Celebs Who Played Matchmaker For Their Famous Friends

The following article references domestic abuse allegations. 

Look at the origin story of many a Hollywood couple and you'll often find that they were introduced by a "mutual friend." This mysterious "friend," as it turns out, tends on the super-famous side — hence the conspicuous absence of name-dropping. But with just a little bit of expert sleuthing, we were able to find out who exactly some of these famous Cupids are, and which of their equally famous friends they introduced. These stars may be actors, singers, and TV stars, but there's definitely a career in matchmaking for them if things turn sour on that front.

From the success stories to the relationships that fell apart, we walk you through the famous couples who were set up by their high-profile pals. Don't be surprised if you see some of the same names pop up again and again, as many of these celebs were all too happy to play both matchmaker and matchmakee!

Ed Sheeran and his wife Cherry Seaborn met in school, but they may never have reconnected if it weren't for Sheeran's close friendship with Taylor Swift, as Sheeran explained in a behind the scenes for the singing duo's "End Game" video. "I wanna talk about the fourth of July line, 'cause that makes me really happy," Swift prompted. "Well, you see, it's kind of a play on words," Sheeran said. "There's a film with Tom Cruise called 'Born on the Fourth of July.' ... My relationship started on the fourth of July." Swift, always one for giving credit where credit is due, then asked, "Where? Whose house? Whose house?" Sheeran answered, "Taylor's house."

The "Folklore" singer was hosting one of her famed Independence Day parties at her Rhode Island home when Sheeran found out Seaborn was close by. "I was like, 'Taylor, can she turn up?' and you were like, 'yep' and then here we are." Sheeran and Seaborn began dating, before marrying in December 2018 and welcoming a baby girl named Lyra Antarctica Seaborn Sheeran in August 2020. Incidentally, this may have not been the first time Swift played an instrumental role in Sheeran's love life. According to the Mirror, she reportedly introduced him to Ellie Goulding.

On a 2018 episode of "Late Night with Seth Meyers," Emily Blunt shared the "kind of lame" way she met husband John Krasinski. "I was in a restaurant. He was in the restaurant. I was sitting with a mutual friend," Blunt recalled. "And my friend Gray goes, 'Oh, my God, there's my friend John.' And that was it." Oh, but that's not it. She said Krasinski happened to be "sitting with our friend Justin Theroux." And while Theroux didn't join them, he did let Krasinski bail on his table and hang out with Blunt. And to think, had Theroux called Krasinski back over, who knows if this love connection would've happened. An unintentional matchmaker if there ever was one.

"And then I met her, and I was so nervous, and I was like, 'Oh God, I think I'm gonna fall in love with her,'" Krasinski said of their introduction on "The Ellen DeGeneres Show." "And as I shook her hand, I went, 'I like you.'"

As they appeared together on "The Graham Norton Show" in 2018, Blunt teased Krasinski about his undying love for "The Devil Wears Prada." Krasinski, attempting to play down how big of a fan he was of Blunt, quipped, "I couldn't get Annie [Hathaway] and so I was like, 'Oh...!'" Anne Hathaway, who is a friend of the pair, promptly posted a picture of a headline about his joke on Instagram and wrote, "John, I'm only with Adam [Shulman] because I couldn't get Emily." 

Always one for asking the hard-hitting questions, James Corden asked Jesse Tyler Ferguson whether he had in fact set up his "Modern Family" co-star Sofia Vergara with now-husband Joe Manganiello. "I knew Joe sort of through people and we'd done benefits together, and I knew Sofia from... working with her," Ferguson said on "The Late Late Show." He continued, "We were at a party together and I just introduced them. [I was like], 'have you met Sofia?' and of course Joe was like, 'mmh' and then when she broke up with her fiancé at the time, Joe like immediately, the moment it was out in the world, called me and was like, 'I need her number.' And then I called Sofia and was like, 'can I give Joe your number?' and she was like, 'ay, no, ay, they're coming out of the woods' but like wanting me to give the number as well, like pretending."

