Kaley Cuoco and Tom Pelphrey were notable actors in their own right before they hooked up, but over the last year the two embarked on a whirlwind romance that went from a meet cute, 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 (Cuoco had also previously been married to Ryan Sweeting from 2013-2016), and 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.
You would never have known she was already pregnant at that point if the star had not later pointed it out on her own Instagram with the following fun post:
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
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.
Cuoco 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. Early days seemed to be going well, as Kaley Cuoco shared a bunch of BTS looks at how the family is faring behind the scenes.
In fact, it seems like Matilda is already a bit of a daddy's girl.
What's Next For The Dynamic Duo?
The couple has been together for less than a year at this point, and in recent days they've been adjusting to 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 few months 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.
Tom Pelphrey has filmed a couple of miniseries in recent months, including Love & Death opposite Elizabeth Olsen and A Man In Full with Jeff Daniels. Before the birth of her baby, Cuoco had also filmed a new series for Peacock subscribers called Based on a True Story.
Presumably in the coming months, the two 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 their one-year anniversary approaches.
