Courteney Cox and Johnny McDaid split after more than 10 years together

Courteney Cox and Johnny McDaid split after more than 10 years together

Courteney Cox and Snow Patrol musician Johnny McDaid have reportedly ended their relationship after more than a decade together. According to reports from the Daily Mail and other outlets published on Saturday, June 27, 2026, the 62-year-old actress and 49-year-old musician split amicably late last year.

Sources close to the pair described the breakup as not ugly, stating that the duo had simply begun living different lives. One friend told the Daily Mail that McDaid speaks incredibly highly of Cox and that the two remain great friends who care for each other deeply.

The couple was last seen together in public in September 2025 at the US Open, where they watched the men's singles final between Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. In July 2025, Cox posted a tribute to McDaid for his 48th birthday on Instagram, writing, Happy birthday to the man who can do most anything and I love you always J. That post has since been deleted.

A decade of volatility and reconciliation

The relationship began in late 2013 after the pair met at a house party hosted by Cox. They were introduced by a mutual friend, Ed Sheeran. Cox later recalled her first impression of McDaid on The Howard Stern Show in 2022, noting he was really intense with striking eyes and was playing the piano. She added that she found him really, really handsome.

Though they did not exchange phone numbers at the party, Cox expressed interest in McDaid to her friend Isla Fisher. Fisher informed Sacha Baron Cohen, who then told McDaid. He contacted Cox the following day and took her on a date.

The romance progressed quickly, and by February 2014, McDaid proposed. Cox announced the news via a selfie and a tweet: I’m engaged to him! However, the engagement was called off in December 2015. A source told People at the time that the couple had been facing problems for a long while.

The pair reconciled in 2016, though they did not resume their engagement. Cox later explained on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in January 2019 that the period of separation had actually improved the relationship. She described the dynamic as better than it was before, despite the challenges of a long-distance relationship with McDaid living in London and herself in California.

Therapy and personal growth

In April 2024, Cox shared details of a particularly difficult period during their third year together on the Minnie Questions with Minnie Driver podcast. She revealed that they had actually broken up 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... 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."

Courteney Cox, actress, via Minnie Questions with Minnie Driver

Cox noted that McDaid had been in significant pain within the relationship and felt he had to protect himself around his heart. She expressed gratitude for that specific breakup, stating it taught her about her boundaries and how she operated in the world, specifically regarding a need to be adored by men stemming from childhood.

During their years together, the couple faced other separations, including a nine-month period during the COVID-19 pandemic, before reuniting in December 2020. In 2017, Cox told NewBeauty she would love to have a baby with McDaid, mentioning she would be open to carrying someone else's egg.

Cox was previously married to David Arquette from 1999 to 2013; they share a 22-year-old daughter, Coco. Arquette married Christina McLarty in 2015, and they have two sons, Charlie, 12, and Augustus, 9.

Representatives for Cox and McDaid have not responded to requests for comment.