Inside Young Sheldon's Emily Osment & Montana Jordan's Off-Screen Relationship

From its conception, "The Big Bang Theory" topped CBS' prime time slot for over a decade. Its fictional universe only continued to extend when CBS greenlit "Young Sheldon" in 2017, a spinoff series dedicated to Sheldon Cooper. By following the earlier days of the intelligent yet over-the-top theoretical physicist, the series introduced us to several unique characters, like the no-nonsense grandma  Connie "Meemaw" Tucker and the emotionally intelligent younger sister, Missy Cooper.

A notable fan favorite, however, was Sheldon Cooper's older brother, Georgie Cooper, and his partner, Mandy McAllister, played by Montana Jordan and Emily Osment respectively. Aside from certain unpopular aspects of their fictional relationship, the two had one of the more interesting storylines among the entire cast. In addition to stellar writing, Osment and Jordan's unique chemistry played a significant role in their character's success as well. 

Once "Young Sheldon" was approaching its last season, their popularity ultimately influenced CBS to create the spinoff, "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage," in 2024. With a new series intact, fans not only grew more invested in their relationship on-screen but behind the scenes as well. With the "Young Sheldon" cast undergoing a transformation from merely coworkers to friends, it's only expected that Osment and Jordan followed suit. Whether it be praising each other's talents as actors or being a part of their personal milestones, their close-knit friendship has been beautiful to witness. To learn more about their connection, here's everything we know about Emily Osment and Montana Jordan's off-screen relationship!

From her introduction in Season 5 of "Young Sheldon," Emily Osment's portrayal of Mandy McAllister was subject to public criticism among the show's dedicated fans due to certain details of her on-screen storyline with Montana Jordan. In the show, Georgie — who was 17 — lied about being over 18 to sleep with a 29-year-old Mandy, who also lied about her age. Despite their age gap, the creators decided to turn their one-off romance into a full-fledged relationship, which meant that Mandy not only slept with a minor but got into a relationship with one as well. 

Both Osment and Jordan admitted the oddities of their fictional relationship. They've also defended it since the show never shied away from the topic. This, however, didn't stop Osment from having some fears leading up to her "Young Sheldon" debut. In a 2024 interview with TV Line, Osment confessed that she was skeptical of filming intimate scenes with Jordan since the two had a significant age gap in real life. "I think I asked like five different people if you were over 18 because you looked so young and I was like, 'Oh man!'" she explained. "I think I was 29 or 30 at the time, but I think you would have been 18. ... And that was new for me. I mean, usually, it goes the other way. Usually I'm like, 'How old is this guy?'"

Aside from being an on-screen couple, Emily Osment and Montana Jordan maintained a platonic relationship in real life. Romantically, Jordan has been linked to girlfriend Jenna Weeks since 2021 and Osment's relationship with singer-songwriter Jack Anthony went public the same year. This, however, wouldn't be the only coincidence the two have in their romantic lives, as the two met their significant others the same way as well.

During their 2024 appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show," Osment and Jordan briefly spoke about significant milestones in their lives, such as Osment's marriage and Jordan becoming a parent. In doing so, Barrymore asked Osment about Anthony and how she met him. "We met at a concert," she replied. "And he was dancing in the front row like a lunatic, and I just pointed at him and was like 'Who's that?' And then I went over there and introduced myself. He couldn't care less about me, which was really funny." This prompted Barrymore to ask Jordan about how he met Weeks, to which he confirmed he had met her at a concert as well. "I knew her brother a little bit from past experiences, whatever," he said. "And then he walked up to me, and I seen her, and I couldn't get my eyes off of her."

Since "Young Sheldon" took place in Texas, it's only expected for each of the cast members to appear as authentic Texas natives. While this was an easy task for actors like Annie Potts, Emily Osment admitted to having difficulties doing this for her fictional counterpart, especially next to Montana Jordan. As a Texas native himself, Jordan's authentic southern accent always shined when he portrayed Georgie Cooper. In hopes of matching the character's southern drawl, Osment attempted to imitate a southern accent the best way she knew how for Mandy McAllister. 

