The Real-Life Partners Of 9-1-1's Leading Ladies

Since its premiere in 2018, the hit series "9-1-1" has kept viewers on the edge of their seats with heart-pounding chases, emotional storylines, and always leaving viewers wondering what in the world could happen next. While the show and its spin-offs, like "9-1-1: Lone Star" and "9-1-1: Nashville," are packed with so many male first responders, you have to admit the women on the show are so good that they steal the spotlight. It explains why Angela Bassett, who plays the incredible Sergeant Athena Grant-Nash, is the highest-paid actor on the series at a reported $450,000 per episode.

Then there's Jennifer Love Hewitt, who practically looks ageless when she's makeup free, portraying the empathetic and soft-spoken dispatcher Maddie Buckley. Aisha Hinds is Henrietta "Hen" Wilson, a firefighter paramedic and a character who has become a fan favorite for her calm demeanor and compassion. And of course, you can't forget the ladies of the spin-offs — including Gina Torres of "9-1-1: Lone Star," who plays Captain Tommy Vega, and LeAnn Rimes of "9-1-1: Nashville," who plays headstrong single mother Dixie Bennings.

While they bring some serious action and layers of emotion to the screen, the actors behind these unforgettable characters have some equally compelling stories off-screen — especially when it comes to their love lives. From co-stars to lovers, to graduate students who first met at the Yale School of Drama, the leading ladies of "9-1-1" and their real-life love stories are just as enchanting as the on-screen drama.

Angela Bassett and Courtney B. Vance might have had an invisible string pulling them together all along. Nothing else could explain the coincidental times they crossed paths until they realized they were meant for one another. Bassett and her husband first met in the late '80s at the Yale School of Drama, but they didn't know each other very well. Years later, their paths crossed again when Bassett ended up in a play that Vance's then-girlfriend was also in. Talk about timing.

But it was years after that, in 1994, that they ran into each other and went on a date. In a 2007 episode of "The Oprah Show," Bassett said the date "wasn't memorable... He just seemed like a really really nice guy, which translated [to] kinda boring." Luckily, the second date turned out to be a different story. Vance admitted he took hours to write a sticky note to express how he felt about Bassett, but couldn't find the right thing to say. He kept it simple. Bassett "saw his heart in the note." The rest was history.

The two tied the knot in 1997 and have been happily married ever since, and even welcomed twins in 2006. For their 25th anniversary in 2022, Bassett wrote the sweetest message on her Instagram: "25 years... When we first got married, we couldn't wait to say we made it to 10 years! Now look at how far we've come!"

Compared to her co-stars Angela Bassett and Jennifer Love Hewitt, Aisha Hinds is practically a newlywed; she and her husband, Nigel Walker, have only been married since 2022. The couple said "I do" in a gorgeous destination wedding in Grenada, surrounded by family and friends. Perhaps the most interesting about the couple is that they've practically known each other their whole lives.

In a 2022 interview with Munaluchi Bridal Magazine, Hinds shared that she had met her husband as a teenager in 1992. At the time, he was simply her cousin's best friend. "I met the version of him that could become my husband in 2019, and subsequently married him in 2022." However, it seems like it was love at first sight for Walker, as the first thing he ever said about her was "Oh you brought me my wife!" Decades later, the two would promise each other forever. That's truly a long time coming kind of love.

In the same 2022 interview, Nigel described the moment he realized he wanted to spend his life with Hinds. "I knew I wanted Aisha to be my wife after our trip to Grenada in 2020. We had a breakthrough conversation that represented a growth in our lives as individuals and gave me the confidence that we could be great as an unit." From teenage friends to lovers, their story is proof that sometimes all love needs is some time to grow.

Jennifer Love Hewitt has been killer at every age. She was a teenage icon for so many millennials growing up in the late '90s and early 2000s. Today, she is a mother to three children, whom she welcomed with Brian Hallisay. The couple first met on the set of the NBC pilot "Love Bites" in 2011, and ended up working together again while filming a Lifetime series called "The Client List." It's clear the sparks flew both on and off screen for the two, as they ended up getting married just a year later in 2013.

Today, the couple has been married for more than a decade — and it's obvious that even they know that's quite rare in Hollywood. In 2024, Love Hewitt posted a celebratory post on her Instagram and wrote, "This is us. 11 years married! I'm so grateful we had a little date today to celebrate... Happy Anniversary my love. Love you always and forever." She later joked with People in a December 2024 issue that the length of their marriage is "like 190 years in Hollywood."

The couple seem to make an excellent team on and off-screen. In 2018, Brian Hallisay joined "9-1-1" as Maddie's (Hewitt's character) abusive ex-husband. In a 2019 Vulture interview, Hewitt said that although "going into [working together] was scary," the couple was ecstatic for the chance to work alongside one another. "It was nice, I think, to have each other to lean on."

Gina Torres is killing it on screen as Captain Tommy Vega in "9-1-1: Lone Star." The actor brings charisma and quiet authority to the role, but also balances out the toughness with so much heart. It's the award-winning acting she's long been known for since her days on "Suits," "Firefly," and "Serenity." Off-screen, the actor was married to Laurence Fishburne for 14 years and the two share a daughter, Delilah. She described their split as one that was amicable, saying in a statement to People, "There were no bad guys here. Only a love story with a different ending than either one of us had expected." Luckily, she found love again soon after.

Torres has been with her partner Kevin Wright, who is someone quite distant from Hollywood, since 2017. Page Six reported that they met on a beach, and the rest was history. While it seems they like to keep their relationship details quite private, it's clear the two enjoy each other's company and have fun together. In a playful 2024 Instagram post, Torres shared a video of the couple trying out a new dance move and sharing a good laugh. It's also evident, Wright is a supportive partner and always tries his best to show up for the actor in every way he can, and he's often even spotted accompanying her to red carpet events.

There must be love in the air on the set of a Lifetime production. Just like Jennifer Love Hewitt, LeAnn Rimes, star of "9-1-1: Nashville," also met her husband Eddie Cibrian on the set of "Northern Lights" in 2008. The only problem? Both Rimes and Cibrian were married to other people at the time. Their undeniable chemistry on screen had rumors flying that the two were having an affair. Ultimately, the two stars ended their respective marriages in 2009; and by the spring of 2011, they tied the knot.

More than a decade has passed since their rocky beginnings, and the couple seems to have truly lasting happiness with one another. While the two do not have any children together, Rimes is a proud and cool stepmom to Cibrian's sons. In June 2025, Rimes took to Instagram to congratulate her stepson on his high school graduation. She wrote, "Class of 2025! CONGRATS to the best kid ever @jakecibrian and to the whole @agourahigh class of 2025! We love you jake!!!!! YOU DID IT!!!"

Just a quick look at both of their Instagram pages would tell you how madly in love they are with one another. While Cibrian doesn't post often, most of his posts are dedicated to celebrate Rimes and their marriage in some way. From romantic yacht dates to birthday tributes and anniversary posts, after all of these years, their love story is still going strong.