Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson’s 3 Year Real-Life Love: Romance Rewind 

For those who’re from a sure period, you’ll bear in mind the place you had been when it emerged that Adam Brody and Rachel Bilson had cut up. The truth that Seth and Summer season, aka the very best couple in The OC (sorry-not-sorry, Marissa and Ryan), had been courting in real-life as nicely was a complete pleasure to followers of the present — till they had been no extra.

With Brody profitable hearts as soon as extra reverse Kristen Bell as the lovable rabbi in Netflix hit No person Desires This, all these feelings have come flooding again — full with some whimsical West Coast indie enjoying in our minds, naturally. So let’s look again at what Brody, now 44, and Bilson, 43, as soon as had been.

The way it Started

They are saying it is best to by no means date your co-stars, however did these two hear? Not an opportunity.

Brody and Bilson had really met earlier than the present, when he was casually courting an unidentified good friend of hers — however she’s since admitted that she thought he was “type of a d–ok”, though “cute and humorous”.

However as soon as that they had began working collectively in 2003 (when Bilson was 22 and Brody was 23), sharing an plain chemistry as unlikely on-screen couple Seth and Summer season, issues rapidly progressed, with Bilson revealing that she began questioning her emotions for her co-star after they shot their first on-screen kiss, simply six episodes into season 1 of the present.  “I bear in mind after taking pictures the scene the place I kiss him, like, I bear in mind considering, ‘Do I like Adam?’” she stated on the Welcome to The OC, Bitches! podcast in 2021. “And I bear in mind considering after work, as a result of I really feel prefer it was the final scene I shot that day, being, like, “Wait, do I like Adam? That’s when these wheels began turning.”

Quickly, the pair had been a longtime couple, shifting in collectively and getting a pet pitbull terrier collectively, which they named Penny Lane. Cute.

How Lengthy it Lasted

These two sadly didn’t fairly make it to the top of The OC, breaking apart in 2006. In reality, by the point we noticed Seth and Summer season getting married on TV in season 4, the pair had already cut up, after round three years of courting — and 4 seasons of the present.

Sounds awkward? It was!

“We broke up on the very finish so there wasn’t a lot [for us to film] after the breakup,” she revealed on the Armchair Professional podcast in 2021. “We did get married after we broke up. That’s at all times enjoyable! They completely did that on goal. That was the one scene left to shoot, was the marriage. They’re like, ‘You broke up? Let’s provide you with a marriage.’”

The way it Ended

The pair have by no means spoken in regards to the actual causes for the cut up, apart from Bilson insisting “We nonetheless acquired alongside very well”, however on the time Brody had change into disillusioned with engaged on the present even earlier than the cut up.

The actor has since admitted that he didn’t behave very enthusiastically on set, which will need to have been difficult for the ever-perky Bilson. “I began to be creatively much less ,” Brody admits within the official tell-all e-book, Welcome To The OC: An Oral Historical past. “I blame myself for an absence of professionalism, and a disrespect to the work.”

Creator Josh Schwartz says that Brody was so “torpid” on set as they shot the later seasons of  the present that they needed to write his character grow to be the plot. “Brody simply modified his supply, his funding in it,” stated Schwartz. “His model shifted to such a level that we felt like we wanted to account for it creatively. That’s the place ‘Kaitlin will get Seth hooked on pot’ took root. We had been like, ‘Properly, how can we clarify his lethargy on-screen? And not less than if we will write that he’s stoned, then we’re not attempting to put in writing round it.’”

Bilson admits it was powerful being a supportive girlfriend on the time. “How do you steadiness that?” she stated within the e-book. “Since you need to be supportive of the individual you’re with. But additionally I’m a agency believer in at all times being grateful, and gratitude comes first. And I feel there have been in all probability occasions the place that glided by the wayside. You develop up, you look again, and you’ll understand if you’re younger, you would possibly behave in sure methods you want you hadn’t.”

There was one other little bump within the highway for the couple when, on the present, Seth was concerned in a love triangle with Anna, performed by Samaire Armstong, and Bilson felt that the actress acquired a bit too cozy together with her man. “When Seth is within the bed room with Anna and he or she goes to kiss him, I see Samaire, like, slip tongue!” she stated in 2021, after rewatching the scenes. “I’m watching it and he or she slipped the tongue and I get transported again to 18 years in the past and I get a bit jealous! And I’m like, ‘What are you doing slipping tongue in his mouth?’ It was just like the real-life triangle enjoying out as I’m watching it. I noticed the tongue and I used to be like, ‘There’s no tongue in tv!’. I really feel prefer it positively performed out a bit bit in actual life for a minute. Probably not, actually, however I bear in mind the stress with Samaire and I, a bit bit.”

