The Real-Life Partners Of The Cast Of Sweet Magnolias

Based on author Sherryl Woods' book series "Sweet Magnolias," this Netflix TV show has taken viewers on an emotional roller coaster as three lifelong friends — Maddie (JoAnna Garcia Swisher), Dana Sue (Brooke Elliot), and Helen (Heather Headley) — try to navigate their lives in small-town Serenity, South Carolina. Cozy and comforting, the show is jam-packed with drama and is the perfect treat to watch with girlfriends while sipping a glass of wine, or should we say margaritas? 

The series became an instant hit when it first aired on the streaming platform in 2020, with creator Sheryl Anderson telling Country Living, "'Sweet Magnolias' is built on a foundation of friendship, faith, and community. ... In the writer's room and in production, we said, 'We want everyone to see themselves in Serenity.' I think that spirit of inclusivity has resonated with viewers, too." It certainly has, as the show is bound for a third season, as of this writing. 

While Maddie, Dana Sue, and Helen help lift each other onscreen, viewers have also watched the women navigate romances, and it doesn't hurt that the men on the show are good eye-candy. And in real life, the actors portraying these women, as well as the rest of the cast, have actual partners that seem just as lovely. Check out the real-life partners of the cast of "Sweet Magnolias" below. 

Fans may recognize actor Justin Bruening as Matthew Taylor on "Grey's Anatomy," but this star is melting hearts in "Sweet Magnolias" as Maddie's love interest — who also happens to be her oldest son Ty's baseball coach, Cal Maddox.

Bruening got his acting start in soap operas, which makes him a great fit for the Netflix series. He starred as Jamie Martin in "One Life to Live" and reprised his role in "All My Children," which is where he met his real-life wife, Alexa Havins, who played Babe Chandler, per Soap Central. Bruening even proposed to Havins while on set, with his character popping the question to her character. Havins shared to Soap Opera Digest, "But what could be more fitting? We spend so much time there, and it's like our second family. When he asked me, it was so nice; he put the ring on my finger and I was giggling, screaming, and I turned and our cast and crew was coming out of the woodwork because they had the live feed coming [through the studio] — the producers and hair and makeup came down and they had a cake and champagne and it was a really, really nice moment."

According to Soap Central, these two are parents to three children, but the family of five keeps a rather low profile, as neither star is on social media. Havins shared, "Maybe there's something of me that is kind of vintage, I guess. ... And the second factor is probably just that I'm focused on my family."

Jamie Lynn Spears hasn't had another major role since starring as Zoey Brooks in Nickelodeon's "Zoey 101" in the mid-2000s. But the singer-actor is back in action as Noreen Fitzgibbons in "Sweet Magnolias," the other woman in Bill Townsend's affair. Off screen, however, the younger sister of pop icon Britney Spears is happily married to businessman James Watson.

The couple met through friends, but it wasn't quite love at first sight. As Watson shared on TLC's "Jamie Lynn Spears: When the Lights Go Out" in 2016 (via Us Weekly), "I think we grew on each other, which is probably why we are still together." Jamie Lynn added, "He was kind of awkward and weird. He was always uncomfortable ... looking back though, I think it's kind of sweet because he was acting that way obviously because he liked me." Despite having some reservations, these two gave their relationship a try and later married in 2014. 

Watson was also welcoming of Jamie Lynn's young daughter, Maddie, from her relationship with ex Casey Aldridge. The star made headlines when she left "Zoey 101" after she found out she was pregnant at 16. "I knew I wanted to marry her when basically I had fallen in love with Maddie just as much as her," Watson explained (via Us Weekly). The couple welcomed a daughter of their own named Ivey Joan in 2018, per People. 

Brandon Quinn has been in numerous television shows, including "Entourage," "Rebel," and "The Fosters," with '90s babies perhaps remembering him best as Tommy Dawkins on "Big Wolf on Campus." These days, the actor stars as Ronnie Sullivan on "Sweet Magnolias," the ex-husband of Dana Sue and father to their daughter, Annie. 

Quinn might be playing a husband separated from his wife, but in real life, the actor has been married to his wife, Rachel Swierenga, for over 20 years. Little is known about her, with SB Nation's Mile High Report stating that she is Canadian, and that the private couple share three children together. While her Instagram account is private, her bio includes a heart emoji and reads, "Always down to climb a mountain, eat good food, sit in the sun & be with the people I love most." According to Distractify, who noted that the couple's real-life meet-cute happened on an unnamed set in Montreal, the bio previously included her job title: "Personal Trainer and Meal Planner."

However, Quinn isn't shy when professing his adoration for the brunette beauty on social media. In May 2021, he shared an Instagram post celebrating her birthday, writing in part in the caption, "22 years and my love for you grows stronger and deeper with every passing day." He touchingly added, "I love you with all my heart and soul and am grateful I get to grow old with you and spend eternity with you."