Zooey Deschanel split with her husband, is now dating ‘Property Bro’ Jonathan Scott

Two weeks ago, Zooey Deschanel announced that she was splitting from her husband Jacob Pechenik. The news made me really sad, because I liked them together – Jacob was actually an adult man and Zooey seemed to “grow up” when she married him – suddenly, everything wasn’t so twee and it was like she put away her Manic Pixie Dream Girl vibes for several years. The twee was still there, of course – Jacob and Zooey named their daughter Elsie Otter, after all – but the twee seemed to mostly hibernate. For what it’s worth, they were together since 2014, and they had two children, Elsie Otter and Charlie Wolf, and Zooey converted to Judaism for Jacob. It really did feel like they were for real and they would last forever. They did not. Anyway, I debated whether or not to cover the split and decided that I would wait to see if there was another shoe about to drop. Well, guess what. Zooey is already dating someone: Jonathan Scott, one half of the “Property Brothers.”

Zooey Deschanel has a new man in her life — and it’s Property Brothers star Jonathan Scott, a source confirms to PEOPLE.

“It’s new, but they are having a lot of fun together,” a source tells PEOPLE. Another source close to Scott says they met shooting an episode of Carpool Karaoke. Just one week after announcing her split from husband Jacob Pechenik, Deschanel, 39, was spotted walking hand-in-hand with Scott, 41. In photos obtained by HollywoodLife, Deschanel and the HGTV star showed off PDA as they arrived at Little Dom’s restaurant in Silver Lake, California on Friday, Sept. 13. The pair flashed wide smiles during the outing, with Deschanel sporting a blue dress and metallic flats while Scott wore a bomber jacket, grey jeans and sneakers.

On Sep. 6, the New Girl star and her producer husband announced they were ending their marriage after four years.

“After much discussion and a long period of contemplation we have decided we are better off as friends, business partners and co-parents rather than life partners,” a rep for the couple told PEOPLE in a joint statement. “We remain committed to our business, our values and most of all our children. Thank you for respecting our privacy at this time.”

Deschanel and Pechenik had been separated for months, according to a source, before announcing the news.

[From People]

“Deschanel and Pechenik had been separated for months, according to a source…” Mmhm. Funny how that info only came out when Zooey had been seen with a jumpoff. I mean… it looks bad. And can I just say? Zooey’s estranged husband Jacob is HOT. Jonathan Scott is… not hot. Both of the Property Brothers are total dorks, and not in “haha, they’re so dorky, it’s actually really cute.” No. I’ve always felt like the Property Bros have been forced down our throats too, like we’re supposed to care about them like we care about Chip and Joanna Gaines or even Flip or Flop’s Tarek & Christina (who are so dysfunctional, it makes for very compelling television). The Scott brothers are just… there. Vanilla. I mean, the contractor brother does good work, I won’t deny that. But I think this is a downgrade for Zooey.

Update: Zooey’s estranged husband Jacob spoke to Us Weekly, saying in part: “Everything is amicable and we have beautiful children together that are that way because we were the parents. We’ve been raising them and we’re going to continue to raise them and take great care of them.” Basically, I guess he’s saying that Zooey didn’t leave him for a Property Bro, and even if she did, they’re still fine.

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Photos courtesy of WENN and Instagram.

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67 Responses to “Zooey Deschanel split with her husband, is now dating ‘Property Bro’ Jonathan Scott”

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  1. Lisa says:

    This really surprised me. They seem a random coupling.

    • sequinedheart says:

      thank you – SUPER ODD.
      Also, please Bro. don’t marry her unless you’re really curious about the process of divorce..

    • Adrianna says:

      She’s okay for a short fling but if he’s looking for someone to settle down with, he’d better throw the line out and try again. She might be good for a bit of publicity to liven things up which might be why he’s dating her in the first place. It’s all over the place so yeah, maybe that’s it.

  2. Bettyrose says:

    Confession: I used to call them the hot naked property twins. They are like brutally hot, but Jonathan more so than Drew because he’s scruffier and wears darker colors.

    • Erinn says:

      I don’t get it! I find that they’re both really creepy. The one she is sitting next to (I presume the one she’s dating) literally looks like he could be a Trump.

      That said, as far as the annoying property shows go, their style tends to be something I like. I just don’t ever seek them out.

      • paranormalgirl says:

        They look like Sims characters

      • Erinn says:

        HAHAHA maybe that’s it, paranormalgirl. I spent a lot of time playing the sims growing up – maybe it’s an uncanny valley type thing.