And if she’s nonetheless speaking about it 20 years later, it will need to have actually stung.

What They Mentioned About Every Different

Very similar to her well-known character, Bilson has at all times cherished to speak! When the pair had been courting, she advised Teen Individuals how comfortable she was. “We at all times have so much to speak about and we inform one another the whole lot,” she stated. “I really feel like I’ve the whole lot now — the canine, the home, the job, and him. I can’t ask for something extra.”

What They Say Now

Bilson nonetheless loves to speak! Over time, the actress has spoken in journal interviews and on varied nostalgic podcasts about their relationship, and it appears like she largely has comfortable recollections. “Due to what the present was and the way younger all of us had been, going by means of it with somebody experiencing the identical factor and having that type of help was actually superior,” she advised Nylon in 2021. “I’m really grateful that I did have it.”

Brody, too, appears again on the time fondly. “It was my pleasure and it was such a pleasure,” he advised Bilson after they chatted collectively on the Welcome To The OC, Bitches! podcast in 2021. “Within the pilot, you made it your personal immediately and everybody fell in love with you. I felt like we had been sparring so nicely collectively so quick.”

In the identical 12 months, Bilson spoke in regards to the relationship on Dax Shepard’s Armchair Professional podcast (sure, the man who’s married to Kristen Bell, who Brody seems reverse in No person Desires This. Hollywood is a small world!). “I had a lot, and nonetheless do, love and respect for Adam,” she stated. “We went by means of a lot collectively, being so younger and the whole lot with the present. And I’m so comfortable for him along with his household and his stunning spouse and children and the whole lot.”

She added that she credit the connection with stopping her from getting sucked into the wild celeb celebration scene — in what seems to be a reference to her co-star Mischa Barton. “I wasn’t on the golf equipment, falling out of the automobiles panty-less,” she stated. “It was a bit completely different for me. I used to be in a relationship through the present, which I feel helped hold me at dwelling, enjoying board video games and watching actually nice TV like Jeopardy! We did exit, but it surely was only a completely different factor. There was stability and I did develop up type of quick, did all of the stuff a bit early.”

Bilson additionally credit Brody with bettering her appearing expertise. “You taught me the way to act nicely,” she stated on Welcome To The OC, Bitches! “You made it so, like, comfy to simply go for it and never be afraid. All the pieces you probably did in working with you actually made me have the boldness to kinda, like, do no matter I needed and go for it. I simply wanna say thanks.”

Extra cheekily, Brody additionally revealed in a Reddit Ask Me Something chat in 2014 that his ex was a tremendous kisser. “One of many all time greats!” he stated. Along with his prime notch kissing expertise getting a variety of consideration in No person Desires This, it appears like he would possibly owe Bilson a thanks too.

Key Relationship Takeaways

Their characters Seth and Summer season tied the knot within the remaining episodes of The OC, and it wasn’t too lengthy earlier than Brody and Bilson began settling down too — sadly for followers, it simply wasn’t with one another. Brody began courting Gossip Woman star Leighton Meester in 2013 (Seth Cohen and Blair Waldorf isn’t a twist anybody noticed coming!), and the pair have now been married for a decade and have two younger youngsters.

Bilson, in the meantime, has a 9 12 months outdated daughter, Briar, with actor Hayden Christensen, who she dated for 10 years. The pair cut up in 2017, however now fortunately co-parent. Bilson’s subsequent high-profile relationship was with actor and comic Invoice Hader, in 2020, but it surely was short-lived: the pair had been collectively for round six months, however struggled to maintain it going through the pandemic. She later joked that she missed his “massive d–ok”!

On the Name Me Daddy podcast in 2022, the actress stated that she’s observed one thing that a few of her exes have in widespread. “It is a generalization,” she stated. “I feel I’ve dated fairly a couple of actors, and I do suppose that a few of them, not all, have very self-involved tendencies.” She later emphasised that she didn’t imply Christensen.

No matter went down between Brody and Bilson after they cut up, we’re so glad that their in the end ill-fated relationship hasn’t tarnished the brilliance of Seth and Summer season. These two had been clearly vastly vital to one another at a pivotal level of their lives, and are in a position to look again on the time with comfortable recollections. In spite of everything, you simply know that if Bilson had any unhealthy feeling towards Brody, she’d in all probability be fairly open about it!