Lioness Star Thad Luckinbill Played Kaley Cuoco's Boyfriend On A Hit Sitcom
Before Thad Luckinbill joined the Taylor Sheridan drama "Lioness," he played one of Kaley Cuoco's love interests, and the costars took their romance off-screen.
Thad Luckinbill once portrayed Kaley Cuoco's boyfriend on the popular sitcom 8 Simple Rules. The character, Donny Doyle, was introduced in Season 1, Episode 26 titled "The Doyle Wedding." The episode centered around the Hennessy family attending a wedding of their neighbors, the Doyles, and marked the beginning of Bridget Hennessy's (Cuoco's character) romantic interest in Donny.
Luckinbill played Donny in multiple seasons, with his final appearance in Season 2, Episode 3 called "Donny Goes AWOL." In this episode, Donny returns to the Naval Academy, Bridget develops feelings for another man, and the relationship between the two is further strained when Donny's family sets up a video postcard for him to break up with Bridget.
It was noteworthy that this episode marked the last appearance of John Ritter, who played Paul Hennessy, before his untimely death. Luckinbill and Cuoco were reportedly dating in real life in 2002, but the details of their relationship and its end remain largely unknown. As of 2026, both Cuoco and Luckinbill have moved on from their early 2000s romance.
Luckinbill is married to Amelia Heinle and has two children, while Cuoco is currently in a relationship with actor Tom Pelphrey and gave birth to their second child that same year.
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