Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey were notable actors in their own right before they hooked up, but despite the differences in the size and goals of they're careers, they've made the perfect match. A few short years ago, the two embarked on a whirlwind romance that went from a meet cute to straight into wooing and starting a family together.
Now, after the birth of little baby Pelphrey, a baby girl named Matilda Carmine Richie Pelphrey, their romance seems as if it’s sticking around for the long haul. Yet, how did the couple meet? And how did they get here so quickly?
How Did Kaley Cuoco And Tom Pelphrey Meet And When Did They Start Dating?
It was a setup that led The Big Bang Theory star to the leading man in her life. After her split from Karl Cook in September of 2021, she took some time for herself. Then, when she was ready to date again, it was actually their shared manager, Andrea Pett-Joseph, who hooked them up. It didn’t take long at all for the two to connect on a personal level, with Cuoco admitting to USA Today it happened at the Ozark premiere in April of 2022.
We have the same manager, and we were set up by [her], which is so Hollywood. She's like, ‘Oh my God, I think you guys are perfect for each other.’ We met at the Ozark premiere, and I was standing with Andrea and Tom walked in. And 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.
Literally a month later, in May of 2022, Cuoco was already talking about being “ready to build a life together” with the actor and the whirlwind romance continued from there. By September of 2022, the actress was referring to her relationship as “love at first sight,” telling Extra the meet-cute was “magical,” but that it had come at just the right time.
She’d spent months working on herself amidst her second divorce from Karl Cook, whom she'd been married to from 2018-2022 (Cuoco had also previously been married to Ryan Sweeting from 2013-2016). She’d done “a lot of therapy and self-reflection” before she showed up fortuitously at the Ozark premiere.
It was like the angels started singing. I was like, ‘Hallelujah.’ It was very magical. … It was perfect.
Pelphrey went a step further and shared a sweet quote about what it was like to be in love with a new woman, also sharing some Polaroids of the couple together that same month.
How Kaley And Tom Announced They Would Be Mom And Dad
Like many celebrities these days, when the timing was right, Cuoco and Pelphrey took to social media to announce the impending birth of little baby Pelphrey. They celebrated with a post for the fans.
Celebrity pals like Lacey Chabert, Josh Brolin, T.R. Knight and even some of Cuoco's The Big Bang Theory co-stars reached out after she shared the news, with Melissa Rauch sending the most "tremendous congratulations." Later, Jim Parsons would also open up about his former TBBT co-star's baby news, calling it "incredible" and explaining how the former Ms. Penny has been such a "comforting presence" to be around.
The couple also shared a slew of snaps from Cuoco's pregnancy journey they'd clearly been keeping on ice for a few months as the mom-to-be got closer to her due date. There was even a look at herself and her stunt double dressed out to film an action movie when she was a few months in.
Cuoco later got candid about giving up some of her favorite things, including horseback riding, whilst pregnant, but she also has been happily nesting in the time since. And Pelphrey has said the two felt "blessed" about the turn of events.
Kaley Cuoco Was Already Pregnant During She And Tom Pelphrey's Red Carpet Debut
We noted prior the two stars got together in the spring of 2022, and by late summer, the star was already pregnant with the couple's first child. Not that you would have known it. The couple actually made their first red carpet appearance at the Emmy Awards on September 12, 2022. Pelphrey looked smart in a dark suit and Cuoco wore a high waisted frothy pink number.
Cuoco later pointed her secret pregnancy out on her own Instagram, sharing more details about how one red carpet look almost didn't work for her:
Her growing baby bump nearly caused a wardrobe malfunction, but the two ultimately figured it out and looked really great on the red carpet. The Flight Attendant actress later took to social media to thank Dolce & Gabbana for the "dreamiest dress." She also thanked her new beau for being the "dreamiest date." He responded back, calling her his "Angel."
It was literally around that time that Kaley Cuoco was promoting Meet Cute, her actual rom-com with Pete Davidson, and the timing of her real-life whirlwind romance couldn’t have been better. It wasn’t the end of the story, either.
Preparing For A Baby Girl At Work And At Home
The former Big Bang Theory actress has kept busy in the time since her classic TV role ended. She's had successes with projects like The Flight Attendant and even the surprising rom-com Meet Cute opposite Pete Davidson. It was after she had signed on for her latest project Based on A True Story that Cuoco realized she was pregnant, and she actually worked her pregnancy into the Peacock series.
