Kaley Cuoco surprised her fans by announcing her engagement to actor Tom Pelphrey in August 2024. The Big Bang Theory actress has frequently said that she will never get married again. She was married twice to Ryan Sweeting and Karl Cook.
She told Cosmopolitan in 2018, after her divorce from Sweeting, while still engaged to her ex Cook. “Honestly, I thought I’d never get married again. My ex-husband ruined those words. The first person I married completely changed. The person I ended up with wasn’t the first person I met. And it wasn’t my fault, it was his fault. I knew how much I had to give and how much I wanted to receive.”
After divorcing Cook, she told Glamor magazine in 2022, “I’ll never get married again. I want to have a long-lasting relationship and partnership. But I’ll never get married again. I’ll never get married. I could literally put that on the cover.”
But she was open to love again.
“I believe there’s someone out there. I love love. I’m not someone who wants to be alone,” Cuoco added. “I need to understand my priorities a little bit and see now that I need to put some water on that relationship.”
The time came soon after that. Here’s everything you need to know about Kaley Cuoco’s fiancé Tom Pelphrey. She has a two-year-old daughter, Matilda, with Tom Pelphrey.
Who is Tom Pelphrey?
Pelfrey grew up in New Jersey and earned a bachelor’s degree in acting from the Mason Gross School of the Arts at Rutgers University. Pelfrey also traveled to study Shakespeare at the Globe Theater in London. He has been an actor for many years and starred in the CBS soap opera “Guiding Light.” This role earned him two Daytime Emmy Awards. He became even more famous for playing Ben Davis in the drama series Ozark.
“I don’t know if I always wanted to be an actor, but my high school acting teacher, Steve Kazakoff, changed my life when I was 14. From the moment I met him, I knew I wanted to be an actor,” he told W Magazine. And I still can’t. ”
Pelfrey also admitted that she has never watched Cuoco’s most famous show.
“That’s not true. In fact, the first time I took Kaylee to New Jersey to meet family and friends, my mom’s partner – who was clearly a fan of ‘The Big Bang Theory’ – was there and Kaylee kept calling her Penny,” he explained. “I had no idea what was going on. So I pulled Kaley aside and said, ‘I’m sorry, I don’t understand what’s going on. Why does he keep calling you Penny?'” She was like, “This is my character on The Big Bang Theory.” I had no idea. I’ve seen a few episodes with her since then and obviously she’s great. ”
He added, “I never saw anything like Kaylee. You know, I live in a cave. Before I met Kaylee, I was living in upstate New York on a dirt road, in the middle of the woods, and there wasn’t much Wi-Fi. She brought me into the modern day.”
He also talked a little about his zodiac sign, saying, “My birthday is July 28th. I’m a Leo. I’m a Libra rising and a Scorpio moon. My daughter (with Cuoco) is my three We share two of our zodiac signs: She’s not a Leo, she’s an Aries Sun, but she’s a Leo Moon and a Libra Rising, just like me.
How did Cuoco and Pelfrey meet?
In an interview with USA Today, Cuoco said she went on a date set up by her manager, Andrea Pett-Joseph, at the Ozark premiere.
“She was like, ‘Oh my God, I think you guys are perfect for each other,'” she said. “When I heard his voice and turned around, it felt like my life had either ended or just begun. I was shocked. It was love at first sight. We hit it off right away. I definitely feel like I’ve known him my whole life, but I wasn’t ready for him. We’re ready to build a life together.”
how long have they been together?
After a special date in 2022, their relationship developed quickly. A year later my daughter was born.
In August 2024, she announced her engagement on her Instagram Story, sharing a video of herself, Pelfrey, and a ring. “What a wild and beautiful journey life is. I’m grateful for all the roads that led me straight to you,” she wrote.
do they have children?
The couple welcomed daughter Matilda in 2023, but have said they would like to have more children.
“We’ve done a lot in two years. We met, fell madly in love, and had this beautiful baby. We’re so blessed and so lucky. This was a natural situation. The timing was right,” Cuoco told ET in October 2023. You were born, and that’s special. ”
In 2024, Pelfrey told SiriusXM’s The Jess Cagle Show With Julia Cunningham that having children changed her outlook on life.
“There’s no way to understand what it feels like until you feel it. It’s wild. It’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me. I think Kaley feels the same way,” he said. “It’s interesting. It can be tiring at times. It’s all good.”
he continued. “When a baby comes along suddenly, without any conscious thought, you look at yourself and find that your whole list of priorities has been completely rearranged, and all of a sudden you’re thinking and worrying about things that you didn’t really care about before. And it’s all about them, and it’s a really beautiful experience.”
Have they started planning their wedding?
A source told People magazine that life has been “a whirlwind of happiness” for the couple since their engagement.
“She’s very happy with Tom,” the source said. “Her daughter is such a bright person. Kaley loves being a mom. For years, her main focus has been work. Focusing on her family instead has helped her thrive. Marriage has never been a priority…Kayley is excited to get engaged. You know she’s going to plan the most gorgeous wedding, and now that her daughter can be a part of it, it’s going to be even more special.”
Cuoco spoke about the status of her wedding plans in late September 2024, saying that having a second child could be a priority.
Cuoco told PEOPLE on September 21 of the wedding, “[We]haven’t started planning anything yet. Maybe another child has to come first. We’re going to be pretty out of order. That’s our plan.”
“I have four dogs right now, one (1-year-old baby), and one Tom. It’s a lot,” she added, admitting that she plans to take her time and enjoy her engagement. The same can be said about motherhood. “The moment I have a baby, they’re like, ‘When’s the second one?’ It’s like, ‘Oh my god, is there anyone out there who’s going to let me enjoy this?’ ”
In September 2025, Pelfrey confirmed that he was willing to work with Cuoco on the project.
Pelfrey told People that he and Cuoco are “definitely interested” in working together, but they need the right roles to make it happen. “We’re interested in that,” he said in an interview published Sept. 13. “But it will probably take some time because it has to be really right.”
Part of the challenge comes from their different approaches to acting, Pelfrey explained. “Caley tends to live a more comedic life, and you know, people often won’t let you come within 10 feet of a comedy scene,” he joked. “I have so much respect and admiration for her, but I know full well that I’ll never be able to work like her, and I know myself well. Like, sometimes she sees me working hard and she’s like, ‘What are you doing?!'”
Speaking to The Independent in September, Pelfrey also admitted that he and Cuoco were finding it “a little difficult to juggle” their careers and family. But “any negatives are far outweighed by the positives,” he says. “We’ve both been doing this for a while, we’ve both lived some lives, and our priority is family.”
In January 2026, Pelfrey attended the Critics’ Choice Awards with Cuoco and reflected on fatherhood.
At the 2026 Critics’ Choice Awards on January 4, Pelfrey stepped out with Cuoco to congratulate him on his nomination for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for “Tusk.” Talk to Mr. E! Following the news on the red carpet, Pelfrey reflected on how becoming a father has shaped his priorities.
“My father’s life changed everything. My daughter owns my life,” he said. “Matilda didn’t even have to manipulate because she knew I was going to say yes. So the character is just trying to be smart between me and Kaylie, and obviously Kaylie is also working. So trying to be smart with the schedule and being a father is my number one priority.”
Pelfrey and Cuoco wore coordinating black outfits for the occasion.
