I’m a mentally ill, drama-loving woman who passionately hates men and took a psychology class once, so of course I’m severely addicted to the Hulu masterpiece, Tell Me Lies. The series, which is based on Carola Lovering’s 2018 novel of the same name, follows Lucy Albright (Grace Van Patten) and Stephen DeMarco (Jackson White), two disturbed young people who meet in college and have a wildly toxic relationship over the course of eight years. We were blessed with season 1 in September 2022, and season 2 is coming out on September 4!! Two years was way too long a wait.
But the sickening chemistry between Grace and Stephen’s characters on the show isn’t just a result of their impressive acting skills: The stars are a couple IRL! Apparently, they hit it off during auditions and have been happily in love ever since. (Would I trust Jackson after seeing how accurately he portrays a diabolical, sociopathic narcissist? No, but that’s just me.) While we wait for season 2, let’s dive into Grace Van Patten and Jackson White’s relationship timeline.
Grace Van Patten And Jackson White’s Relationship Timeline
October 21, 2022: Grace Says She Has a Crush On Jackson
When E! asked Grace if her “crush IRL” was really Jackson, she giggled and replied, “Yes, biggest crush ever.”
October 25, 2022: Jackson Says He “Hopes” To Date Grace
Jackson pretty much gave away their romance during his appearance on the Not Skinny but Not Fat podcast. “I hope that happens,” he said about dating Grace. “Our lives are built in together. It’s crazy, we have so much to do together.” He added, “All I’m saying is that I’m obsessed with her because she’s fucking amazing.” Yeah, it’s not giving platonic.
The Tell Me Lies star also admitted he had a “huge crush on [Grace]” and called her “the fucking coolest, most grounded, amazing person IRL that you’ll ever meet.” He literally described me there… that’s crazy.
November 7, 2022: They Made Their Red Carpet Debut At The 2022 CDFA Awards
Grace and Jackson held hands on the carpet and took some cutesy photo booth pics to celebrate the occasion (and their love). In an Instagram Story, Jackson posted the photo booth photos, but covered one of them with the classic hands-over-face emoji. Ohhh, I wonder what that could possibly be hiding. We’ll never know.
November 8, 2022: Jackson Posted A Photo Of Him And Grace Touching Tongues
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They were just trying to channel their characters here, of course. “If we kiss can we get a s2 @hulu,” Jackson wrote in his caption. I guess Hulu approved.
December 1, 2023: Jackson Posted A Cute Couple Pic
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The combo of their all-black looks and the champagne and cigarette in Grace’s hand isn’t pretentious at all.
January 8, 2024: Jackson’s Mom Reveals They’ve Been Dating Since The Audition Process
Not Jackson’s mom, Katey Sagal, spilling his tea. During an appearance on the Broad Ideas podcast, she dished, “My son is on a television show and his girlfriend is the lead.” She said that they have “great chemistry” and have been dating “since the audition.”
August 28, 2024: Grace And Jackson Talked About Filming Tell Me Lies While Dating
When Grace and Jackson were asked about how their relationship affects their on-set dynamic, they only had positive things to say. “We had our first fight on camera,” Grace joked. “It was great. We got it out of the way.” Jackson noted that they get to do “whatever we want with each other because there’s so much trust there.”
According to the actor, they get out all their aggression while filming, so by they time they get home, they’re just chilling. “You’re screaming at each other, or manipulating each other at work,” Jackson said. “And then you go home and there’s nothing left. You get to relax.” Did he just reveal the key to a healthy relationship?
