In the small town of Serenity, South Carolina, Southern charm is endless. The beloved Netflix series Sweet Magnolias follows three best friends navigating the highs and lows of love, parenthood, and friendship.
There’s a lot of love going around in Serenity, and there’s just as much happening offscreen as well. Scroll down to learn more about the real-life loves of the Sweet Magnolias cast.
Sweet Magnolias, Season 4, Streaming Now, Netflix
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JoAnna Garcia Swisher
The actress isn’t just the heart of Sweet Magnolias as Maddie Townsend, she also fulfills that role at home. Always raving about his wife, former Yankees player Nick Swisher wrote in honor of their 10th anniversary, “Jo, you are my partner in everything I do, the best role model I could have dreamed of for our girls and my absolute best friend! You have made every day of the last decade better than the one before! I love you!”
The couple said “I do” in 2010 and have been living in their own personal fairytale ever since. The Swishers have two children, Emerson Jay and Sailor Stevie.
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Justin Bruening
Coming up on their 20th wedding anniversary, the actors are still very much in love. Justin Bruening (Cal Maddox) and Alexa Havins-Bruening met on the set of All My Children. Two years after their onscreen romance began in 2003, they tied the knot on June 5, 2005. Justin even proposed on the set. Alexa was quick to say “yes.”
In November 2024, Havins revealed to TV Insider that she and Bruening welcomed a secret fourth baby. “We have four [kids],” she began. “We’ve got a secret baby. Our oldest daughter is 14, and then our son’s 11, and then we have two more girls, ages eight and four.”
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Heather Headley
College sweethearts Heather Headley and Brian Musso haven’t let go of each other since those early days.
They married in 2003. Over the course of their 22-year marriage,Musso had a stint at the New York Jets as a wide receiver and Headley’s career in the arts took off. From originating the role of Nala in The Lion King on Broadway to playing Helen Decatur in Sweet Magnolias, she has truly done it all, and Musso has been there by her side throughout it all. The loving couple has two sons and a daughter.
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Dion Johnstone
This power couple is a fan of intentional messages, often showing their appreciative nature toward each other for all to see. In a birthday message, Dion Johnstone, who plays Erik in Sweet Magnolias, professed his love to his wife Lisa Berry, “Happy birthday to my one and only. You bring such joy, laughter, and light into my world. You’re an incredible friend, partner, and an inspiring mother.”
Johnstone and Berry got married on August 11, 2018. Prior to that, they had been dating for 10 years. They have a son, Khylin, who was born on July 28, 2020.
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Carson Rowland
Unlike his fictional counterpart, Tyler “Ty” Townsend, Carson Rowland is not a teenager. He is 27 years old and has been married for over three years. The actor became a dad in 2024. Welcoming daughter Eden Stone on October 11, 2024, Rowland and his wife, Maris Rowland, became a family of three. The item began dating in 2018 and said “I do” in 2021.
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Jamie Lynn Spears
Jamie Lynn Spears has been in the entertainment industry since she was a child. Britney Spears‘ little sister rose to fame in Zoey 101. She returned to TV in 2020 as Noreen Fitzgibbons.
Her husband, Jamie Watson, didn’t even know who his wife was when they first met. Still, sparks flew and after a couple of years of dating, they made things official in a New Orleans ceremony in 2014.
In 2024, they celebrated their 10-year anniversary. To mark the occasion, Spears posted a throwback slideshow on Instagram and jokingly captioned it, “10 years of marriage is something to proud of……like, that’s a long time to tolerate someone’s bs. Yay, us🤍👰🏼♀️.”
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Chris Klein
No, Chris Klein never ended up tying the knot to Dawson’s Creek‘s Katie Holmes. It was travel agent Laina Rose Thyfault who captured his heart.
After dating for over four years, the couple wed in Montana in 2015. The American Pie alum, who stars in the Netflix series as Bill Townsend, and his wife are enjoying life together in their family of four. Their first kid, Frederick Easton, arrived in July 2016. Two years later, daughter Isla Rose joined them.
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Brandon Quinn
Celebrating their 20-year wedding anniversary in 2022, Brandon Quinn, Sweet Magnolias’ Ronnie Sullivan, and his wife, Rachel Swierenga, have enjoyed a lot of life together!
Not in the entertainment industry, Swierenga is a certified health and nutrition coach. She also has a local healthy food delivery service. They are based in Atlanta.
“You are an incredible human and I am a better person because of you,” he wrote on Instagram. “You give so much love to everyone around you and are a ray of light to anyone in need of it. Thank you for your support and guidance and inspiration, for laughing and crying with me, and for all of your unconditional love.” They are parents.
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Anneliese Judge
Anneliese Judge, who stars as Annie Sullivan, has a pretty low-key social media presence, yet her boyfriend, Cameron Zahand, pops up every now and again. Both lovers of film cameras, many of their joint pictures are taken by an analog camera.
In December 2024, Zahand wrote on Instagram, “Happy birthday to my everything, i love you,” alongside a cute photo of the two.
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Brooke Elliott
A fixture in the TV landscape ever since Drop Dead Diva premiered in 2009, Brooke Elliott has always remained rather private. Not sharing much about her personal dating history, there’s no conclusive answer as to whether Elliott is seeing anyone right now.
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Chris Medlin
Chris Medlin‘s relationship status is not public knowledge. The actor, who plays Isaac Downey in Sweet Magnolias, might be single, or he is just keeping his romantic life off social media.