      • Lala11_7 says:

        @Paranormalgirl…I LEGITIMATELY………SCREAMED WHEN I READ WHAT YOU WROTE!!!! LOL!!!!

      • Bettyrose says:

        Eh, ten years ago they were smokin’ hotties…but they also straddled the line of sexual ambiguity, making suggestive jokes that could be interpreted different ways. I gather their brand got a vanilla-washing since then.

    • Joanna says:

      YES! HOW CAN ANYONE SAY THEYRE NOT HOT????!!!

    • Adrianna says:

      They’re very easy to tell apart. Their hairlines are different, shape of the heads, etc.

  3. Astrid says:

    The Property Brothers seem really good with all the kids that are part of their various show episodes. I find that super endearing.

  4. LaUnicaAngelina says:

    They’re a very random couple but I’m interested in seeing what happens with them. Her ex is handsome, but I noticed that after they hooked-up, the quality of New Girl dropped. I binged the show over July and August and it was a very noticeable change.

    • Algernon says:

      When New Girl was good, it was great, but it was several seasons too long. It should have wrapped up within five season. (Just like How I Met Your Mother, it overstayed its welcome.)

      • lucy2 says:

        Yeah I bailed on it after a few seasons because the quality slipped.

        I don’t know if it’s due to Zooey, or writers room changes, or it just ran its course and hobbled along.

    • JemimaLeopard says:

      I thought the same – it was like she checked out and the dynamic between her and the rest of the cast changed.

  5. SamC says:

    They seem a random couple but I love the Property Brothers! They seem to be one of the few that actually listens to their clients vs trying to force their generic vision on everyone (Gaines, Hometown couple, etc).

    And having had the opportunity to meet them a couple times at building industry events, they are efficient, very nice, knowledgeable, better looking in person, and great at engaging with people.

    • IMUCU says:

      They are very friendly and engaging. I met them on a PB cruise — I went to support my friend who really wanted to go & had recently broken off an engagement bc her fiance was cheating. My friend totally went in thinking she was gonna land Johnathan as her, at least, rebound relationship, but she got really turned off when she saw him with various groupies. She did hang out with production staff some though in the end and heard a couple of good gossipy stories. I went to see the some Mayan ruins instead. It was a fun trip though and they keep their energy up for fans. Good luck to the new couple!

    • Melbelle says:

      Yeah, the PBs are some of the only personalities I like on HGTV. Chip & Jo are sometimes cute, but as someone who grew up in church and defected in my 20s (with considerable baggage, too!) I can instantly identify their personalities as archetypal evangelical christian “lovable goofballs” whose personalities help to cover their hateful views and I just can’t. Tarek and Christina are actually unstable (and maybe dangerous) so I actively try and avoid their show.

  6. Eliza says:

    I can see them refurbishing an antique dish cabinet together to hold her yarn collection while Otter and Wolf look on dancing around the shadows from the sunlight on the floor.

  7. (TheOG)@Jan90067 says:

    Eh… I always liked the PBs, like their shows (even as formulaic as they are, like all the HGTv shows lol, but fun). As time has gone on though, it seems that Drew’s gotten more “down to earth” and Jonathan has gotten a bigger ego. Maybe it has to do with Drew having a LT (8 yrs?) GF (who is now his wife), and Jonathan was the divorced one, so he was getting more attention/action? Who knows. Maybe Jonathan is feeling the odd one out with Drew married and their other brother engaged, too.

    Still like their shows, but this pairing? Seems off to me.

    • TQB says:

      I like their shows, but also, I can never remember which one is which. Like, I know that Drew is the more settled one, like you said – but when I’m watching the show, I can’t remember which one is Drew. I always wind up calling one of them Scott, which just shows you how addled I am. Can you tell I usually wind up watching PB late on Friday nights after a couple of glasses of wine?

      Even so, this pairing – BIZARRE.

  8. TIFFANY says:

    Out of all the makeover shows, The Property Brothers are the ones I like the most and they seem like the most competent. Drew and Jonathan tells these folks what they need to hear and cam shut down the unnecessary when needed.

  9. Snowslow says:

    The property bros are super sweet but *I never believed them to be, you know, real human beings*. Maybe because the show is so scripted and ALWAYS the same. Maybe because they are ‘curated twins’ with their shtick for the cameras. But they are sweet and don’t reveal much about their persona lives which I really appreciate. Reality TV is truly the biggest turn off since politicians started making speeches live on TV.

