The Real Reason Cote De Pablo And Michael Weatherly Never Dated
Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly were co-stars on the CBS action drama "NCIS" until de Pablo's departed the series in 2013 after an eight-year run. During a 2016 Q&A about her reasons for leaving the show, the actor said that the show writers wanted to send her character, Ziva David, back to her home country of Israel "and make her an unfortunate, miserable woman," which she didn't agree with. Despite leaving the series, de Pablo has since made a few guest appearances.
At the 2016 Television Critics Association's summer press tour, Weatherly revealed why he left "NCIS" that same year (via The Hollywood Reporter). His reason was much more simple: "I was burnt out by 'NCIS' and I was ready for a new challenge," he said, adding, "Sometimes change is as good as a rest." Ultimately, and unlike de Pablo, he "felt happy with the resolution of [his] character," Anthony DiNozzo.
On a Reddit thread, fans discussed their disappointment after both actors left the show, mostly because Ziva and Anthony shared a slow-burning relationship, but were never officially depicted romantically despite clearly being in love with one another and together behind the scenes. They even had a daughter at one point. Although it was revealed that the family was eventually reunited (again, off-screen), fans would have liked to have seen this relationship play out more front and center. The obvious chemistry between the actors also made fans wonder over the years why Weatherly and de Pablo never dated.
Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly weren't meant to be more than friends
Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly never dated in real life despite their undeniable on-screen chemistry while playing Special Agent Ziva David and Special Agent Anthony DiNozzo on "NCIS." In a 2009 interview with Entertainment Weekly, de Pablo revealed that the two actors had chemistry from the start, but not in the traditional sense. Their connection came from being incredibly different people and completely respecting these differences and growing close because of them. De Pablo stated, "We sort of hated each other immediately, and loved each other immediately," adding, "That relationship was established the moment that we met."
As for Weatherly's first impressions, he revealed during an Entertainment Tonight segment in 2009 that he "was amazed by the focus and the clarity of [de Pablo's] performance, and before I knew it, I had fallen hopelessly, desperately into an enchanted spell." While he and de Pablo went on to joke during the interview that they would go by the nickname "Ham and Cheese" if they ever did date in real life, this never happened. Instead, it seems that their relationship veered into more of a sibling-type bond, which de Pablo explained to Rachael Ray in 2013. Over the course of the show, she said she came to know Weatherly very well, even in an "intimate way," but ultimately said he became "like my brother."
Both Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly were in relationships with other people
The truth is that even if Cote de Pablo and Michael Weatherly's relationship hadn't evolved into one of friendship and sibling-type love, both actors were seeing other people at the time they starred alongside one another on "NCIS." De Pablo dated fellow actor Diego Serrano, known for his roles in "Time of Your Life" and "Our Italian Husband," for 15 years before calling it quits in 2015, per Express. However, during the time they dated, it seems that they were happy, making it unlikely that she would have considered leaving him for another man. De Pablo told Prevention in 2012 that Serrano was "the worst influence that I have ever had in my entire life, and I love him for it." He encouraged her to step out of her comfort zone and balanced her out. She added, "If it weren't for him, I'd be the most boring person ..."
As for Weatherly, he began dating his now-wife, Bojana Janković, in 2007 and married her two years later, according to People. The couple went on to have two children, Olivia and Liam, and the actor is firmly a family man now. In 2017, Weatherly told the publication that he couldn't be happier with the way his life turned out and, despite leading a very successful career, he says he is most proud of his kids and his marriage. "I'm lucky," he said, adding, "I have a wonderful wife."