Soap Opera Alum Jensen Ackles Nearly Dated His Wife's Costar Instead

Danneel and Jensen Ackles' fairytale romance proves that sometimes it's best if things don't go according to plan. If things had gone as Danneel intended, they might not have gotten together, and Jensen might've ended up with one of her "One Tree Hill" co-stars. Given how perfect Danneel and Jensen seem together, it's hard to believe that they didn't immediately strike up a romantic connection and instead stayed friends for a few years. 

Ironically enough, their friendship turned romantic when they worked together on the 2007 rom-com "Ten Inch Hero." During a "Supernatural" Q&A session, Jensen revealed that he and Danneel decided to carpool to the set, and their conversations during the drive led him to fall in love. While answering questions at the Star Fury: Cross Roads 6 convention, Danneel revealed that those car rides led her to realize that Jensen was the one, and during one scene, she went off-script to kiss him and express her love. 

But before she came to that realization, Danneel believed Jensen could be a great match for Sophia Bush. During an episode of the "Drama Queens" podcast, Danneel recalled, "Actually, I was thinking about this the other day, Sophia, I tried to hook you up with Jensen," she continued. "I don't know why you said no, but thank you for saying no. ... Do you remember that? I was like, 'You should go on a date with him. He's really nice!" While it's hard to imagine some passing up on a date with Jensen, Bush had a valid reason.

During the "Drama Queens" podcast, Sophia Bush revealed why she refused to be set up with Danneel Ackles' future husband, Jensen. She explained, "I remember being staunchly in a, like, I'm-never-gonna-date-an-actor-again [phase] — I learn lessons the hard way," Bush continued. "But I was like, 'No! I'm gonna be more responsible with myself.'" Bush added that she felt pleased she turned down the date because Danneel and Jensen were perfect for each other. 

Bush's aversion to dating actors seemingly stemmed from her 5-month-long marriage to fellow "One Tree Hill" star Chad Michael Murray. On the outside, their union seemed perfect because of their chemistry on the show, but in reality, even the start of Bush and Murray's relationship was messier than we knew. During a 2023 appearance on "The World's First Podcast," Erin Foster, Murray's ex, whom he dated for a year, claimed that their relationship ended because he cheated on her with Bush after they had already moved in together. 

But Bush's co-star Hilarie Burton took to Instagram Stories to defend her long-time bestie by stating that their inner circle knew that they had already broken up at the time. However, the idea of Murray's infidelity doesn't seem so outlandish because he reportedly cheated on Bush with Paris Hilton. While that might've been devastating for Bush at the time, she has naturally moved on and refused to talk about her ex-husband since she doesn't want her words to be misconstrued. 

Danneel Ackles may not have been able to help Sophia Bush find love, but she and her husband, Jensen, managed to find the perfect match for their co-stars. In 2009, "One Tree Hill" alum Hilarie Burton and Danneel planned to catch up for drinks with Jensen, who also invited his "Supernatural" co-star, Jeffery Dean Morgan, to introduce him to Burton. Morgan and Burton instantly hit it off and went on to tie the knot in 2019, and Jensen officiated the ceremony in a full-circle moment. 

When the "Days Of Our Lives" alum appeared on their show, "Friday Night In With The Morgans," he recalled Morgan's picture-perfect arrival, "You pulled up on your Harley, and we were sitting there in the front window, and Hilarie sees this guy get off a bike in slow-motion and take his helmet off and throw his hair [around]," he continued. "You walked in, the two of you locked eyes, and that was pretty much the rest of the evening."

As for Bush, it turns out she didn't need anybody to be a wing-person for her because she found love on her own while staying true to her word and swerving clear of actors. In 2022, she married entrepreneur Grant Hughes, and the pair divorced a year later. However, the "Good Sam" star didn't remain on the market for too long as she sparked a romance with soccer player Ashlyn Harris in 2023.