By Megan Riedlinger
5:12am PDT, Sep 16, 2020
The Primetime Emmys are the prime time to make things red carpet official for many stars. But do you remember these once loved-up couples who walked the Emmys red carpet hand in hand? In honor of the 2020 Emmys on Sept. 20, we're taking a look back at some of the award show's forgotten celebrity pairings. First up? It's hard to picture Sarah Michelle Gellar with anyone other than Freddie Prinze Jr., but back in 1998, Sarah was dating Jerry O'Connell! Yep, two years before she started seeing her "I Know What You Did Last Summer" co-star Freddie, Sarah and Jerry — who went on to marry Rebecca Romijn — were an item. The two attended the 1998 Emmys together. Keep reading for even more surprising Emmy couples of yesteryear…
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Most people forget that Jennifer Garner and "Scandal" star Scott Foley not only dated but were married! The two got together at the beginning of Jennifer's career after meeting on the set of "Felicity." The happy couple attended the Primetime Emmys together in 2002, just two years before their marriage ended.
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Did you know Elisabeth Moss and Fred Armisen were once married? Though it wasn't for long — the two tied the knot in October 2009 and were divorced by June 2010 — they did attend the 2009 Emmy Awards together a month before their nuptials.
"American Idol" was a juggernaut in 2006. Star judge Simon Cowell attended that year's Emmys with then-girlfriend Terri Seymour. The music mogul and the "Extra" correspondent, who been together since 2002, called it quits by 2008.
Will without Jada? Back in 2003, Will Smith brought then-wife Sheree Zampino along to the Primetime Emmys. The former couple share a son, Trey.
Oft-forgotten Hollywood couple Julia Roberts and Benjamin Bratt posed together on the red carpet at the 1999 Primetime Emmys. The couple ended their four-year romance in 2001.
We'll never understand this odd couple! Back in 2009, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Jamie Kennedy attended the Primetime Emmys together in the midst of their year-long relationship. They broke up just six months after this appearance.
Eva Longoria once dated *NSYNC's JC Chasez! Sure, the surprising duo were only together for about eight months, but attending the 2004 Primetime Emmys together made things look pretty serious.
Jamie-Lynn Sigler once starred as Jerry Ferrara's on-screen girlfriend on "Entourage," but we forgot the two HBO stars romanced one another in real life too! The couple dated for over a year, with the 2009 Primetime Emmys serving as one of the biggest red carpet appearances of their courtship.
After meeting while shooting "Whatever It Takes" back in 2000, Marla Sokoloff and James Franco were an item for four years! The young couple attended the 2002 Primetime Emmy Awards together when he was a nominee for best lead actor in a miniseries or movie for his performance in the TV biopic "James Dean."
These days, she's in an Instagram-picture-perfect relationship with "The Bachelor" castoff Wells Adams, but in 2013, "Modern Family" star Sarah Hyland attended the Primetime Emmys with then-boyfriend Matt Prokop. This rocky relationship was anything but fun — it ended in 2014 with a restraining order and accusations of abuse.
Do you remember that Laura Dern and Ben Harper were an item in the '00s? The two met in 2000, married in 2005 and split up in 2010 — less than two years after they attended the Primetime Emmy Awards together in 2008, when Laura was up for best supporting actress in a miniseries or movie for her performance in "Recount."
Before their tumultuous divorce in 2010, Eva Longoria brought along hubby Tony Parker to the 2008 Primetime Emmy Awards. Though the good-looking couple certainly didn't live happily ever after, there's no need to feel sorry for Eva! Today, she's happily married to José Bastón, with whom she welcomed her first child in 2018.
Nowadays, the world knows Camille Grammer from her stint on "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills," but back in 1998, she was best known for being Mrs. Kelsey Grammer! The couple attended the 1998 Primetime Emmys together long before Camille was a reality star.
Helen Hunt once dated Hank Azaria?! Yup. The couple attended the 1995 Primetime Emmy Awards together four years before tying the knot in 1999. Their marriage was unfortunately all too brief and they called it quits a year later.
These days, Ian Somerhalder is married to actress Nikki Reed. The two share a child, daughter Bodhi, and are seemingly inseparable. But before Nikki, Ian dated another beautiful brunette — Nina Dobrev! The "Vampire Diaries" co-stars even attended the 2011 Primetime Emmy Awards together.
Heidi Klum and Seal are next on the list. The two, who first got together in 2004 and married in 2005, attended quite a few Primetime Emmy Awards together — including in 2010. Seal was often on hand to cheer for his wife, who was up numerous times for her work on "Project Runway." The couple announced their split less than two years later in January 2012.
