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The #MeToo Movement shed some much-needed light on the complicated and sometimes highly questionable interactions between colleagues. However, it also called into question the legitimacy of any romantic relationships that begin at work. This is something the creators of South Park accurately poked fun at with their PC Principal and Strong Woman office romance storyline.
While a lot of inappropriate and unwanted advances can and do happen in the workplace, not all are worthy of such harsh criticism. This is certainly the case for Big Bang Theory stars Kaley Cuoco and Johnny Galecki who dated for two years while making the absurdly successful sitcom.
Despite their relationship occurring years before The #MeToo Movement, there are some questions surrounding whether or not the creator Chuck Lorre or any of the higher-ups at CBS frowned on what went down between Kaley and Johnny.
What Happened Between Johnny Galecki And Kaley Cuoco?
The flirtation between Kaley and Johnny unfolded over the course of production for the first season of The Big Bang Theory, according to an in-depth oral history of their romance by Vanity Fair.
Both Kaley and Johnny admitted to secretly crushing on each other despite being in other relationships. But nothing was acted upon. Even after they were both single, there were quite a few months when the tension remained high.
As detailed in the Vanity Fair piece, there was also an instance when Kaley invited Johnny into a cabin (during a cast retreat) in the middle of the night. But Johnny turned down the offer.
It wasn't until Johnny finally worked up the courage to ask her to meet him for a glass of wine that the two hooked up.
"I was so excited when he texted me. I was like, 'Oh my God'. And I knew that was going to be trouble—getting a glass of wine with him. I knew. And we kissed at the bar!" Kaley Cuoco admitted to Vanity Fair.
Why Johnny Galecki And Kaley Cuoco Kept Their Relationship A Secret
While Kaley claimed that she would've told everyone at work the day after they first started hooking up, Johnny wanted to keep it a secret.
"Johnny can get really in his head and want to hide, whereas I’m the direct opposite. I would have told everybody the next day at the table read. I would have announced it and said, 'We’re together!' But he was like, 'We can’t tell anyone!' So we kept it quiet," Kaley explained to Vanity Fair.
Part of Johnny's rationale for the secrecy was the fan reaction to the on-screen lovebirds dating off-screen. Particularly if they ever broke up, which, of course, they did.
"At that point in my life, that felt embarrassing," Johnny said. "I would feel differently about it today. Love is love, and you risk anything and everything for that. But at that time, it was complicated for me, and we didn’t talk about it. And Kaley was really respectful of the parameters that I had about it."
While they claimed to have never hooked up at work, Kaley and Johnny started romantically seeing each other behind the backs of their co-stars, producers, and creator Chuck Lorre.
"Chuck busted us hiding behind a car in the parking lot," Johnny admitted.
"It was after a show when we went outside, and we saw Chuck walk solo out of the stage. We were by some cars, and we ducked down, like kids hiding from their parents! And he totally busted us, but he was classy about it and didn’t say anything. We just didn’t want anybody to worry."
Chuck Lorre told Vanity Fair that he doesn't remember this instance, but explained that he may have "compartmentalized" it due to not wanting to deal with the challenges of an on-set romance.
How Kaley Cuoco And Johnny Galecki Revealed Their Romance
Over a significant period, Johnny and Kaley did their best to keep their romance hidden from the rest of the cast and crew.
"We didn’t tell anyone for a long time," Kaley claimed to Vanity Fair.
"I don’t even know how many months later, but we were in New York, and I said to Johnny, 'I think we should tell the cast. It’s starting to feel like we’re lying to them.' Johnny said, 'I’m going to call Jim right now. I want to tell him.' We call Jim on speaker, and Johnny says, 'I’m in love with Kaley,' or 'I really want to be with Kaley,' and Jim goes, 'Ah! Does she know?!' I started laughing and yelled, 'Yes, I know! I’m here!' Jim thought Johnny was telling him that he liked me and was going to tell me that. It was the cutest reaction."
Eventually, everyone on the set of The Big Bang Theory knew there was something going on between Kaley and Johnny. Fortunately for them, it doesn't appear as though they got into any trouble for it.
However, after they broke up, Chuck Lorre purposefully put the two actors in love scenes together. Clearly, there was a very casual feeling about the whole thing on set. Much of this was influenced by the authentic friendship that Johnny and Kaley continue to have despite their breakup.
Unbelievably, the public didn't know they had broken up, let alone been together, until quite sometime later.