Highlights
- Jennifer Coolidge's relationship with Chris Kattan ended due to the pressures of his Saturday Night Live fame.
- Kattan fell in love with Coolidge, despite thinking he was out of her league, leading to a passionate romance.
- The couple's relationship started to decline after Coolidge was turned down for Saturday Night Live, causing tension between them.
Jennifer Coolidge is one of Hollywood's most beloved actors, thanks to the bubbly and eccentric element she often adds to her TV roles. However, in contrast to the exciting and refreshing roles fans see her portray in films, Coolidge leads a guarded life due to her penchant for privacy. While the White Lotus actress keeps her personal life away from the spotlight, she has been linked to a few high-profile love interests in the past.
In the late 90s, Jennifer Coolidge dated fellow comedian Chris Kattan in a relationship that ended under the pressure of his Saturday Night Live fame. Although the actress has been typically tight-lipped about their past relationship, Kattan has been open about it over the years. Here's how Coolidge's relationship with Kattan hit a rough patch.
What Happened Between Jennifer Coolidge And Chris Kattan?
Jennifer Coolidge and Chris Kattan's relationship dates back to the early stages of their careers. Decades after their breakup, Coolidge kept that part of her life private, just like she does with every aspect of her life, away from the camera. Unlike the actress, Kattan shared details of their relationship in his 2019 memoir, Baby Don't Hurt Me. In the eye-opening book, the Undercover Brother actor opened up about how their relationship panned out and what led to its end.
The actor revealed how he fell in love with Jennifer Coolidge while believing he was out of her league. Despite his feelings, Chris Kattan did not hold back on pursuing her, leading to a steamy romance between them. He described Coolidge in his book:
"Jennifer Coolidge was a tall, messy, sexy, tough, charmingly crass Boston native bombshell who was considered unattainable by all."
The Monkeybone star wrote of how he and the Legally Blonde actress appeared to be incompatible, such that "nobody could believe it when we actually started dating." Chris Kattan and Jennifer Coolidge started their relationship in 1994, and the following year, they auditioned for SNL alongside stars like Will Ferrel. According to the Christmas in Wonderland Star, things started to go downhill after their Saturday Night Live attempt.
While the star actor got the SNL gig, the 2 Broke Girls actress was turned down. Chris Kattan stated that this caused some tension in their romance. It is safe to say that the pair had just started their careers and were experiencing a new dynamic concerning their personal lives and career paths. Coolidge would get her big break on American Pie in 1999. He explained in his memoir:
"She had auditioned and been turned down, creating a delicate situation because it was so difficult for me to share my exciting news without feeling badly about it."
Jennifer Coolidge Kept To Herself And Stayed In Her Dressing Room During Her 'Intimidating' Experience On Friends
Jennifer Coolidge wasn't allowed to go off-script during her cameo on Friends.Kattan revealed how Jennifer Coolidge suggested that they end their relationship, but he refused. He shared, 'I was adamant we could work it out. I didn't want to lose the connection we had... I just didn't want to lose her." The connection he talked about was more about their shared interests in comedy than their romance. The lovers further drifted apart, and the final straw came after their 1998 movie A Night at the Roxbury.
According to him, their relationship fizzled out after he became involved with the film's director, Amy Heckerling. Chris Kattan revealed that SNL's creator, Lorne Michaels, paired him and Heckerling, leading to his breakup with Jennifer Coolidge. He recalled telling her that another woman kissed him, and he felt it was a good idea that they separated, just as she previously suggested. His affair with Heckerling also affected his relationship with Will Ferrel.
He stated about Coolidge's reaction, "I could tell she was surprised, but her feelings hadn't changed, and I'd been the one pushing to stay together, so she agreed." Relationships tend to be complicated, and Hollywood romances like Matt Rife and Kate Beckinsale's past relationship aren't the exception. However, in Chris Kattan and Coolidge's case, he inferred that it was an easy breakup. Despite this deduction, the actor still felt some feelings lingering. He relayed:
"We'd known each other so long that there was no ill will, but I think there were still some hurt feelings and resentments on both sides."
This Is What Chris Kattan's Life And Net Worth Look Like Today
Chris Kattan shot to fame on 'Saturday Night Live' in the late '90s, but what has his life and career been like since?Jennifer Coolidge's career profile, according to Celebrity Net Worth in 2023:
Jennifer Coolidge | |
Birthdate | August 28, 1961 |
Career | Active since 1993 |
Acting Credits | American Pie, The White Lotus, and Legally Blonde, among others. |
Net Worth | $6 million |
Inside Jennifer Coolidge and Chris Kattan's Lives After Their Breakup
In 2005, Chris Kattan was romantically linked to model Sunshine Deia Tutt. The following year, the Bunnicula star proposed to her on Christmas Eve. Kattan and Tutt tied the knot in 2008 as they threw a ceremony in Yosemite Valley. However, their union was short-lived, as the pair separated 44 days later. Although a rep for Kattan told the Daily News at the time that the couple was only "separated at the moment," the pair finalized their divorce a month later.
In 2020, the SNL star was on a quest to look for love when he joined TLC's Find Love Live. This was a virtual dating for singles. Chris Kattan was paired with a woman called Theo, and although things looked promising at first, he became lukewarm about the whole thing after their first date.
Since 2023, Kattan has been engaged to Maria Libri, a writer and former on-air personality. The pair have collaborated on several writing projects and appeared together on his YouTube series, Hey Kattan! Over the years, Jennifer Coolidge has become more open about her personal life and shared tidbits about the romantic aspect.
Did Jennifer Coolidge ever get married? No. The Cinderella Story star has never been married, and according to her, she has yet to find the one. Speaking to Vulture in 2021, the TV actress revealed that her male counterparts "can be insecure about my success." She told Page Six in 2023:
"I mean, my dating life, I've never found anyone quite right for myself. I haven't found the love of my life."
While Chris Kattan thought she was unattainable back then, Coolidge also believed she was often interested in unattainable men. However, this never stopped her from enjoying romance in her own way. She divulged to Kelly Clarkson in 2021 that she once dated two friends in Hawaii by pretending she had an identical twin sister.
Why Did Nina Dobrev And Ian Somerhalder Break Up?
The break-up might've been caused by the age difference between the actors, according to sources. Are Nina Dobrev and Ian Somerhalder still friends?The Emmy-winning actress was also said to have dated actor Banks McClintock in the 2000s. The NY Times once referred to him as Coolidge's live-in boyfriend. McClintock told the publication in 2004 that besides her good looks, he was attracted to the actress because of her sense of humor, which "was much more like a guy's than a girl's."
Does Jennifer Coolidge have children? Just as she has never been married, the movie star does not have kids. In a British GQ interview, Coolidge referred to herself as "very, very immature," which kept her from having children. Regarding finding love, she told Page Six that she would love to find a partner.