Meanwhile, after filming on that series ended Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey spent the last few months of 2022 and 2023 nesting. She shared shots at home with her growing little one.
Those months also put Tom Pelphrey's "build it" skills to the test. The soon-to-be dad, like many a formerly single man before him, tried his hand at putting together some much-needed baby gear, and it didn't look like a task for the faint of heart.
Despite her partner's efforts, The Big Bang Theory star admitted she's not a "prepper" and had read "zero books" ahead of the birth of her little one. Instead she told ET she was "trusting the process" and that everything would work out.
I trust the process. Tom has Googled enough for the both of us. He's like Mr. Google. He could probably deliver this baby at this point. But I'm just like [covering my ears]. I'm just like, 'It's gonna be great,' but that's how I've gone through life!
Just after 2023 kicked off, the couple went all out for a baby shower, complete with a drone show at the end of the night. The actress posted plenty of photos from the big event, including her cute pink dress, an over-the-top cake and more. Regardless, the drone show they put on for their family and friends was certainly the standout of the event.
As the couple got closer to welcoming Baby Pelphrey, they stepped out less often, and even enjoyed the Oscars from the comfort of their own home.
Then, as the weather began warming up, the couple also jointly shared one more post with fans from their maternity shoot, which featured their fur babies. It seemed they were ready to move forward with this new phase of their coupledom and lives.
Meet Matilda Carmine Richie Pelphrey
Born on 3-30-2023, Matilda Carmine Richie Pelphrey was announced by the couple at the beginning of April. Personally, I find it a little risky to make a baby announcement around April Fool's day, but this is one announcement that was quite legitimate.
The actress said ahead of her baby's birth that she'd gotten some advice from a friend with a newborn, who told her "your baby's going to tell you what to do," which helped her to prepare for what was next. Kaley Cuoco even shared a bunch of BTS looks at how the family was faring behind the scenes. In fact, Matilda was immediately a bit of a daddy's girl.
The Cuoco-Pelphrey Family Celebrated Their First Easter Together
Are you tired of adorable baby photos yet? I hope you are not tired, because there's more to come. As cherry blossoms bloomed and deviled eggs were made, Easter was celebrated this April. Not only was it baby Matilda's first Easter together, it was the first Easter the couple would have officially celebrated together as a family. In fact, 2023 featured a lot of relationship firsts for Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey, including their anniversary.
Yes, that's their little one yawning in the sunlight, but can I help it if I'm distracted a bit by that gorgeous infinity pool? I digress. Either way, family and friends were in attendance and I'm glad the crew of three was able to celebrate their first holiday together in style.
So, What's Next For The Dynamic Duo?
The couple has fully seemed to embrace and adjust to a new life with a baby at home. This includes adorable moments of family power naps and more. While the new family is currently bonding, Kaley Cuoco has been candid that she only plans to take a short amount of time off. She worked during her pregnancy, and of her short break from acting she said:
As far as shooting, I will definitely take the next few months off. Probably not much more than that though. She's going to come to work with me. I've got help. She will be in tow no matter what. Tom and I both really love what we do and we've really made a commitment to each working at different times. So he'll be working over the next few months; I'll obviously have a big break and then when there's something --whether it's Flight Attendant, I dunno what it will be that I'll go back to -- he'll take a break and we'll kind of trade off. So that is our goal ... and I think that's going to work for us.
Meanwhile, just a few months after Matilda's birth in June of 2023, the actress said she and Pelphrey made time for a couples-only weekend away, and explained why that has to be a part of their foundation as parents. She wrote on Instagram:
Escaped for 2 days in the city with my other half for some adult time. Magical weekend. Time away together is beautiful and so important.
Kaley Cuoco's been candid that people ask her about Baby No. 2 every "minute," but that she and her beau take everything one day at a time. Having a baby is difficult for anyone, and at 40 Cuoco has other priorities, including her pets and her career. She recently told Dax Shepard on Armchair Expert she had never actually thought she would get to be a mom, so having Matilda has been lovely for her.
Presumably in the coming months, she and her husband will be able to figure out a work schedule that keeps them, their fur babies, and their little one happy. From what Cuoco previously said, they have a pretty solid plan in place as they move forward, together.