Ultimately, her character ended up without one. During her interview with KCAL News in 2024, Osment stated that this decision was made due to her accent sounding less-than-stellar next to Jordan whenever they were on-screen. Despite her initial efforts, Osment suggested that she was more than happy to make this change. "The first episode, I came in with a little bit of a Southern accent, and my parents are from Alabama, so it wasn't too big of a reach," she explained. "But against Montana, it sounded ridiculous because his accent is truly East Texas, it is a legitimate authentic East Texas accent. And they're like, 'We're just going to say that media training from your years on the news worked it out of you.' I was like, 'Great. That's fine.'"

Initially, Emily Osment's role as Mandy McAllister in "Young Sheldon" was only supposed to be a one-off appearance. However, her on-screen chemistry with Montana Jordan prompted showrunners to keep her on as a recurring character. As the show progressed throughout Seasons 6 and 7, Jordan and Osment's popularity continued to grow, so much so that in March 2024, CBS greenlit their spinoff series "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage." 

This was bittersweet, as the two were informed of this just after learning that "Young Sheldon" was ending. After getting off a Zoom call announcing its final season, both Osment and Jordan got personal calls asking them if they wanted to do their own series together, to which they accepted. During an emotional send-off segment with Entertainment Tonight in 2024, both Jordan and Osment spoke about their fondest memories of the show and how grateful they were for being part of it. In doing so, Osment also stated just how privileged she feels to work with Jordan again for another series in the "Big Bang Theory" universe. "I can't wait, you know. It's my dream to be able to continue this story and do it with this guy," she said while standing next to Jordan. " So, I'm very, very, very excited."

Given Emily Osment's stunning transformation from a child star to a regular on "Young Sheldon," she'd often find herself in an authoritative position when it came to her younger co-stars. This is not to say she's heavily invested in constantly giving advice, but Osment, on occasion, shared words of wisdom to her younger co-stars during her time on "Young Sheldon." This included Montana Jordan. Although Jordan deemed himself as someone who learns best from the sidelines, this didn't stop Osment from giving him advice from time to time. One of which saw her encouraging Jordan to change his soda-drinking habits.

During their joint interview with TV Line in 2024, Osment recalled what it was like working with Jordan. According to Osment, Jordan loved drinking orange soda more than he loved water, which seemingly worried her. When asked about her fondest memories on-set, Osment noted that she spent most of her time between shoots trying to get Jordan to make healthier dietary choices. "I'm just trying to get you to drink water," she said. "Like, he only drinks Sunkist. ... I hear him shouting for a Cactus Cooler at like 8 o'clock in the morning every day. Yeah, so, it's really just me trying to raise him." 

Some of us could never know what happens behind the scenes of our favorite acting duos. While some may appear to get along on-screen, it could all be a different reality once the cameras are turned off. Given Emily Osment and Montana Jordan's natural chemistry on "Young Sheldon," it was clear that the showrunners stumbled upon something special. In turn, the two became great friends as well, which is an anecdote both have confirmed throughout their time working together. According to Jordan, however, this was all due to Osment's professionalism.

From first meeting in 2022, Jordan noted that this was the first thing he noticed about Osment. This remained true over time as more aspects of their friendship became public knowledge. During his 2024 interview with Us Weekly, Jordan fielded questions regarding his chemistry with Osment, which prompted him to express why he feels the two became popular enough to warrant their own show together. Alongside his appreciation of her work, he deemed their positive relationship as a direct influence on how they were perceived on camera. "I think even just in real life, the way that, you know, we click, and we always got along, and like I said, she's so professional and good at what she does ... I think it shows on the TV, and I think people enjoy it," he stated.

On October 17, 2024, the premiere of Emily Osment and Montana Jordan's spinoff series, "Georgie and Mandy's First Marriage," aired on CBS. With some notable "Young Sheldon" co-stars slotted to make a small return, like Zoe Perry and the stunning Annie Potts, it was sure to be a spectacle for the audience to enjoy. Aside from their returns, Jordan noted his anticipation of the public's reaction to their opening sequence, which saw him and Osment perform a tango routine. 

