Rachael Leigh Cook and Ex-Husband Daniel Gillies Were Married For 15 Years: Meet Her Former Spouse

She’s All That actress Rachael Leigh Cook and her ex-husband, Daniel Gillies, are still close friends. The Hallmark star and the NCIS alum got married in 2004. They were together for 15 years before announcing their separation in 2019. Keep scrolling to meet Rachael’s former spouse.

Who Is Rachael Leigh Cook’s Ex-Husband, Daniel Gillies?

Daniel was born in Canada and later moved to New Zealand with his parents when he was a child. Eventually, once he realized he wanted to become an actor, he picked up and moved to Los Angeles in the early 2000s. The couple first met in a bar and began dating shortly after. They tied the knot in 2004, the same year Daniel snagged a role in Spider-Man 2.

One of the screenwriter’s biggest roles came in 2010 when he began portraying Elijah Mikaelson on Vampire Diaries. The recurring role lasted until 2014. He also appeared on the series Saving Hope from 2012 to 2015 and The Originals from 2013 to 2018. Daniel took his talents to Netflix in 2019, starring in the romantic drama series Virgin River. 

In June 2019, Rachael and Daniel announced their split in a joint statement posted on Instagram.

“With deep gratitude for every year we have spent together, and the thousands of beautiful memories shared, we have mutually decided to separate as a couple,” the statement read. “This decision isn’t one we have come to easily or lightly.”

Their divorce was finalized in 2021. And although they are no longer married, the pair still remain friends. 

“It was really hard when Daniel and I decided to separate because of the massive implications that come with that and the upheaval, but honestly, we’re really good,” the Minnesota native told Entertainment Tonight in August 2020. “We’re friends now. We talk about things that we never talked about before because we have this new relationship.”

No topic is off-limits for the former couple, and they even share stories about their dating lives with each other. 

“He’ll tell me about dates that he goes on and funny things that might have happened and we genuinely laugh about it,” she added. “I don’t know. Divorce needs a new publicist. It’s not that bad.”

Rachael did not close herself off from finding love again. Shortly after her separation from Daniel, she met producer Kevin Mann through their mutual friend, Judy Greer.

“I love his perfect heart. He’s magic … He’s a producer. He has incredible taste. He’s the greatest guy,” she gushed at the time. “He’s fine with working really hard and doing great things and he does so much for other people. And then he will watch unlimited seasons of 90 Day Fiancé with me.”

Did Rachael and Daniel have Any Children Together?

Just as Daniel and Rachael’s friendship continues to get stronger, so does their relationship as coparents. The duo welcomed their first child, daughter Charlotte, in 2013. Their son, Theodore, was born in 2015. In an August 2020 interview with Us Weekly, the Dawson’s Creek alum explained the difficult conversation they had with their children about their split. 

“We sat them down, we said, ‘This is a serious talk,’” she explained. “[We told them] what mom and dad know, and [that] this is a grown ups decision, not a kids decision. … We’re always going to be your parents but we’re just not going to be married to each other anymore. … Everything else is going to be the same for the foreseeable future, but just so you know that’s something that’s going to happen.”