'Friends' star Courteney Cox and Snow Patrol's Johnny McDaid end decade-long romance
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Actress Courteney Cox and singer-songwriter Johnny McDaid have ended their relationship after more than 10 years together.
The former couple first met and began dating in 2013 after being introduced by mutual friend and musician Ed Sheeran at a star-studded house party hosted by Cox at her Los Angeles home. They got engaged in June 2014 before later calling off the engagement, reconciling, and remaining together for years.
Courteney Cox and Johnny McDaid's relationship journey
The Daily Mail first reported the couple's split on Saturday, June 27.
Cox and McDaid were last seen together publicly when they attended the US Open in September 2025. Before that, in July, the actress celebrated the musician's 48th birthday with a heartfelt Instagram tribute, sharing photos of him performing onstage, flying a plane, and smiling beside her with a fish he had caught.
Alongside the pictures, she wrote, "Happy birthday to the man who can do most anything. I love you always J."
The couple got engaged nine months after they began dating but called off their engagement in late 2015 before reconciling the following year. They never became engaged again.
In April 2024, Cox revealed on the 'Minnie Questions with Minnie Driver' podcast that the couple had previously split during a couples therapy session.
“Three years in, we broke up, and it was really intense. We broke up in therapy. I didn't know it was coming, whether I should have or not,” she said.
She continued, “He just broke up within the first minute. And I was like, what? We were engaged, and I was so shocked. I was in so much pain,” and later explained what led to the breakup, saying, “He wasn't trying to surprise me."
Cox further emphasized, "He was in that much pain in the relationship. There was that much that needed to be dealt with that he had to protect himself around his heart.”
Courteney Cox reflects on lessons from her relationship with Johnny McDaid
Although the split was painful, Cox said it ultimately reshaped the relationship after they reunited the following year. She explained that the experience helped her reclaim her voice and establish healthier boundaries.
“It really taught me how I operated in the world,” she said on the podcast.
She continued, “What were the things from my childhood that I needed? Like, whether it was to be adored by men or things that I didn't know how to let go to be in a relationship. To not take things personally, my boundaries. I just went into myself and I had a great therapist.”
In an earlier interview with PEOPLE, Cox reflected on the lessons she had learned over the years.
“I've learned you can't take a lot personally,” adding, “I used to think, 'Oh well, if you loved me...' It's not really about you. People do things because of their own history and their own past. I had to learn that lesson for sure.”
Cox, who launched her home-care product line Homecourt, also spoke about how spending time apart from McDaid during the first part of the COVID-19 pandemic made her value their relationship even more.
“I've learned that love is precious,” she said adding, “As I've gotten older, I've realized that.”
When she was not working, the actress said she enjoyed spending time at home with her daughter Coco, whom she shares with ex-husband David Arquette, their two dogs Bear and Lily, and McDaid.
She said, “I like to putter, I like to get things done during the day. And then around 6 o'clock, it's time to relax, whether it's with my close friends who come over or with Johnny. I cook a lot.”