THE RUNDOWN
-
Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson have been friends for decades and are now working on a new project together: Holmes’s film Happy Hours.
-
The two former Dawson’s Creek stars dated on-screen and offscreen in the ’90s.
-
As they continue filming in New York City during summer 2025, a source recently spoke about whether the two single stars would ever date each other again.
Katie Holmes and Joshua Jackson have officially reunited. The former Dawson’s Creek stars are collaborating on Holmes’s upcoming film Happy Hours, which she is set to direct and star in alongside Jackson. Since the pair have been spotted filming scenes around New York City, fans are speculating about a possible romantic rekindling as they previously dated decades ago.
But a source recently clarified that they aren’t back together. The insider told Entertainment Tonight that Holmes and Jackson are “just friends.” The source added, “They have a special bond and love how excited fans are. Rekindling a romantic relationship is not likely.”
Ahead, the full history of their relationship.
1998
Holmes and Jackson met in the ’90s when they co-starred on the hit teen drama, Dawson’s Creek. The show ran for six seasons from 1998 to 2003. Their characters, Joey Potter (Holmes) and Pacey Witter (Jackson), engaged in an on-again-off-again relationship throughout the series before finally getting married in the end.
And the actors took their romance offscreen. In a 1998 Rolling Stone interview, Holmes, then 19, alluded to her IRL relationship with Jackson, which reportedly had already ended by then. “I had really good luck this past year, and I had a really wonderful, amazing experience,” she said. The journalist then mentioned that she has it on “good authority” that her great dating experience was with her Dawson’s Creek co-star.
“I’m just going to say that I met somebody last year,” she responded. “I fell in love, I had my first love, and it was something so incredible and indescribable that I will treasure it always. And that I feel so fortunate because he’s now one of my best friends.” She continued, “He’s been in the business so long, and he’s really helped me. I respect him as a friend and as a professional.”
September 2012
September 20
Jackson appeared on an episode of the Canadian talk show, George Stroumboulopoulos Tonight. In the interview, he spoke about a recent phone call he received from Holmes. “Like any old friend, it was like, ‘Oh, hi, how are ya? What’s going on?,’ ‘I had a kid,’ ‘Yeah, that’s crazy, I heard.’ It was nice, it was very nice, actually.” At the time, he was in a relationship with the German actress Diane Kruger.
April 2023
April 16
In an interview with The Times, Jackson spoke about his former relationship with Holmes. “We were kids,” he said, “so it was a full-on stars-moon-sky romance.”
He also shared that the Dawson’s Creek cast have a WhatsApp group chat. “It doesn’t get a lot of use but every once in a while someone will crop up,” he said. “[In January] we passed the 25th anniversary [of the show] so there was a flurry of texts. It really centers around, ‘Oh my God, I can’t believe that we all went through that thing together.’ It’s obviously such a formative point in all our lives.”
June 2024
June 8
Holmes was interviewed for The Times and was asked about the Dawson’s Creek WhatsApp group, which she seemingly didn’t know anything about. “All of us text every now and then, but I wasn’t aware of the WhatsApp,” she said. “But you know what? I’m really bad at WhatsApp. I never check it because it’s a little too much.”
But she did share that she keeps in touch with the cast “every now and then.” She added, “Everyone’s grown up and is busy, but the bond will forever be there.”
April 2025
April 22
Jackson appeared on an episode of Jesse Tyler Ferguson’s podcast, Dinner’s on Me. During a conversation about Dawson’s Creek, Jackson revealed that he and Holmes were still “very close.” He said, “It’s not a daily call. Sometimes it’s not a weekly, or monthly, or even a half-yearly call, but when you’re together…there’s always that, like, I know you know.”
July 2025
July 21
Holmes announced that she and Jackson were going to be working together again on a new film, Happy Hours.
“Working with Josh after so many years is a testament to friendship,” she wrote. “ HAPPY HOURS is a love story that includes so many people I adore. We can’t wait for everyone to see what we make.”
Holmes is set to direct, write, and star in Happy Hours with Jackson. According to Deadline, the forthcoming trilogy is “a story about two people (played by Holmes and Jackson) navigating their relationship within the challenges of careers and family responsibilities and the pursuit of love, despite life’s inevitable obstacles. It’s a character-driven dramedy that explores the emotional journey of young loves who reconnect as adults, with the connective thread of shared joys, loss, and hope.”
The rest of the cast includes Constance Wu, Mary-Louise Parker, Donald Webber Jr., and John McGinty. Production on the first of the three films is currently underway in New York.
The same day as Holmes’ Instagram post, she and Jackson were spotted filming Happy Hours in NYC.
July 22
Holmes and Jackson were photographed running lines.
July 24
A source shut down offscreen dating rumors, telling Entertainment Tonight, “Rekindling a romantic relationship is not likely. They are just friends.” The insider added, “Josh and Katie are excited to be working together again. They have a special bond and love how excited fans are.”
July 25
They were seen shooting a scene in Washington Square Park. Jackson was pushing a stroller, possibly hinting that their characters will have a baby in Happy Hours.
July 28
The actors ventured to Brooklyn to film, and Holmes was in director mode.
You Might Also Like
-
The 15 Best Organic And Clean Shampoos For Any And All Hair Types
-
100 Gifts That Are $50 Or Under (And Look Way More Expensive Than They Actually Are)
