Chad Michael Murray and Kenzie Dalton: A Relationship Timeline

Dec 02, 2025 0

Chad Michael Murray, an American actor, writer, and model, first gained recognition for his roles in "Gilmore Girls" and "One Tree Hill." His personal life, particularly his relationships, has often been a topic of public interest. One of his relationships after parting ways with Sophia Bush was with Kenzie Dalton, another "One Tree Hill" star.

Early Life and Career

Born on August 24, 1981, Chad Michael Murray attended Clarence High School in Clarence, New York. He became a fan of literature and played football.

Murray's career began with guest appearances on shows like "Undressed" and "Gilmore Girls." He gained prominence with his role as Lucas Scott on "One Tree Hill," which debuted in 2003.

Relationship with Sophia Bush

One of Murray’s most highly publicized relationships was with "One Tree Hill" costar Sophia Bush. It's a well-known fact that Chad Michael Murray and his "One Tree Hill" co-star, Sophia Bush, got engaged shortly after meeting on the set of the hit CW show in 2003. When the series first debuted on The WB in 2003 (later airing on The CW), Sophia Bush began dating costar Chad Michael Murray. The pair began dating the very same year the show premiered, got engaged, tied the knot, and then split not long after.

Murray and Bush went public in 2003. Murray proposed in 2004, and they married in April 2005. The pair tied the knot in front of 200 guests at Santa Monica's Hotel Casa Del Mar in April 2005. However, the marriage was short-lived. Sophia Bush and Chad Michael Murray were officially married from April 2005 to December 2006, but they separated only five months into their marriage. Murray and Bush wed in April 2005, but announced their split just five months later.

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They both stayed on "One Tree Hill" for years after their breakup, with Murray leaving the show in 2009. During an appearance on "Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen" in 2014, Bush opened up about having to work with Murray on "One Tree Hill" for years after their divorce. "Everyone’s been 21 and stupid, but if you’re in our job, for some reason, people wanna talk to you about like, when you’re fully-fledged adults who’ve done really amazing s-t with your lives, they wanna talk to you about the dumb thing you did in college basically,” Bush said while appearing on the “Armchair Expert” podcast in December 2018.

Sophia filed for annulment, citing fraud, but it was denied. They finalized their divorce in 2006. Chad responded to the claim via his rep. “Chad conducts himself in a completely professional manner and would never marry for any reason but love,” the statement read. “Thirteen years since his divorce from Sophia, he has a very happy family life with his wife and children.

Allegations of Infidelity

In October 2023, Murray’s ex-girlfriend Erin Foster claimed that the actor cheated on her with Bush. Murray addressed Foster’s claim. “It’s not one of those things that I want to go down the road of because there’s just never a winner,” he told E!. “I have more regrets in my life than I care to think about, but I don’t live in the past.

During a 2006 interview on Ryan Seacrest's morning radio show, via TMZ, Nick confirmed to Seacrest that Murray hooked up with Hilton while he was still married to Bush, adding, "This was one of those things I wanted to keep under wraps ...

Their marriage only lasted 5 months, and it ended almost as soon as rumors of Murray cheating on Bush with "House of Wax" co-star Paris Hilton started circulating. Bush had petitioned for an annulment, citing "fraud" in her filing, per People.

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Relationship with Kenzie Dalton

After his split from Sophia Bush in 2006, Chad Michael Murray began dating Kenzie Dalton, whom he met while she was working as an extra on "One Tree Hill". Just months before his divorce from Sophia Bush had been finalized, Chad Michael Murray proposed to "One Tree Hill" co-star Kenzie Dalton. A few months before his divorce to Sophia Bush was finalized, Chad Michael Murray popped the question to "One Tree Hill" extra, Kenzie Dalton, when she was just an 18-year-old high school senior.

Murray met Dalton on the One Tree Hill set when she played a background cheerleader and they started dating. On April 6, 2006, it was reported that Murray was engaged to Kenzie Dalton, an actress and Miss North Carolina Teen USA 2006 runner-up; at the time, he was 24 and she was 18.

“She is a little stunner. She is a sweetheart. She is my best friend and we have been together a long time,” he said of Dalton during an interview with Us Weekly in 2012. Three years into their engagement, Murray couldn't stop gushing about his bride-to-be. "She is a little stunner. She is a sweetheart," the "Riverdale" actor shared with Us Weekly while attending "The Walking Dead" 100th issue party in San Diego, California in 2009.

While fans anxiously waited for Murray and Dalton to tie the knot, the pair actually never made it down the aisle, and went their separate ways after a whopping seven years of engagement. However, they split after a seven-year engagement in 2013. "Chad Michael Murray and Kenzie Dalton quietly parted ways earlier in the year," Murray's rep told Us Weekly in a September 2013 statement. Murray seemed to be feeling well following their breakup, tweeting, "Love you friends out there! Thanku all of u for the unbelievable support & kindness. Happy bday to anyone I've missed this year!

Relationship with Sarah Roemer

After calling off his engagement to Kenzie Dalton, Chad Michael Murray began dating his "Chosen" co-star, Sarah Roemer, in 2014. In 2014, Murray began dating his Chosen costar Sarah Roemer. The following year, Murray began dating his Chosen costar Sarah Roemer.

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Murray and Roemer met while filming the TV show Chosen in 2014. The couple quietly tied the knot in 2015, and welcomed their first child, a son named Rex, in May of the same year. The following year, his rep confirmed to Us that the duo had secretly wed and were expecting their first child.

Chad Michael Murray is married to Sarah Roemer. Though they keep their life very private, Chad posts the occasional tribute to his loved one. On their ten year anniversary on September 20, 2024, he posted a throwback photo on Instagram. “10 years… We’ve jammed more into this 10 years than I ever could’ve imagined,” the One Tree Hill star captioned the post. He continued, “It’s been the Best decade of my life by far- sharing each and every moment with you,” he continued. “We’ve grown this little pack together and seen so much of the world as a family. I’m so grateful for you Sarah.

The two married in 2014 after a year of dating, and have three kids together: a son born in 2015, and two daughters, born in 2017 and in 2023. In an Instagram post in March, he wrote, "The snuggles are real ... "Do u know what I do every morning? Wake in my loving family's embrace, make coffee & breakfast 4 the kiddos with my wife. Read 1-2 chapters in the Bible 2 start the day off right. Then we plan how 2 fill the day with love 4 my family & brethren. It's so simple yet so fulfilling," he gushed.

Although Murray and Roemer are pretty private people when it comes to sharing their family lives with the public, the former "One Tree Hill" star opened up to Entertainment Tonight in 2016 about fatherhood, telling the outlet, "Having a family just changes your perspective on everything. I mean it's a world changer. For me, it was the greatest thing that's ever happened to me.

Here is a table summarizing Chad Michael Murray's relationships:

Partner	Years	Notes
Sophia Bush	2003-2006	Married in 2005, divorced after 5 months
Kenzie Dalton	2006-2013	Engaged for 7 years, never married
Nicky Whelan	2013-2014	Dated briefly
Sarah Roemer	2014-Present	Married in 2015, three children