How long were Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki together? Relationship explored as exes open up about ‘Big Bang Theory’ romance

We all know that Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki's chemistry in The Big Bang Theory was undeniable even when their characters Penny and Leonard went through a rough patch. However, not many people know that Cuoco and Galecki's relationship bloomed equally well off-screen too.

The two actors spilled details about their relationship in an upcoming book about the sitcom titled The Big Bang Theory: The Definitive, Inside Story by Jessica Radloff. The book is set to be released on October 11, 2022, just in time for the show's 15th anniversary. It highlights the former couple's relationship, their job, and the challenges they faced during the filming of the series, among other things.

An excerpt from the book has Kaley Cuoco saying that she had a huge crush on Johnny Galecki right from the beginning. She added that although the two were dating different people at the time, she "only had eyes for Johnny."

The actress continued:

"Then, when I found out he had eyes for me too, I was like Uh-oh, this is going to be trouble."

Meanwhile, Johnny Galecki said that he was oblivious to his co-star's feelings towards him. He blamed his "healthy ego" for not seeing the signs. Galecki said that someone would have had to club him over the head to get him to understand that someone was flirting with him. The actor added:

"I had zero idea on any sort of crush before Kaley and I started dating."

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Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki were together for 2 years.

Both Cuoco and Galecki have been acting since they were kids but only met each other on the set of The Big Bang Theory in 2007. Their chemistry before they got together was quite obvious, but it was the elevator scene in season 1 of the show that helped them realize their feelings for one another.

In episode 14 of season 1, titled The Nerdvana Annihilation, in a dream sequence, Leonard saves Penny from the elevator shaft. Although the two physically felt that the scene wasn't an enjoyable experience, they did confess to falling in love a little.

Galecki even called their feelings "undeniable" and said that it would have eventually become a distraction had they ignored them. The couple were together between 2008 and 2010 but managed to keep their relationship under wraps.

Kaley Cuoco stated that their relationship was "wonderful." Revealing that she never spoke about their relationship to the public, she said that they never brought their personal lives onto the set.

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The former couple remain friends who have no hard feelings towards each other

While the reason behind their break-up was never confirmed, Galecki mentioned that a "chasm" was created between them because they couldn't share their relationship with the public.

The 47-year-old said that one of the major differences between the two came in owing to his "strict policies of privacy." Kaley, on the other hand, was incredibly open about her life. He added that he was uncomfortable being public about their relationship, which may have hurt Cuoco's feelings.

Johnny continued:

"And at a certain point it felt like we were living this lie because we were going to award shows and functions and pretending like we’re not a couple, when in fact we were a very loving couple".

Their relationship seemed to come to a natural end as they spent all their time together on set and at their homes too. After they called it quits, the TV stars continued to work together on the show for nearly a decade and remain good friends till date.

The couple, who ended their relationship amicably, stated that the intimate scenes between their characters were therapeutic for them. Kaley Cuoco and Galecki have also made some jokes about their lasting "reel" relationship after their breakup.

Although the two broke up and have been in different relationships since, they remain close friends. A testament to their friendship would be the fact that Galecki was present at Kaley Cuoco's wedding to Ryan Sweeting in 2013.

While Kaley and Ryan divorced in 2016, she was married to equestrian Karl Cook in 2018 but the two separated in 2021. Kaley Cuoco is currently dating Guiding Light actor Tom Pelphrey.

Johnny Galecki, meanwhile, was dating Alaina Meyer in 2018 but the two broke up in 2020 and share a son, Avery, who was born in 2019.