So of course, Ferguson ended up giving Manganiello Vergara's number. This was 2014, and the "Magic Mike" actor didn't waste any time, popping the question later that year. "Our first date was in June, and then I proposed to her on Christmas Eve; [we dated for] about six months," Manganiello told Haute Living. "When you know, you know, and we knew right away — like, very quickly." It's safe to say this was another successful Hollywood matchmaking venture, as these days Vergara can be found posting sweet pics of herself and her husband on Instagram. Aw!

TV star and fashion designer Nicole Richie has been happily married to singer Joel Madden since 2010. Seeing that Joel's twin brother, Benji Madden, was still single, Richie took it upon herself to introduce him to her good friend, superstar Cameron Diaz. "I approve of anything that's going to make Benj happy," Richie said on "Watch What Happens Live" in 2014. When Andy Cohen asked if she set the two up, Richie replied, "Yes, I'm going to take responsibility for just everything." When she appeared on Cohen's radio show in 2016, Diaz said she connected with Benji when Joel and Richie brought him over to an event at her home. 

Diaz and Benji Madden were married in 2015 and welcomed their baby daughter Raddix Chloe Wildflower Madden on December 30, 2019, according to The Blast. A few days later, new mom Diaz posted a text image on Instagram. "Happy New Year from the Maddens!" she wrote. "We are so happy, blessed and grateful to begin this new decade by announcing the birth of our daughter, Raddix Madden. She has instantly captured our hearts and completed our family."

As for sisters-in-law Diaz and Richie, they're still close after all these years. "Despite their hectic schedules, Cameron and Nicole still manage to find the time to enjoy girls' nights out!" an unnamed source told Life & Style in 2019. "You can tell their friendship is genuine and not just for show as they were talking about how they'd missed their weekly get-togethers!"

When Kristen Bell got it in her head that actor Jaime King and filmmaker Kyle Newman would be perfect together, she wouldn't *let it go* without a fight. "Kristen Bell I didn't know at all, but she kept calling me in my hotel room and I was very confused because she was really friendly," King once told E! News (via Female First). "She keeps inviting me to hang out... but she was trying to tell us we were supposed to be together."

The "Hart of Dixie" star and "Fanboys" director began dating in 2005. "After one week, we were so close," King told InStyle. The couple married in 2007, but unfortunately, things ended in an ugly separation in 2020. As People reported, she obtained a restraining order, made allegations of abuse, and filed for custody of their children; he denied the allegations and claimed she "emptied and closed all of our joint accounts." King denied his allegations. 

According to People, Newman sought custody of their two sons. "I have been the children's primary caretaker since their birth and the children have spent the large majority of 2020 in my sole custody," Newman alleged in court documents obtained by the outlet. In a statement given to People, a rep for King said, "Once again, Kyle's lawyers have filed selectively redacted documents which perpetuate a false narrative about Jaime." In February 2021, E! News reported they share custody.

If you or someone you know is dealing with domestic abuse, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1−800−799−7233. You can also find more information, resources, and support at their website.

We all know that starring in a movie together is the best way for celebs to spark up a romance (see: Brangelina, Bennifer, etc.). But what about getting your co-stars to set you up with their nearest and dearest? Okay, this strategy may not be as widespread or relatable, but for Stanley Tucci, it sure did work in a big way when he and Emily Blunt became pals while making the hit flick "The Devil Wears Prada."

Emily introduced her sister Felicity Blunt, who is a literary agent, to the "Supernova" star. "Emily loved Stanley on the set of 'Devil,' and just thought they would hit it off, so she set them up," a source told Us Weekly. Felicity Blunt and Stanley Tucci were married in 2012, with the bride in a lacy, sleeveless dress by Nanette Lepore, per People. The couple share two children, while Tucci has three kids from his first marriage to the late Kate Spath-Tucci.

The Blunt sisters and their husbands now form one big happy family, and they have an expert mixologist in their midst. For Christmas 2020, Tucci posted a video of himself making them all some "Christmas cosmos" with pomegranate. The actor is famously a dab hand in the kitchen generally, with three cookbooks to his name — the ideal brother-in-law.