The Ups And Downs Of Eva Longoria's Love Life

On the hit primetime soap "Desperate Housewives," actor Eva Longoria played Gabrielle Solis, a Wisteria Lane resident who was no stranger to scandal. In the real world, Longoria has been involved in some relationship drama of her own. And though she didn't always relate to her character or the more over-the-top storylines, she appreciated the universal themes in the fictional series. As she once told the Daily Record (via Digital Spy), "Everybody has to deal with divorce, everybody deals with marriage, children, relationships, dating."

Longoria, who once told People she considers herself to be "hopeless romantic," went through a lot while searching for Mr. Right –– but she hasn't regretted anything. "Every wrong turn led you to the spot where you are, so it wasn't necessarily the wrong turn at the time. I wouldn't change anything — never," Longoria told Ocean Drive (via ET) in 2016. 

After three trips down the aisle, Longoria finally found her fairytale ending. It took a lot of ups, a lot of downs, and a lot of rumors to get to that point, but it sure sounds like it's all worked out for the star. Here's a rundown of Eva Longoria's love life.

Eva Longoria's first trip down the aisle is one that many fans may not know of. According to HOLA!, Longoria was married to "General Hospital" actor Tyler Christopher from 2002 to 2004. Some years later, Longoria reflected on her brief marriage and suggested the timing just was not right. "He was a lovely man, but I was very young," the "Desperate Housewives" star said, per Digital Spy. "I didn't know who I was, and I was still struggling as an actor. I was a terrible wife."

On her podcast, "Connections with Eva Longoria," Longoria has opened up about some of the issues she experienced in past relationships. "I think jealousy takes up such an amount of energy," she said. "I remember being so jealous and your stomach is inside out. It's the worst feeling. Why would anybody want that feeling?" Noting that she feels she's since grown out of her tendency to feel jealous, she shared that she's much more relaxed in her current marriage to José Bastón.

Dating a former member of *NSYNC in the early 2000s would be a dream for many. Eva Longoria lived out that dream when she began dating singer JC Chasez in 2004. The gorgeous couple walked the red carpet at the Emmys and looked happy in love. Alas, their romance only lasted about eight months.

So, what happened? Well, we may never know, but the National Enquirer sure had a theory. A source claimed to the outlet that Longoria supposedly cheated on the singer with a director on her hit show "Desperate Housewives." "Eva is dating JC Chasez and secretly seeing director Stephen Kay on the side!" the tipster told the gossip mag. Again, this is all unconfirmed, so do with that what you will. 

That said, Longoria has suggested that her relationship timelines aren't always neat and tidy. While speaking to Eve Magazine, she admitted that her past relationships have plenty of overlaps. "I end up overlapping people because I know I'm over the relationship, so I move on without telling them. It's not good. I've never broken up with someone successfully," she said.

In 2005, there were whispers about Eva Longoria possibly having a thing with Hayden Christensen. Details are scant, but the details were apparently enough to get tongues wagging. As the New York Daily News (via The Washington Post) and the Irish Examiner reported at the time, Longoria and Christensen were spotted enjoying one another's company at a Cannes Film Festival event. According to the reports, the two are said to have pulled the classic move of leaving the party separately to try to throw people off the scent. If this is all true, then it seems safe to say the move didn't work in this particular instance. 

Whatever did or did not happen, it sounds like the pair stayed on good terms. In 2010, the two joined forces to raise money for children with cancer. Longoria posted a snapshot of the two on Facebook with the caption, "Me and my friend Hayden Christensen at the Rally for Kids with Cancer!" 

Christensen would go on to marry fellow actor Rachel Bilson. According to Us Weekly, the couple split in 2017 shortly after welcoming their first child.

Eva Longoria met NBA star Tony Parker in November 2004, and as she once quipped to Allure, it was "lust at first sight." About two years after they first met, the couple announced their engagement. "I knew it was right. We've been talking for months about it, and I just knew. It was time," Parker told People about the proposal. They got married in Paris in 2007, but in 2010, Longoria announced their shocking separation. The actor tweeted, "It is with great sadness that after 7 years together, Tony and I have decided to divorce. We love each other deeply and pray for each other's happiness." The brief statement didn't quite prepare the world for the scandal that would soon follow. 

