They might encounter zombies on The Walking Dead: Dead City, but the love lives of the series’ cast are very much alive.
The second season of The Walking Dead spinoff premiered May 4, and Maggie (Lauren Cohan) and Negan (Jeffrey Dean Morgan) are learning that New York is still the city that never sleeps — even after a zombie apocalypse.
At the end of the first season, Maggie betrayed Negan by trading him for the return of her son, Hershel (Logan Kim), and handing Negan over to Croat (Željko Ivanek).
“Any time he can get put into a corner, fun things are going to happen,” Jeffrey told Entertainment Weekly in July 2023. “And so now we leave off here with Negan in a corner and we’ll get to tell the story of him trying to get out of it because he’s in a bad position right now, and he knows it.”
Maggie and Negan have both experienced heartbreak, and their current situation is complicated — to say the least — but what about the actors’ off-screen relationships? Here’s everything to know about the real-life partners of The Walking Dead: Dead City cast.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Hilarie Burton
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Hilarie Burton and Jeffrey Dean Morgan attend the AMC Networks’ 2023 Upfront at Jazz at Lincoln Center on April 18, 2023 in New York City.
Jeffrey Dean Morgan and former One Tree Hill star Hilarie Burton met on a blind date in 2009 when they were set up by their mutual friends Jensen and Danneel Ackles.
In March 2010, the couple welcomed their son, Augustus “Gus” Morgan, and their second child, daughter George Virginia, in February 2018.
After a decade of dating, Jeffrey and Hilarie were married in an intimate ceremony in New York on Oct. 5, 2019.
“We had built this life together. We’d had kids together. I think there comes a point where you just don’t want to go another day by being inauthentic about it,” Hilarie told PEOPLE after their wedding.
The two appeared together on the CBS sci-fi series, Extant, and Hilarie made a cameo on The Walking Dead, playing Jeffrey’s character Negan’s late wife Lucille. Negan honored his wife by naming his deadly barbed wire baseball bat after her.
Their relationship isn’t the only sweet thing in Jeffrey and Hilarie’s life — they are also co-owners of a candy shop. In 2014, the couple, along with longtime friend Paul Rudd and his wife Julie, purchased Samuel’s Sweet Shop, in Rhinebeck, N.Y.
Lauren Cohan
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Lauren Cohan at the AMC Networks 2025 Upfront on April 9, 2025 in New York City.
It is unclear if Lauren is currently dating anyone, but she was previously linked to talent agent Christian Carino.
In 2016, the two were photographed holding hands at a New York Rangers game. The following year, in 2017, Christian stared dating Lady Gaga.
Over the years, some Walking Dead fans were convinced of a real-life romance between Lauren and her costar, Steven Yeun, who played her husband, Glenn.
“There are entire websites dedicated to the proof that Steven and I are in a real relationship,” she told Rolling Stone in October 2013. “Which is always funny, because it’s not. Obviously there’s huge fanaticism about the show, but it’s nice to be known for something like that.”
Željko Ivanek and Greg Pierce
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Greg Pierce (L) and Zeljko Ivanek (R) attend the Opening Night performance of ‘A Parallelogram’ at The Second Stage Theatre on August 2, 2017 in New York City.
Željko Ivanek is partners with playwright Greg Pierce. The two were introduced by Greg’s uncle, David Hyde Pierce, according to Baltimore magazine.
In 2012, Željko starred with Sarah Steele in Greg’s play, Slowgirl, at the Claire Tow Theater at Lincoln Center in New York.
Gaius Charles
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Gaius Charles attends PaleyLive: Walking And Talking: An Evening With The Walking Dead: Dead City at The Paley Museum on April 30, 2025 in New York City.
While Gaius’ relationship status is a mystery, he has a lot of love for his Dead City costars, who he affectionally refers to as “the fam” on his Instagram.
His breakout role was as Brian “Smash” Williams on Friday Night Lights, and in the years since, he has appeared on several other series, including Grey’s Anatomy, Taken and Roswell, New Mexico.
In July 2023, Gaius told PEOPLE that he was having “a lot of fun” on the AMC post-apocalyptic drama.
“When I killed my first walker, that felt like an initiation,” he shared. “They really try to allow the actors to do as much as possible, so it’s definitely a workout some days.”
Luckily, Gaius is no stranger to workouts.
Kim Coates and Diana Chappell
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Actor Kim Coates and his wife at the Australia Week 2009 Black Tie Gala on January 18, 2009 in Hollywood, California.
Kim Coates and his wife, Diana, have been married since 1984. They met when they were both attending the University of Saskatchewan.
After they graduated, Diana helped support Kim as he pursued his acting dream.
“You need someone to help you over those bumpy roads,” he told Fine Lifestyles Saskatoon in 2012. “If you love each other, if they can support you until there’s either nothing left to support or you’re a star, that’s what it takes. I was lucky Diana did that for me.”
Kim is an actor who has appeared in nearly 160 projects. His wife, Diana, is a teacher. They share two daughters: Kyla and Brenna. The latter has followed in her father’s footsteps and is also an actor.
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