, and I thought he was so charming,” she said. “He’s a great dancer, and I’m a sucker for great dancers. But he didn’t even get my number.” Two years after meeting, the former couple were engaged, and share two children together. However, the romance eventually fizzled out in 2020, ending their seven-year engagement.
6. Scarlett Johansson and Colin Jost
In a 2017 interview with Entertainment Tonight, Jost recalls meeting Johansson during his first year working as a writer on ‘SNL,’ which was when the ‘Black Widow’ actress had hosted the show in 2006. Credit: Tinseltown / Shutterstock Though, Johansson has a different memory of meeting Jost, which for her happened in November 2010, when she hosted ‘SNL’ again and performed a skit written by Jost. “It was some dumb parody that he had written, and he was in there partly directing this segment we had to do,” she told The Hollywood Reporter. It wasn’t until Johansson returned to the show in May 2017 to play Ivanka Trump in a sketch, that her and Jost finally became romantically involved. The couple got engaged two years later, in October 2020, quietly getting married in 2021 before welcoming their first child together.
7. Fred Armisen and Elisabeth Moss
Elisabeth Moss first met Fred Armisen back in 2008, when Moss made a quick cameo in a ‘SNL’ sketch alongsider her ‘Mad Men’ costar, Jon Hamm. Credit: s_bukley / Shutterstock The couple quickly got engaged after three months of dating, but unfortunately their marriage only lasted less than a year. Moss has described her relationship with Armisen as “traumatic and awful and horrible,” giving an interview to Page Six where she opened up about the divorce. “One of the greatest things I heard someone say about him is, ‘He’s so great at doing impersonations. But the greatest impersonation he does is that of a normal person.’ To me, that sums it up,” Moss said.
8. Ben Affleck & Lindsay Shookus
After divorcing Jennifer Garner in April 2017, Affleck sparked up a relationship with ‘SNL’ producer Lindsay Shookus, going public with their relationship in July 2017. Though the two never confirmed how they’d met, a source told Page Six that Affleck and Shookus had reportedly met on the set of ‘SNL,’ where Affleck has served as a host five times over the years. — Nkwogu Sebastine Ibezimako (@ZeemaksN) April 11, 2019 The two dated off-and-on before calling it quits for good in April 2019, a source telling People, “They really gave it another try.” RELATED: Why Mark Ruffalo’s Friendship With Jennifer Garner Ended Over Her Relationship With Ben Affleck Nia Tipton is a writer living in Brooklyn. She covers pop culture, social justice issues, and trending topics. Follow her on Instagram.
