What We Know About Ty Pennington's Relationship With Andrea Bock Before He Met His Wife

HGTV's notorious bachelor Ty Pennington tied the knot! In November 2021, Pennington married his girlfriend Kellee Merrell after the couple got together in 2020. While his single status has been deleted from his bio, it's not the first time the home improvement star has been taken. Pennington had a serious long-term relationship with ex-girlfriend Andrea Bock in his early career, which ended after 13 years together.

Known for his work on "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" and "Trading Spaces," Pennington's TV career has brought him immense success. The industry actually introduced him to Bock in the 1990s when they were working on the same show together. Though it wasn't a happily ever after ending for those two after over a decade of being together, Pennington says they are still friends. Pennington's luck with finding love on set even introduced him to his wife many years ago (Pennington and Merrell first met in 2010 while Pennington was in Toronto shooting a TV show, and they stayed friends until 2020). Although Bock has never courted the spotlight, here's what we know about her romance with Pennington.

Ty Pennington reportedly began dating Andrea Bock in 1996, after the two met on the set of "Trading Spaces." Bock was Pennington's assistant on the show from 2000 to 2003 and eventually became the carpenter's manager. The couple's 13-year relationship remained fairly hidden from the public eye, not including when the HGTV stars made the occasional wild appearance on the red carpet. Bock and Pennington also made headlines after they were slammed with a $4 million lawsuit, which alleged that Pennington and Bock took over a small art gallery to display their collaborative furniture collection, "Art Design Home Decor."  

Keeping a private relationship prompted many speculations about the duo, including rumors of a possible engagement and even marriage. As theories about nuptials swirled through tabloids, the "Ty Breaker" host shut them down in a 2008 interview with Parade, saying (via The Cinemaholic): "Not married, but we're still together. We're definitely a team." The twosome remained a team until 2009, when they ultimately split. It seems like there's no bad blood between Pennington and his ex, though. When asked in a June 2021 Instagram comment if he and Bock were still friends, the HGTV star replied (per People): "Yes! Andrea and I actually parted ways back in 2009 and still remain great friends."