After being pitched the idea by executive producer Steve Holland, Osment and Jordan found themselves taking ballroom dancing lessons under the tutelage of "Dancing with the Stars" choreographers Jonathan and Oksana Platero. During an interview with TV Insider, Jordan suggested that learning to tango was already on his "bucket list." As Jordan appeared to take to it quickly, Osment suggested that the two enjoyed themselves during their lessons together, stating, "We just had the best time." Their newly developed dancing skills caused Deidre Behar from Entertainment Tonight to ask the two about a future endeavor in "Dancing with the Stars." While Jordan stated that he didn't think they'd let him on the show, Osment played his biggest supporter, stating, "You could be great on that show!" Osment then jokingly followed it up by declaring that they needed to make some calls to make the appearance happen. 

From working on "Young Sheldon," both Montana Jordan and Emily Osment have displayed admiration for how they each operate as actors. While Jordan praised Osment's professionalism, Osment always acknowledged Jordan's ability to learn things quickly. This became apparent once they got their own spinoff, as he'd have to adjust to a new on-set environment. Like most sitcoms, "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage" follows a traditional multi-cam setup. Given Osment's history on sitcoms like Disney's "Hannah Montana" and "Young & Hungry," this setup gave her a sense of comfort. Alternatively, Jordan was only used to single-cam setups. 

During her appearance on "The Talk" in 2024, Osment noted Jordan's unfamiliarity with multi-cam and expressed confidence in him getting used to it quickly. "I'm excited for Montana to do the live audience," she said. "He's never done it before. He's going to be fantastic." This became true once the series came out. In an interview with LA Times, Osment spoke about the show and her working relationship with Jordan. Through this, she expressed just how seamless Jordan's transition from single-cam to multi-cam was. "I have experience in single-cam and multi-cam, but I think the most jarring thing for us was watching Montana on Tuesday nights," she explained. "He'd never done a live audience show before, but you should see when he walks out to greet the audience. He comes alive. It's awesome."

In 2021, the general public grew aware of Montana Jordan's relationship with Jenna Weeks. Despite their private nature, the two remained relatively active on social media,  displaying their affection for each other. This culminated in January 2024 when they announced they were expecting a child together. From welcoming their daughter Emma Rae Jordan on May 21, 2024, Jordan and Weeks' relationship only continued to evolve. So much so that in January, Jordan shared that they were officially engaged on Instagram. As most of his "Young Sheldon" co-stars congratulated him, it seemed that Emily Osment knew of the special moment ahead of time. In fact, Osment apparently played an important role in making his special moment come to life.

Before the premiere of their show "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage," Osment married singer-songwriter Jack Anthony. With that knowledge, it appeared that Jordan knew his "fake wife" could help with his proposal. In an interview with Us Weekly, Jordan fielded questions regarding his proposal, to which he unveiled that he reached out to Osment to see about an engagement ring for Weeks. This worked out as the proposal pictures showed Weeks wearing the ring Osment helped Jordan get. "The woman that made Emily's ring, I reached out to her. [Emily] gave me her number, and I reached out to her, and that's who created my fiancée's ring," he told the publication. "So, Emily has helped us through the process a little bit."

From complimenting their individual talents to appreciating their chemistry behind the scenes, Emily Osment and Montana Jordan maintained a genuine connection from "Young Sheldon" all the way to "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage." This became especially clear in 2024 when Osment took to Instagram to announce their spinoff show to her followers. Paired with a screenshot of a Deadline article reporting the good news, Osment made sure to show love to her co-star, deeming him "the best fake husband a girl could ask for."

Osment only continued to refer to Jordan as her fake husband the more interviews she went on. While she eventually married Jack Anthony later that year, the nickname served as a friendly nod to their on-screen partnership. This became even more apparent once "Georgie & Mandy's First Marriage" premiered. Due to their strict filming schedule, Osment couldn't find the time to spend her honeymoon with her real-life beau. During their 2024 interview with People, however, Osment playfully suggested that this didn't mean she wasn't getting a honeymoon experience. "I'm spending my honeymoon with my fake husband," she told the publication. Jokes aside, Osment appeared grateful for her time on-set with Jordan, which, in turn, appeared to take her mind off of missing her actual honeymoon. "Seeing anyone regularly, [they] kind of become like your family, and it's really nice to work with someone who is always in a good mood," she said. "Also, I really enjoy your 9 a.m. Orange Crush soda that he just pounds."