Kaley Cuoco announced her engagement to actor Tom Pelphrey in August 2024, which surprised fans. The Big Bang Theory actress has frequently said she’d never get married again. She tied the knot twice, to Ryan Sweeting and Karl Cook.
In 2018, after divorcing Sweeting, she spoke to Cosmopolitan during her engagement to ex Cook. She shared, “I honestly thought I wouldn’t get married again. My ex ruined that word for me. I married someone the first time who completely changed. The person I ended up with was not the person I originally met. And that wasn’t my fault—that was his. I knew how much I had to give and how much I wanted to receive.”
After she and Cook divorced, she told Glamour in 2022, “I will never get married again. I would love to have a long-lasting relationship or a partnership. But I will never get married again. Absolutely not. You can literally put that on the cover.”
But she was open to love again.
“I do believe there is someone out there. I love love. I’m not someone that wants to be by myself,” Cuoco added. “I just need to figure out my priorities a little bit and make sure now I know that I need to water that relationship.”
The time came very soon after. Here’s everything to know about Kaley Cuoco’s fiancé, Tom Pelphrey, with whom she shares two daughters.
Jump to:
- Tom Pelphrey is an actor known for his role in Ozark.
- Cuoco’s manager set her and Pelphrey up.
- They started dating in 2022.
- They welcomed their first child in 2023.
- They weren’t focused on wedding planning in 2024.
- Cuoco spoke about the status of their wedding plans in late September 2024, sharing a second child may come first.
- In September 2025, Pelphrey confirmed that he and Cuoco are open to working on a project together.
- In January 2026, Pelphrey attended the Critics Choice Awards with Cuoco and reflected on fatherhood.
- In February 2026, Cuoco revealed she and Pelphrey sleep in separate rooms—and it has been a “game-changer” for their relationship.
- In June 2026, Cuoco and Pelphrey announced they’re expecting their second child together.
- Pelphrey shared an update on their growing family in August 2026.
- Cuoco and Pelphrey had a pre-Emmys date night in September 2026.
- Cuoco and Pelphrey welcomed their second daughter in October 2026.
Tom Pelphrey is an actor known for his role in Ozark.
Pelphrey grew up in New Jersey and went on to receive a BFA in acting from Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Pelphrey even traveled to study Shakespeare at the Globe Theatre in London. He had been a working actor for many years, starring in the CBS soap opera Guiding Light. The role won him two Daytime Emmys. He became much more famous in the drama series Ozark, playing Ben Davis.
He told W magazine, “I don’t know that I always wanted to be an actor, but when I was 14 years old, I had a high school acting teacher, Steve Kazakoff, who changed my life. From the moment I met him, I wanted to be an actor. I went to a public high school in New Jersey, and it just so happened that the school had a magnet performing-arts program. I auditioned for the school musical my freshman year on a whim, even though I couldn’t sing or dance. And I still can’t.”
Pelphrey also admitted that he never watched Cuoco’s most famous show.
“Never. Matter of fact, when I first brought Kaley to New Jersey to meet my family and friends, my mom’s partner—who apparently was a Big Bang Theory fan—was there, and he kept calling her Penny,” he explained. “I had no clue what was going on. So I pulled Kaley aside, like, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t understand what’s happening. Why does he keep calling you Penny?’ She’s like, ‘That’s my character in The Big Bang Theory.’ I was completely unaware. I’ve watched a few episodes with her since, and, obviously, she’s fantastic.”
He added, “I hadn’t seen Kaley in anything. Look, I live in a cave. Before I met Kaley, I was living in upstate New York, on a dirt road, in the middle of the woods, without much Wi-Fi. She’s brought me into modern times.”
He also shared a bit about his zodiac sign, saying, “My birthday is July 28. I’m a Leo. I am a Libra rising and a Scorpio moon. My daughter [with Cuoco] shares two of my three signs. She’s not a Leo. She’s an Aries sun, but she is Leo moon and Libra rising, just like me.”
Cuoco’s manager set her and Pelphrey up.