  10. shortycake says:

    My sweetheart has worked with her IRL and did not have positive things to report, mentioning that she has a tendency to throw toddler-level tantrums and to pick on “normal” people. I wouldn’t say she has a hateful streak, nor would I say she doesn’t. Her public persona is a true testament to acting a part.

    • Skwinkee says:

      Yeah I found that Detah Cab song about her telling. Even though they said t wasn’t about her but…..

      It was totally about her.

  11. Max says:

    her ex before her husband was very unfortunate looking

  12. pollyv says:

    I know lots of women find these guys hot but I find their looks effeminate and creepy. Sorry, not sorry.

  13. Valiantly Varnished says:

    The Property Brothers are hot to me so to each his own. 🤷🏽‍♀️

  14. Jess says:

    I was annoyed and creeped out by the property brothers at first too, but after watching them a bit and seeing how they interact and care about each other and put family first I grew to like them. Plus they show a lot of support for the lgbtq community and women’s rights and I love that.

    Hgtv could do a few less shows with them though, give others a chance maybe, lol.

  15. TQB says:

    DUUUUDE, I had never seen a picture of Jacob before. He is way hotter. Not that that matters, but just as commentary, i’d hit it.

  16. Nikki* says:

    I like the Property Brothers. I read their book, and they seem nice to me. I wish her luck!

  17. Rocġy says:

    Wonder how they met

  18. Kate says:

    Is Jonathan the realtor bro or the contractor bro?

  19. Suz says:

    I know it’s wrong to ask why celebrities get married because everyone has the right to legally commit to another human but…why do celebrities get married? Nine times out of ten it doesn’t work out.

    • Erinn says:

      I always wonder that, too. But I suppose they probably do have the hopes of things working out. They probably think they’ll beat the odds. And some people just LOVE weddings. I think planning weddings would be infinitely more of an enjoyable process if I had celebrity money, so I can sort of see it.

      But you’re definitely not wrong – it seems SO rare for them to last even just 10 years now.

    • Ange says:

      Especially when they’ve only been together since 2014 and had a couple of kids, like why bother with any of it

  20. Dani says:

    Kitchen Cousins are the only hot family members on HGTV. Drew and Scott are so bland and give me serial killer vibes lol. Zoey left her first husband for her second husband, and will now have left her second husband for her third.

    • SamC says:

      Kitchen Cousins are also super nice in person (they spoke at my company’s trade show) but are notorious for not paying their material suppliers.

  21. Yvette says:

    Great news! 🙂 Good on both of them! Jonathan’s long-term love dumped him earlier this year because he wanted to put a ring on it and she admitted that she loved him, but didn’t LOVE him and certainly didn’t want the marriage and kids thing right now. Rumor is that it broke his heart big time because he thought they were on the same page on everything. SO happy for him!

    • GogoRoboto says:

      Jonathan’s ex got engaged to the guy she dumped him for just months after they broke up so I guess she did want the marriage and kids, just not with him.

  22. kerwood says:

    I used to like the twins but now they’re thirstier than the Sahara and I’m tired of them

  23. Originaltessa says:

    Jonathan is a star… He’s smart as hell, very good at what he does, and kind and respectful to everyone on the show even when they’re being ridiculous. I never like reality tv people, but I love the stupid Property Brothers.

    • Kebbie says:

      I think he’s too nice for her. She’s reportedly not as nice as she seems. Once he sees that persona is fake (if that’s true about her) he’s going to be disappointed.

  24. Ok says:

    I like her but every time I see her headlines involving relationships I can’t help but think of her ex husbands song about her wanting the spotlight to herself.

  25. Chicken says:

    The Property Brothers do have a whiff of tool about them from time to time, but good lord, give me Jonathan and Drew over Chip and Joanna Gaines 100 time out of 100. Fixer Upper is THE WORST and Chip and Joanna Gaines seem terrible.

    Also, Jonathan and Drew’s younger brother is named JD, and I really like to think that Jonathan and Drew’s parents put all their naming efforts into their twin boys, and when another boy came along, they just took the first letter of each of the Bros’ names and slapped that on JD as an afterthought.

  26. Mle428 says:

    I met someone who works closely with the Property Bros, and apparently they’re lovely and super generous. At least according to my lone source. 🙂