Grace Van Patten and Jackson White's Relationship: All About the Tell Me Lies Costars' Romance

Tell Me Lies may tell the story of a toxic relationship, but the love between the two leads — played by Grace Van Patten and Jackson White — in real life could not be more different.

Van Patten and White first met in 2022 while filming season 1 of the Hulu original series based on the book of the same name. The two were coy about their relationship at first, teasing sneak peeks on social media, but seemingly confirmed they were dating when they stepped out holding hands in November 2022.

Ahead of the show's season 2 premiere in September 2024, Van Patten spoke to PEOPLE, sharing that it was "trippy" to work with White on the show — where they play toxic on-and-off partners Lucy and Stephen — "because we are together in real life and he knows me better than anyone."

The show took a break from filming after its debut in 2022, which White told PEOPLE in September 2024 made it hard to return to — especially as his character was manipulative and negative toward Van Patten's.

"It was super weird. It was hard. It was like, we put these people away for a while, [so] taking them back out was a little hard, but really fun," he recalled. "We knew exactly how to do it."

From the early days of teasing their relationship online to working together, here's everything to know about Grace Van Patten and Jackson White's relationship.

Van Patten and White met while filming Tell Me Lies

Van Patten and White first met in 2022 while working on the set of Tell Me Lies. In the show, they portray Lucy and Stephen, a pair of college students wrapped in a never-ending cycle of toxicity. Though their on-screen relationship is fraught, Van Patten confirmed to PEOPLE in September 2024 that in real life, the two are much more wholesome.

"No. We're wildly different, thank goodness," she said of whether there were any similarities between the two relationships.

Though their characters are at odds with one another, Van Patten said she doesn't feel the tension in real life and "love[s] working with [White] so much."

"It's so much fun and I love Stephen and Lucy's dynamic," she added. "Each scene is so loaded and so tense."

White said he had a "crush" on Van Patten during a podcast appearance

When Tell Me Lies first premiered in September 2022, Van Patten and White were keeping their relationship private. However, during an October 2022 appearance on the Not Skinny But Not Fat podcast, White admitted he had "such a crush" on his costar, though he wouldn't confirm if they were dating.

"I hope [us dating] happens. I don't know," he teased. "Our lives are built in together. It's crazy, we have so much to do together."

White gushed over Van Patten's talent and how impressive she was to work with at a young age.

"She is the f---ing coolest, most grounded, amazing person IRL that you'll ever meet," White said. "She was the fearless leader on our show. She's 25 years old and runs a set like she's been doing this for 30 years. She's so consistent and good at this."

They teased their relationship before confirming they were dating

Following White's podcast appearance, the couple continued to fuel speculation that they were dating despite not confirming any rumors. That same month, Van Patten evaded questions about whether they were official while speaking to Entertainment Tonight.

"Fans should just leave it up for mystery, keep it fun," Patten said of the romance rumors. "Who knows?"

The following month, Van Patten and White stepped out holding hands at the 2022 CFDA Fashion Awards, with the latter even posting a photobooth strip of the two with an emoji covering one of the photos of them leaning in toward one another.

White's mom, Katey Sagal, approves of their relationship

During a January 2024 appearance on the Broad Ideas podcast with Rachel Bilson and Olivia Allen, actress Katey Sagal shared more about her son's relationship, adding that she liked seeing him with Van Patten.

"My son is on a television show and his girlfriend is the lead," she said. "They play love interests and [they are dating in real life]. They have been for two years.”

Sagal noted that their relationship had taken off as early as the audition process, adding, "They had such great chemistry."

They had their first fight on camera

As their characters' relationship has unfolded on screen, it appears Van Patten and White's has as well. In an August 2024 joint interview with ABC News, the Nine Perfect Strangers actress revealed she and White had their first fight while filming.

"It’s amazing. We had our first fight on camera," she said. "We got it out of the way, yeah."

The actress added to PEOPLE that the tension between Lucy and Stephen allows her and White to keep any toxic energy at bay.

"It's like, we get to fight and let it all out on camera and then we're great. It’s our couple’s therapy," Van Patten said.

Van Patten and White have spoken about the safety they feel working together

Though it can be stressful working so closely with a partner, Van Patten told PEOPLE it actually makes her job easier. She shared that upon returning to season 2, she was worried about going back to the toxic love story, but her fears were quickly assuaged.

"I had this fear of, 'You're going to know when I'm acting.' Before we got into it, I was like, 'Am I going to be insecure? Am I going to be... Because you know me so well, you're going to know,' " she said. "And then once we were on set, I was like, 'No, it's actually the opposite.' "

She added, "It makes me feel so safe and so comfortable and able to go there and be vulnerable, because I'm so comfortable with him. And that part of it was so beautiful."

White echoed similar sentiments in the interview with ABC News, explaining how their on-screen chemistry is informed by their own trusting relationship.

"It’s cool, we get to bring a lot of freedom and safety and we get to do whatever we want with each other because there’s so much trust there," White said.