In an interview with USA Today, Cuoco said they went on a date set up by her manager Andrea Pett-Joseph at the Ozark premiere.
“She’s like, ‘Oh my God, I think you guys are perfect for each other,’” she said. “I heard his voice, and I turned around, and it was like my life was over or just starting. It hit me. It was love at first sight. We were immediately connected. I do feel like I’ve known him my whole life, but I wasn’t ready for him. We’re ready to build a life together.”
They started dating in 2022.
After that special date in 2022, their relationship took off quickly. Their daughter was born a year later.
In August 2024, she announced their engagement on her Instagram Stories, sharing a video of herself and Pelphrey and her ring. She wrote, “What a wild, beautiful journey life can be. Grateful for every road that led me straight to you.”
They welcomed their first child in 2023.
The couple welcomed their daughter Matilda in 2023, and they say they’d like to have more.
“We did a lot in two years. We met, we fell madly in love, we had this beautiful baby. We’re very blessed and very lucky. It was a meant-to-be situation. The timing was right,” Cuoco said to ET in October 2023. “Because of this downtime, which has been so hard for so many, we’ve been able to experience with Matilda, you know, from every moment, so him and I have been here for every moment pretty much since the day she was born, and that’s special.”
In 2024, Pelphrey shared on SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show With Julia Cunningham that having a kid changed his perspective on life.
“There’s no way to understand what it’ll feel like until you get to feel it. It’s wild. It’s the greatest thing I’ve ever got to experience. I know Kaley feels the same way,” he said. “It’s also hilarious. It can be exhausting at times. It’s all the good things.”
He continued, “The baby comes and suddenly without putting any conscious thought into it, you check back in with yourself, and you realize your entire list of priorities has been completely rearranged, and suddenly you’re thinking and concerned about things that maybe never really concerned you before. And it’s all about them, and it’s a really beautiful experience.”
They weren’t focused on wedding planning in 2024.
A source told People that since the engagement, life “has been a whirlwind of happiness” for the couple.
“She’s super happy with Tom,” the insider said. “Her daughter is such a light. Kaley loves being a mom. For years, her main focus was work. To now focus on her family instead, makes her thrive. Getting married hasn’t been a priority until now...Kaley’s thrilled to be engaged. You know she’ll plan the most gorgeous wedding. And it will be even more special now when her daughter can be part of it.”
Cuoco spoke about the status of their wedding plans in late September 2024, sharing a second child may come first.
Cuoco told People on September 21 that regarding their wedding, “[We] haven’t started planning anything yet. Maybe another kid will have to come first. We’re gonna go way out of order. That’s our plan.”
“I have four dogs now, and a [1-year-old baby], and a Tom—it’s a lot,” she added before confirming she intends to take her time and just enjoy their engagement. The same can be said of motherhood: “The minute I had my baby, they're like, ‘When's your second one?’ I’m like, ‘Oh my God, is anyone gonna just let me just enjoy this?’”
In September 2025, Pelphrey confirmed that he and Cuoco are open to working on a project together.
Pelphrey told People that he and Cuoco are “definitely interested” in collaborating, but it will take the right role to make it happen. “We are interested in that,” he said in the interview published on September 13. “But it’s gonna really have to be the right thing, so it will probably take a while.”
Part of the challenge, Pelphrey explained, comes from their different approaches to acting. “Kaley tends to live more comedically, whereas, you know, often people don’t let me within 10 feet of a comedy,” he joked. “I have so much respect for her and admiration, but I know enough—I know myself well enough—to know I could never work like she does. Likewise, sometimes she sees me work intensely, and she’s like, ‘What are you doing?!’”
Speaking with The Independent in September, Pelphrey also admitted that he and Cuoco find it “a little hard to juggle” their careers and family. But “any of the negatives are far outweighed by the positives,” he said. “We’ve both been doing this for a while, we’ve lived a certain amount of life, and our priority is our family.”
In January 2026, Pelphrey attended the Critics Choice Awards with Cuoco and reflected on fatherhood.
