Did Hallmark's Teri Hatcher And James Denton Ever Date In Real Life?

Teri Hatcher and James Denton were one of the hottest on-screen couples of "Desperate Housewives," and their natural chemistry made it easy to wonder if they ever got romantic in real life. Their love story continued for eight seasons but sadly, Denton's character Mike Delfino was killed off, which was why fans were all for him and Hatcher to have a reunion years later in Hallmark's 2021 flick "A Kiss Before Christmas." Denton, who was executive producer of the film, said (via Entertainment Weekly), "From the very beginning I wanted the first Hallmark Christmas movie I produced to be unique. I had no idea that we'd be lucky enough to get Teri. We've always wanted to work together again, and we found the perfect vehicle for what I think is the first 'Desperate Housewives' reunion."

Fans got another dose of Hatcher and Denton when they starred in the Hallmark series "Fantasy Island" in 2023. He shared with Parade.com that it felt natural working with the "2 Days in the Valley" star because they have almost two decades of history, which started when Delfino moved to Wisteria Lane in the first season of "Desperate Housewives." Of the antics that the two characters found them in, Denton recalled, "I think we were able to bond through that experience because it was so crazy." The two shared many steamy love scenes while filming the series and it wouldn't be surprising if Hatcher and Denton dated off-screen, but aside from their mutual affection, they have remained strictly platonic all these years. However, that's not to say that they didn't have crushes on each other during filming. 

There was a reason Teri Hatcher and James Denton had such a sizzling connection on "Desperate Housewives" and were able to bring it back so easily for their Hallmark roles. When asked by People if they ever had an "innocent crush with each other," Hatcher quipped, "Well, mine wasn't innocent." Denton laughed and admitted, "The answer is yes, absolutely." He had previously shared that it was hard to not slip back into his "Desperate Housewives" character Mike Delfino and move in for a kiss since the Hallmark Channel is more family-friendly. "That's what I did for eight years," Denton said.

Their bedroom scenes for Hallmark definitely aren't as hot and heavy anymore. Denton shared on Good Morning America that Hatcher filmed in a set of pajamas with long sleeves and pants. "I'm like, 'We're not on Wisteria Lane anymore.' Very different bedroom scene than we were used to doing, but maybe it was more age-appropriate," he stated. And, while his "Desperate Housewives" character got killed off, Denton loved going out with a literal bang. Hatcher, on the other hand, revealed, "I didn't really see it that way. I was crying for days and days." Although the two had not-so-innocent crushes on each other, the reason they kept things on a friendship level was probably due to one of them being wifed up.

When "Desperate Housewives" first aired, James Denton had already been married to his wife Erin O'Brien for two years. "We met in a play at the Court Theatre in 2000 and got together almost immediately. She started singing with Band From TV because she was better than the people we were paying to back us up, and we have a blast doing it. I think we're just a lot alike, and that goes a long way," he explained in 2010, per Grigware Interviews. The happily married couple share two children, whom they raise in Minneapolis after Denton ditched his life in Hollywood in order to provide his family with a more wholesome lifestyle.

As for Teri Hatcher, she was very single during her "Desperate Housewives" days after having divorced her second husband Jon Tenney in 2003. The "Supergirl" actor told People in 2019, "There is a difference between being lonely and being alone. I have been single for a very long time but there is nothing lonely about my life. I want to remove the stigma of that." During an appearance on "Getting Grilled with Curtis Stone," Hatcher revealed that she had gotten kicked off Hinge because the dating app thought someone was pretending to be her, but was perfectly content with being single. She shared, "Honestly, I'm happy. I have a really full life, a really busy life. I have beautiful friends ... I don't need a man. I have a cat."