According to Extra, Longoria found text messages on Parker's phone with another woman. The New York Post later reported the woman in question was Erin Barry, the wife of Parker's teammate Brent Barry. Though their relationship reportedly was not physical, Longoria still went forward with the divorce. 

The media attention and betrayal by her husband left Longoria in a dark place. "I was not eating. I was depressed. I was sad. My diet was coffee," Longoria shared on "The Dr. Oz Show" (via Page Six). On a 2015 episode of Canal+ talk show "The Conversation" (via Hello!), Parker reflected, "It was a difficult and painful experience in my life."

After her divorce from Tony Parker in 2011, Eva Longoria was hoping to get her groove back in the dating world. One man that stole her heart was Eduardo Cruz, young brother of Penelope Cruz. During an appearance on "The Conversation with Amanda de Cadenet," Longoria shared that she struggled with dating after her divorce, but described Eduardo as a dream man she manifested. 

She later confirmed their relationship to Spanish Vanity Fair (via People) and remained optimistic about love and relationships in the wake of her second marriage. "Love did not work with that person. But it can work with another," she said. "The only thing I will say is I was very lucky to find Edu." This bliss eventually fizzled; Us Weekly reported in 2012 that they decided to go their separate ways. 

In 2013, People speculated that the romance between the former lovebirds was back on after they were spotted in New York City kissing. However, a source close to Longoria later told People that she'd actually struck up a romance with a different man. Spoiler alert: This was the man she eventually would walk down the aisle with.

Though her marriage to basketball star Tony Parker didn't work, Eva Longoria didn't give up on athletes. In 2012, the television star struck up a romance with 25-year-old NFL QB Mark Sanchez. The two connected when Sanchez was playing for the New York Jets. Longoria confirmed their relationship when she stopped by "Extra" that September. "Mark and I are, you know, fine. We're happy just dating," Longoria told host Mario Lopez. 

A month later, TMZ confirmed that Longoria and Sanchez called it quits. The source blamed Sanchez's struggles on the field for the romance fizzling out; the Jets' losing record was supposedly a relationship buzzkill. "It's hard to maintain a relationship when one person is upset all the time," the source said. When asked about the breakup, the quarterback's reps gave a different story. "Mark adores and respects Eva," his reps told Us Weekly. "It really was about scheduling more than anything else. They will remain close friends."

In 2013, Eva Longoria was ready to help other people reach their happily ever after. She executive produced "Ready for Love," a matchmaking reality show that aimed to help three hopeful bachelors find true love. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the series was quickly canceled after two episodes but not all love was lost. 

One of the show's bachelors, Ernesto Arguello, ended up finding love with none other than Longoria. The actor confirmed their romance to People. "I think that's why our relationship is so special — we truly started as friends," Longoria explained. Despite sources close to the couple saying they were headed toward marriage, the two confirmed they split just four months into their relationship. 

A source detailing their breakup told People their hectic schedules made it hard to make time for one another. "Eva is hard at work producing in Los Angeles, and Ernesto's work is based out of Honduras and Panama, which made their schedules difficult to coordinate," the tipster said. "They remain very good friends and adore each other through it all."

Eva Longoria's marriage to José Bastón is proof that the third time is truly the charm. Longoria met the businessman in 2013, but as she told People, things did not click right away. "I was getting out of a bad relationship, and he was getting out of a relationship, so there wasn't a connection," she explained. "So, we had a pleasant conversation but there was no real connection." Six months later, when they met the second time, Bastón and Longoria took a liking to each other, so they went out again the next day. 

In 2016, they married in Mexico. Two years later, Longoria and Bastón welcomed their first child. At 43 years old, the first-time mom felt like it was the perfect time to start a family. "Santi was meant to be with me at this stage in my life," she told Parents Latina. "I'm patient, I don't work as much—even if it doesn't seem that way! It's the right time." 

After years of heartbreak, the actor has finally settled into a life of love and motherhood. "I still have dreams and goals, but now I can relax and focus on this beautiful marriage that I have with this amazing human being that I never knew existed," she told Parade. "Loving him is the easiest thing that I've ever done in my life." Longoria finally got her happily ever after.