While attending the 2026 Critics Choice Awards on January 4, Pelphrey stepped out with Cuoco as he celebrated his Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series nomination for Task. Speaking to E! News on the red carpet, Pelphrey reflected on how becoming a father has shaped his priorities.
“Dad life has changed everything—my daughter owns my life,” he said. “Matilda didn’t even need to manipulate because she knows I’m going to say yes. So, roles, just trying to be smart between me and Kaley, obviously Kaley works too, so trying to be smart about schedule and being a dad is my No. 1 priority.”
Pelphrey and Cuoco stepped out in coordinating black looks for the occasion.
In February 2026, Cuoco revealed she and Pelphrey sleep in separate rooms—and it has been a “game-changer” for their relationship.
During her appearance on the February 9 episode of Dax Shepard’s Armchair Expert podcast, Cuoco spoke about a new arrangement that she and Pelphrey made that has helped their relationship: “He started sleeping in the guest room.”
Cuoco called it a “game-changer,” adding, “Tom is a night owl. Goes to bed very late. I go to bed earlier because I’m the one who gets up [with their daughter, Matilda, 2] in the morning.…We’re totally on different sleeping schedules.”
According to Cuoco, the idea came up during couples therapy. “How would you feel if I sleep in the other room?” Pelphrey asked her.
She admitted she initially had doubts, saying, “Well, it was just like, ‘Oh no, if we’re not sleeping together, like, is the next step this?’ ‘Cause everyone knows I’ve had these divorces, and like, what does that look like?”
After trying it, Cuoco said the change worked well for both of them. “He sleeps great. No dogs in his way,” she said. “I’m up with Matilda at 7 A.M., she comes in bed with me, I can turn things on. We don’t have to worry about waking him up.…It just works for us.”
In June 2026, Cuoco and Pelphrey announced they’re expecting their second child together.
On June 10, Cuoco announced that she and Pelphrey are expecting their second child together—and another baby girl.
The actress shared the news on Instagram alongside photos featuring Pelphrey, their daughter Matilda, and a cake with pink filling that revealed the baby’s sex. She also included images documenting her pregnancy journey so far.
In the caption, Cuoco wrote, “💖 completing our little family, what a dream come true ! 💖 This second time around journey has been a little windier in many ways, but wow we are so grateful for this moment!! Little sissy on the way!!! @tommypelphrey girl dad for life 🎀 and yes, the last pic is our dainty princess giving us the middle finger!🤦🏼♀️😆.”
Pelphrey shared an update on their growing family in August 2026.
In an interview with Extra, Pelphrey revealed that the couple’s second daughter is expected to arrive soon. “Yes. God willing. God willing, very soon,” he said.
Pelphrey also shared how their daughter, Matilda, was preparing to become a big sister. “Well, so far, she’s very excited. I know that apparently that can change when the baby is actually imminent, but she’s very excited. Tells me all the time what she’s going to do, how that if the baby cries, it needs food. And she’s going to help with that. And, you know, she gave up her playroom. Oh, my gosh…It’s a big deal. And she was happy to do it all. She's been a very, very, very good big sister. So, so far, so good.”
As for how Cuoco is doing during her pregnancy, Pelphrey said, “She’s doing amazing. She’s a champion. Thank God it’s her, not me.”
He also explained how they plan to balance their careers with two children. “You know, you just have to make it a priority. And we talked about it before Matilda was even born. I was like, our job is not going to upend her life…That’s so important to me, and Kaley feels the same way. And so, we’re smart about what we say yes to and we try and time it out to the best of our ability and we have very special people helping us who love our daughter and are part of our family and you kind of plan it all out in advance and then you sort of hope for the best. But it is so far, so good.”
Cuoco and Pelphrey had a pre-Emmys date night in September 2026.
Cuoco and Pelphrey stepped out together at the BAFTA TV Tea Party in Beverly Hills on September 13. Cuoco showed off her pregnant figure in a sleeveless, floor-length gray dress with draped detailing through the waist, while Pelphrey wore a loose white button-down over a white tank with black trousers and sunglasses.
