The Real-Life Relationships That Happened Behind The Scenes Of One Tree Hill

From September 2003 to April 2012, viewers across the U.S. were glued to all the drama taking place in the fictional town of Tree Hill. Debuting on September 23, 2003, on the then-WB network, "One Tree Hill" quickly became a hit. Centered around the rivalry between two brothers, Lucas (played by Chad Michael Murray) and Nathan (played by James Lafferty), the show was your typical soapy teen drama, delivering all the hijinks of any good soap opera — romance, breakups, betrayals, and more.

However, the behind-the-scenes drama amongst the "One Tree Hill" cast, particularly the romantic relationships, would prove as compelling as the on-screen drama. Many of the show's stars translated their on-screen connections to off-screen, blurring the lines between fiction and reality. From short-lived marriages to long engagements, there was no shortage of off-screen relationship gossip to keep fans of the show entertained throughout the show's nine-season run.

However, despite all the romantic entanglements, most of the cast remained professional and have continued to show support for the show and its fans since the series ended.

Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray met on the set of "One Tree Hill" and quickly began a romantic relationship. Only a few months later in July 2004, the co-stars announced that they were engaged to the delight of the show's fans. The pair were married a little less than a year later on April 16, 2005, in a lavish ceremony in front of 200 guests. However, just five months later, fans were shocked when the couple announced their separation in September. A little over a year later in December 2006, the couple finalized their divorce.

Rumors swirled for years about the reason for Murray and Bush's split. The oft-repeated claim was that Murray cheated on Bush with socialite Paris Hilton when the two co-starred in the film "House of Wax." Many subscribed to the cheating rumors based on a statement from a friend of Bush's to People Magazine after the couple announced their separation, which stated, "Sophia went into the marriage believing in the sanctity of marriage, and Chad simply did not share that vision."

For his part, Murray has never confirmed or denied the accusations that he cheated on Bush with Paris Hilton. However, per TMZ, Nick Carter, who previously dated Hilton, confirmed in a 2006 interview with Ryan Seacrest that she cheated on him at the time with Murray. Whatever the truth, Murray and Bush remained professionals and continued to work together for years on "One Tree Hill," even acting out romantic scenes together. One would think the drama would have steered them both away from dating another co-star. However, that was not the case.

Considering that the original plot of "One Tree Hill" is rooted in the rivalry between the Scott brothers — Lucas and Nathan — it was almost poetic that after being romantically involved with Chad Michael Murray, Sophia Bush briefly dated James Lafferty. Little is known about the relationship, as there were no public declarations and displays of affection from the two, and by all accounts, it was very brief, lasting just about a year.

Confirmation that the two were romantically involved, surprisingly came from Murray. In a 2008 interview on a CW affiliated station, Murray discussed working with Bush after their split and noted, "And she's got James, and James and I are friends. ... It's just a little tight group in Wilmington." Without confirmation from Bush or Lafferty, the public will never know the specific details about their relationship. However, details about Bush's involvement with another co-star, Austin Nichols, would suggest there may have been an overlap between the two relationships. Particularly when Bush confirmed to E! News in 2010, "We've been dating off and on for the past four years."

Austin Nichols joined the cast of "One Tree Hill" in 2007 as the character Julian Baker, who eventually becomes romantically involved with Sophia Bush's character, Brooke. Rumors began to swirl that the two actors were romantically involved when they both attended "The Hollywood Style Awards" in 2009. Although the two walked the red-carpet solo, E! News reported that inside the event, Bush referred to Nichols as her "boyfriend." 

The year after, Bush confirmed their relationship in her 2010 discussion with E! News. She was scared at first of committing to a relationship with Nichols, having grown wary after her disastrous relationship and subsequent short-lived marriage to Chad Michael Murray. However, it was Nichols' decision to join "One Tree Hill" that convinced Bush to believe in the relationship: "We had so many years of history prior to him coming to work on the show, and I think someone taking a job and moving their life across the country to show you how much they care is pretty much the most romantic gesture that a person could make."

Unfortunately, three years later, as "One Tree Hill" was nearing its series finale, reports confirmed that the two had split. Neither Bush nor Nichols publicly confirmed the split at the time, but sources for Us Weekly reported that Bush was the one to end the relationship, deciding that ultimately Nichols was not "the one." 

Not all the behind-the-scenes romantic relationships on "One Tree Hill" involved series regulars. Soon after his split from Sophia Bush, Chad Michael Murray quickly moved on with Kenzie Dalton, a Miss North Carolina Teen USA runner-up. The then 18-year-old high school senior played an extra on the show, and despite the raised eyebrows over the couple's six-year age difference, Murray proposed to Dalton in April 2006 — eight months before he finalized his divorce from Bush. The engagement appeared so sudden and quick that some fans speculated at the time that it was likely due to Dalton's being pregnant, a claim that her mother denied to People. For his part, Murray defended the relationship to the outlet at the time by comparing Dalton to a diamond.

While the engagement was quick, the two showed no rush to head down the aisle, though they maintained a steady relationship. However, after seven years, the two called off their engagement and split in 2013. The split news was confirmed by Murray's rep a few months afterward to Us Weekly, in a statement that suggested the decision was mutual. The two have remained mum about their relationship and eventual split in the ensuing years.

Despite all the romantic entanglements, the actors involved have all moved on since the show ended. After his split from Dalton, Chad Michael Murray found love again with actress Sarah Roemer, his co-star on the short-lived series "Chosen." The two got married in 2014 and as of writing are the parents of three children.

Things have not been as smooth for Murray's ex-wife Sophia Bush. Romance rumors about the actor and soccer star Ashlyn Harris started in October 2023. Bush confirmed their relationship in a 2024 interview with Glamour — but the coupling came with some controversy. Bush married businessman Grant Hughes in June 2022, and they divorced a little over a year later in August 2023. Harris married her then-wife, former USWNT teammate Ali Kreiger, in 2019, and they adopted two children in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Harris and Kreiger's split was announced in September 2023. Fans of each couple have questioned the timing of the relationship, and Bush and Harris came under heavy scrutiny on social media. The two appear to have weathered the storm, however, and are still going strong as of writing.

Meanwhile, James Lafferty is currently married to actress Alexandra Park, whom he met on the set of "The Royals." Things are less clear regarding Austin Nichols, whose last known relationship was with "Yellowstone" actress Hassie Harrison. The two reportedly dated for one year, ending things in 2019. Harrison has since gone on to date and marry her "Yellowstone" co-star, Ryan Bingham. Whatever the current status of his romantic life, let's hope things are going great for Nichols.